text: Army Strategic Contexts and Intelligence
  4-43. Offensive, defensive, and stability operations are inherent elements of conventional and irregular
  warfare. Divisions and higher echelons typically perform some combination of all three elements in their
  operations simultaneously. However, the lower the echelon, the more likely it is for that formation to be
  focused on one element at a time. The three types of operations differ:
  ⚫ An offensive operation is an operation to defeat or destroy enemy forces and gain control of
  terrain, resources, and population centers (ADP 3-0). Offensive operations are how commanders
  impose their will on an enemy. The offense is the most direct means of seizing, retaining, and
  exploiting the initiative to gain a physical and psychological advantage. Offensive operations
  typically include a sudden action directed toward enemy vulnerabilities, capitalizing on speed,
  surprise, and shock.
  ⚫ A defensive operation is an operation to defeat an enemy attack, gain time, economize forces,
  and develop conditions favorable for offensive or stability operations (ADP 3-0). Typically, the
  defense cannot achieve a decisive victory. However, it sets conditions for a counteroffensive or a
  counterattack that enables forces to regain the initiative. Defensive operations are a counter to an
  enemy offensive action, and they seek to destroy as many of the enemy forces as possible.
  Defensive operations preserve control over land, resources, and populations, and they protect
  lines of communications and critical capabilities against attack. Commanders can conduct
  defensive operations in one area to free forces for offensive operations elsewhere.
  ⚫ A stability operation is an operation conducted outside the United States in coordination with
  other instruments of national power to establish or maintain a secure environment and provide
  essential governmental services, emergency infrastructure reconstruction, and humanitarian
  relief (ADP 3-0). These operations support governance by a host nation, an interim government,
  or a military government. Stability involves coercive and constructive action.
  Note. Offensive, defensive, and stability operations are important doctrinal constructs across many
  of the Army intelligence doctrinal publications.
  LARGE-SCALE COMBAT OPERATIONS
  4-44. Large-scale combat on land occurs within the framework of a larger joint campaign, usually with an
  Army headquarters forming the base of a joint force headquarters. These operations typically entail high
  tempo, high resource consumption, and high casualty rates. Large-scale combat introduces levels of
  complexity, lethality, ambiguity, and speed to military activities not common in other operations.
  4-45. During large-scale combat operations, Army forces should expect deployments to be contested by
  enemy actions in all domains. In a contested deployment, the first challenge during large-scale combat
  operations is defeating a network of sophisticated A2 and AD systems. Enemy forces will attempt to deny
  U.S. and multinational forces access to the AO by contesting U.S. and multinational forces in each of the
  domains and dimensions of the OE. The joint force may even have to fight for intelligence to identify threat
  locations, strengths, and vulnerabilities to gain an initial lodgment.
  4-46. Once joint and Army forces achieve an initial lodgment, they must be prepared to immediately conduct
  tactical operations. As a lodgment is formed, the threat will likely employ a variety of new capabilities to
  deny friendly forces freedom of maneuver. Friendly forces must be prepared to operate quickly across each
  domain and dimension. These multidomain efforts must entail joint synchronization, Service
  interdependencies, and the cross-domain convergence of capabilities at a time and place to create an
  operational advantage. Army forces must account for constant enemy observation, including the threat from
  cyberspace, space-based, and unmanned systems that saturate the OE. Army forces take measures to defeat
  the enemy’s ability to effectively mass effects while creating exploitable advantages to mass effects against
  enemy capabilities and formations.