CENTERS OF GRAVITY

1
CENTERS OF GRAVITY
010424
2
WHAT IS A CENTER OF GRAVITY?

• THE HUB OF ALL POWER AND MOVEMENT ON WHICH
  EVERYTHING DEPENDS THAT CHARACTERISTIC,
  CAPABILITY, OR LOCATION FROM WHICH ENEMY AND
  FRIENDLY FORCES DERIVE THEIR FREEDOM OF ACTION,
  PHYSICAL STRENGTH, OR THE WILL TO FIGHT.
  FM 100-5

3
WHAT IS A CENTER OF GRAVITY?

• THE NATURE OF THE ENEMY DEFINES THE ENEMYS
  CENTERS OF GRAVITY, HOW THE ENEMY WILL FIGHT, AND
  THUS THE THREAT THE ENEMY POSES TO THE
  ACHIEVEMENT OF FRIENDLY OBJECTIVES. AFM 1-1

4
WHAT IS A CENTER OF GRAVITY?

• THAT CHARACTERISTIC, CAPABILITY, OR LOCATION FROM
  WHICH ENEMY AND FRIENDLY FORCES DERIVE THEIR
  FREEDOM OF ACTION, PHYSICAL STRENGTH, OR THE WILL
  TO FIGHT. NDP 1

5
COMMANDERS BATTLESPACE AREA EVALUATION
Intent
CCIRs
CBAE
Center(s) of Gravity
Battlespace
6
PURPOSE

• Define COG
• Review levels of war COG
• Discuss relevance of COG to MCPP

7
REFERENCES
MCDP 1-0
Marine Corps Operations
Final Draft 14 June 2001
8
REFERENCE?

• ONE MUST KEEP THE DOMINANT CHARACTERISTICS OF
  BOTH BELLIGERENTS IN MIND. OUT OF THESE
  CHARACTERISTICS A CERTAIN CENTER OF GRAVITY
  DEVELOPS, THE HUB OF ALL POWER AND MOVEMENT, ON
  WHICH EVERYTHING DEPENDS.

9
DEAD CARL
Herr Clausewitz thank you for your interest in
Prussian National Defense
10
COCKTAIL ARGUMENTS

• A Strength, Weakness, or Vulnerability?
• A Concentration of Military Forces or an
  Intangible?
• Multiple COGs?
• This Is Nothing New!

11
(No Transcript)
12
WHAT IS A CENTER OF GRAVITY?

• Joint Warfare is team warfareall American
  military leaders must integrate the concepts and
  values presented in joint doctrine into the
  operations of the Armed Forces of the United
  States.
• Joint Pub 1

13
WHAT IS A CENTER OF GRAVITY?

• Those characteristics, capabilities, or
  localities from which a military force derives
  its freedom of action, physical strength, or will
  to fight.
• JP 1-02

14
WHAT IS A CENTER OF GRAVITY?

• Any important source of strength.
  MCDP 1
• Sources of mental, moral, or physical strength,
  power, and/or will. . . COGs may exist at each
  level of war.
  MCWP 5-1

15
WHAT IS A CENTER OF GRAVITY?

• Any important source of strength
• critical factors which, if eliminated, will bend
  him most quickly to our will
• may be intangible resolve or morale
• may be capabilities armor, aviation
• may be the relationship between two or more
  components, an alliance, or the junction of
  forces
• Applies equally to both threat and friendly
  forces and to the tactical, operational, and
  strategic levels of war
  MCDP 1, Warfighting

16
SPECTRUM OF CONFLICT
17
TACTICAL COG

• At the tactical level, the enemys COG is
  normally an enemy unit. MCWP 5-1

18
COG vis-à-vis MCPP

• Part of CBAE
• Part of Top Down Planning
• Helps Focus the Staff on the Enemy

19
CRITICAL VULNERABILITIES

• It will be vital to identify COGs rapidly and
  determine the critical vulnerabilities that will
  be our pathways to them. Gen. Carl
  E. Mundy

20
CRITICAL VULNERABILITIES

• A vulnerability that, if exploited, will do the
  most significant damage to the enemys ability to
  resist
• a pathway to attacking a center of gravity
• the more we narrow it down, the more easily we
  can focus
• it will often be necessary to attack several
  lessercritical vulnerabilities simultaneously or
  in sequence in order to have the desired effect
• Complimentary concepts(with) the same underlying
  purpose to target our actions to have the
  greatest effect on the enemy MCDP 1,
  Warfighting

21
CRITICAL VULNERABILITIES

• Something the Enemy Needs to Function
• Aim Point
• Key to Achieving a Decision
• Two-Way Rifle Range

22
MARINE CORPS PLANNING PROCESS
Higher Commanders Directives
Execution
Mission Analysis
COA Development
Transition
Orders Development
COA War Game
COA Comparison Decision
23
MSTP TTPs

• What scares me the most about the enemy in my AO?
• What stops me from achieving my purpose?
• What must I protect?
• What must I do to achieve a decision?
• Use the G-2 to identify the enemy COG.

24
NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!
25
ENEMY CENTER OF GRAVITY
26
FRIENDLY CENTER OF GRAVITY
27
Where am I? Where are my Friends? What are my
Strengths? What must I Protect? What must I
Do? Where is the Enemy? Where are his
Friends? What is his most Likely COA What is his
most Dangerous COA?
What things do we have to do that allows us to
be Decisive? Positioning of Forces and
Supplies, Lethal / Non Lethal Fires PHASING Suppor
ting Effort
Purpose
End State
Main Effort Reserves Types of Offense / Forms of
Maneuver
28
SUMMARY

• COG is a key source of strength
• COG provides a foundation and focus for
  planning
• COG is a key element of MCPP