The Tactical Commander's Guide to Command and Control in Operations (FT-05)

The Tactical Commander's Guide to Command and Control in Operations (FT-05)

Date : december 2011

The French Land Forces doctrine
French Version

• The Tactical Commander's Guide to Command and Control in Operations (FT-05)

FT_05

The French version of this doctrinal manual, entitled L'exercice du commandement en operations pour les chefs tactiques and designated FT-05, was approved by the Army Chief of Staff on October 13, 2010, under the reference 1671/DEF/EMAT/ES/B.EMP/ES/10.

Backed up by historical examples, it is first and foremost intended to provide food for thought for our officers, in particular the youngest of them, but also for each and every commander who may one day be called upon to exercise command and control in operations.

This doctrinal manual is part of the ongoing series of ‘Capstone Doctrine' documents of the Army's doctrinal corpus. It is also intended to specify the French approach to operational command in the light of the field manuals and handbooks that our key allies have recently published on the same topic.

The conditions for the use of military force have changed. In today's typical engagements, military action may represent only one line of operations among many others. This evolution is described in the Army's employment of land forces in present and future conflicts Capstone Doctrine Winning the Battle , Building Peace (FT-01). In a context where tactics has regained importance, ground military action now meets three tactical objectives as described in the tactical manual General Tactics (FT-02): force the enemy, control the environment and influence perceptions.

As command and control functions do not change significantly over time, the foundations of command in operations cannot be separated from those in peacetime, and both tend to interact. The question here is not whether to rewrite existing documents 1 or to revisit the foundations and principles of soldiering in the Army that have already been presented in comprehensive and detailed documents 2 . It is, rather, to present in a single doctrinal manual the exercise of command and control in operations for French tactical commanders.

Nevertheless, one should not lose sight of the specificity of command and control in operations which always includes, when appropriate, a choice between tactical effectiveness, or ‘necessary boldness', and fair consideration for the risks in combat, or ‘essential caution'.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. Adapting command and control to the conditions of an engagement to the conditions of an engagement and its strategic objectives

I.1 The continuum of operations means changing conditions for the exercise of command and control
I.2 The mission must be firmly defined in a scope concerning all players all players

PART II. Command by objectives through the commander's intent

II.1 Command and control is not wholly rational but s but still a science
II.2 Differentiate between the two major styles of command
II.3 Expressing intent: the best way to reduce uncertainty and promote initiative by subordinates

PART III. applying and combining the six principles of command

III.1 Simplicity
III.2 Unity
III.3 Permanence and continuity
III.4 Subsidiarity and decentralization
III.5 Command dialogue
III.6 Proximity

PART IV. The qualities of the commander

IV.1 Courage, responsibility and self-confidence
IV.2 The gift of intuition
IV.3 The ability to win confidence
IV.4 An understanding of the general interest
IV.5 Persuasion and credibility
IV.6 Discernment
IV.7 Serenity

Internal link : whole publication (588 Ko PDF format ) or download FT-05 (499 Ko ZIP format )