text: Operations During Armed Conflict
  use deception, dispersion, and repositioning to avoid easy acquisition by friendly information collection
  systems. Enemy forces typically employ significant reserves to counterattack penetrations and attempted
  envelopments. Integrated air defense systems arrayed in depth provide protection and freedom of movement
  for enemy maneuver units and fires systems.
  6-227. Forward-positioned enemy forces focus on providing observed fires for long-range
  surface-to-surface systems and fixing friendly forces long enough to be engaged effectively by those systems.
  Enemy forces are likely to conduct a maneuver defense, whenever they are able, by using a series of
  subsequent battle positions to achieve depth. An enemy commander seeks to use fires and obstacles to prevent
  decisive engagement of the defending ground forces as they reposition, while causing friendly forces to move
  as slowly as possible under continuous fire. An enemy force can be expected to employ significant electronic
  warfare, reconnaissance, surveillance (including UASs), and cyberspace capabilities as part of this defensive
  effort. Peer enemies can employ chemical weapons, and some can employ tactical nuclear weapons, to
  prevent the culmination of their defending forces.
  TYPES OF OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS
  6-228. The types of offensive operations describe the general sequence of the offense and recommended
  formations. The purpose discriminates one from another. The four types of offensive operations are—
  (cid:122) Movement to contact.
  (cid:122) Attack.
  (cid:122) Exploitation.
  (cid:122) Pursuit.
  MOVEMENT TO CONTACT
  6-229. Movement to contact is a type of offensive operation designed to develop the situation and to
  establish or regain contact (ADP 3-90). It creates favorable conditions for subsequent tactical actions. Units
  conduct a movement to contact when the enemy situation is vague or not specific enough to conduct an
  attack. Forces conducting a movement to contact seek to make contact with the smallest friendly force
  feasible. A movement to contact may result in a meeting engagement. A meeting engagement is a combat
  action that occurs when a moving force, incompletely deployed for battle, engages an enemy at an unexpected
  time and place (ADP 3-90). If friendly forces make contact with an enemy force, they have five options:
  attack, defend, bypass, delay, or withdraw.
  ATTACK
  6-230. An attack is a type of offensive operation that destroys or defeats enemy forces, seizes and secures
  terrain, or both (ADP 3-90). Attacks incorporate coordinated maneuver. An attack is different from a
  movement to contact since knowledge of the enemy’s disposition enables units to synchronize and employ
  combat power more effectively. There are four variations of attacks:
  (cid:122) Ambush.
  (cid:122) Counterattack.
  (cid:122) Raid.
  (cid:122) Spoiling attack.
  EXPLOITATION
  6-231. An exploitation is a type of offensive operation that usually follows a successful attack and is
  designed to disorganize the enemy in depth (ADP 3-90). Exploitations seek to disintegrate enemy forces to
  the extent that they have no alternative but surrender or retreat. Division and higher echelon headquarters
  normally plan exploitations as branches or sequels to current operations.