text: Chapter 6
  scale combat operations against more capable enemy forces are likely to be of longer duration, lasting months
  or longer.
  6-6. Army forces may execute large-scale combat operations in a supporting, enabling, or advisory role,
  instead of constituting the bulk of ground maneuver forces. One example was OPERATION INHERENT
  RESOLVE, beginning in 2014, during which a U.S.-led combined joint task force supported Iraqi Security
  Forces and Syrian Democratic Forces in defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. In these cases, U.S.
  forces applied large-scale combat operations tactics in support of a partner force.
  6-7. The characteristics of large-scale combat operations vary based on many factors, including the enemy.
  When fighting against a less capable enemy, the U.S. joint force may have significant advantages in most
  domains. The principal concerns during such operations include how to win rapidly at minimal cost,
  consolidate gains, and transition responsibility for an area to legitimate authorities. When fighting against a
  peer enemy, able to contest the joint force in all domains, the operational environment becomes much more
  difficult. Integrated air defense and long-range fires systems; cyberspace and electronic warfare capabilities;
  chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear capabilities (CBRN); and global reconnaissance and
  surveillance networks can create parity or significant enemy advantages in one or more domains, particularly
  early during a conflict and when operating close to its own borders. To succeed, the U.S. joint force must
  create its own relative advantages, preserve combat power, and rapidly exploit what opportunities it creates.
  Commanders must assume risk to create opportunity and sequence their operations because they cannot
  defeat enemy forces in a single decisive battle.
  ENEMY APPROACHES TO ARMED CONFLICT
  6-8. Although peer enemies mainly seek to obtain their strategic objectives during competition, they will
  engage in armed conflict if they view that the rewards are worth the risk. Once engaged in armed conflict,
  peer enemies employ combinations of threat methods to render U.S. military power irrelevant whenever
  possible and inflict unacceptable losses on the United States, its allies, and its partners. Russia and China
  employ their instruments of national power and military capabilities in distinct ways.
  RUSSIA
  6-9. The Russian view of war is that it is often undeclared, fought for relatively limited policy objectives,
  and occurs across all domains. Russian leaders assess that modern conflicts are characterized by a destructive
  and rapid initial period of war that is more decisive than in the past. Additionally, Russia considers that
  non-nuclear strategic precision-guided weapons can achieve strategic effects on par with nuclear weapons.
  Doctrinally, Russia plans to employ nuclear weapons in response to non-nuclear attacks when those attacks
  threaten Russian sovereignty.
  6-10. During armed conflict, Russia seeks to exert simultaneous pressure in all domains. Russian strategies
  intend to increase the costs of confrontation and make the objectives of the United States and its allies
  politically and economically unsupportable. Russia’s objective is to weaken U.S. national will to continue a
  conflict by inflicting highly visible and embarrassing losses on U.S. forces.
  6-11. Russian forces intend to win conflicts with massed and precision fires. Russian forces will attempt to
  set the operational conditions so that deployment of U.S. forces is ultimately counter to U.S. interests. If the
  U.S. does deploy forces, Russian goals are centered on creating constraints that prevent success of the United
  States’ campaign. Russian methodologies focus on four key areas:
  (cid:122) Disrupt or prevent understanding of the operational environment. Russian information warfare
  activities manipulate the acquisition, transmission, and presentation of information in a way that
  suits Russia’s preferred outcomes.
  (cid:122) Target stability. Russia may foster instability in key areas and among key groups so that regional
  security conditions do not support U.S. operational requirements.
  (cid:122) Disaggregate partnerships. Russia acts upon U.S. allies and partners to reduce the ability of the
  United States to operate in its preferred combined, joint, and interagency manner.
  (cid:122) Prevent access. Russia employs pre-conflict activities to deny access to U.S. forces, using
  nonlethal means initially and transitioning to lethal means if necessary. It seeks to undermine