text: _________________________________________________________________________________Chapter 1
  any SCP will already contain thorough plans for transition operations, as
  well as adaptive operations, if necessary.
  1-42. When an extraregional force starts to deploy into the region, the bal-
  ance of power begins to shift away from the State. Although the State may
  not yet be overmatched, it faces a developing threat it will not be able to han-
  dle with normal, “conventional” patterns of operation designed for regional
  conflict. Therefore, the State must begin to adapt its operations to the chang-
  ing threat.
  1-43. While the State and the OPFOR as a whole are in the condition of tran-
  sition operations, an operational- or tactical-level commander will still re-
  ceive a mission statement in plans and orders from higher headquarters stat-
  ing the purpose of his actions. To accomplish that purpose and mission, he
  will use as much as he can of the conventional patterns of operation that
  were available to him during regional operations and as much as he has to of
  the more adaptive-type approaches dictated by the presence of an extrare-
  gional force.
  1-44. Even extraregional forces may be vulnerable to “conventional” opera-
  tions during the time they require to build combat power and create support
  at home for their intervention. Against an extraregional force that either
  could not fully deploy or has been successfully separated into isolated ele-
  ments, the OPFOR may still be able to use some of the more conventional
  patterns of operation. The State will not shy away from the use of military
  means against an advanced extraregional opponent so long as the risk is
  commensurate with potential gains.
  1-45. Transition operations serve as a means for the State to retain the ini-
  tiative and still pursue its overall strategic goal of regional expansion despite
  its diminishing advantage in the balance of power. From the outset, one part
  of the set of specific goals for any strategic campaign was the goal to defeat
  any outside intervention or prevent it from fully materializing. As the State
  begins transition operations, its immediate goal is preservation of its instru-
  ments of power while seeking to set conditions that will allow it to transition
  back to regional operations. Transition operations feature a mixture of offen-
  sive and defensive actions that help the OPFOR control the strategic tempo
  while changing the nature of conflict to something for which the intervening
  force is unprepared. Transition operations can also buy time for the State’s
  strategic operations to succeed.
  1-46. There are two possible outcomes to transition operations. If the ex-
  traregional force suffers sufficient losses or for other reasons must withdraw
  from the region, the OPFOR’s operations may begin to transition back to re-
  gional operations, again becoming primarily offensive. If the extraregional
  force is not compelled to withdraw and continues to build up power in the re-
  gion, the OPFOR’s transition operations may begin to gravitate in the other di-
  rection, toward adaptive operations.