text: _________________________________________________________________________________Chapter 3
  PLANNED OFFENSE
  3-23. A planned (deliberate) offense is an offensive operation or action under-
  taken when there is sufficient time and knowledge of the situation to prepare
  and rehearse forces for specific tasks. Typically, the enemy is in prepared de-
  fensive positions and in a known location. The OPFOR plans an offense using
  the method described in Chapter 2. Key considerations in offensive planning
  are
  • Selecting a clear and appropriate objective.
  • Determining which enemy forces (security, reaction, or reserve) must
  be fixed.
  • Developing a reconnaissance plan that locates and tracks relevant en-
  emy targets and elements.
  • Creating or taking advantage of a window of opportunity to free
  friendly forces from any enemy advantages in precision standoff and
  situational awareness.
  • Determining which component or components of an enemy’s combat
  system to attack.
  SITUATIONAL OFFENSE
  3-24. The OPFOR may also conduct a situational (hasty) offense. It recog-
  nizes that the modern battlefield is chaotic. Fleeting opportunities to at-
  tack an enemy weakness continually present themselves and just as
  quickly disappear. Although detailed planning and preparation greatly
  mitigate risk, they are often not achievable if a window of opportunity is
  to be exploited.
  3-25. The following are examples of conditions that might lead to a situ-
  ational offense:
  • A key enemy unit, system, or capability is exposed.
  • The OPFOR has an opportunity to conduct a spoiling attack to disrupt
  enemy defensive preparations.
  • An OPFOR unit makes contact on favorable terms for subsequent of-
  fensive action.
  3-26. In a situational offense, the commander develops his assessment of the
  conditions rapidly and without a great deal of staff involvement. He provides
  a basic course of action to the staff, who then quickly turn that course of ac-
  tion into an executable operational directive. The situational offense relies
  heavily on implementation of battle drills by subordinate tactical units (see
  FM 7-100.2).
  3-27. Organization of the battlefield in a situational offense is normally lim-
  ited to minor changes to existing control measures. Organization of forces in
  a situational offense typically requires the use of detachments or tactical
  groups (see FM 7-100.2). The nature of situational offense is such that it of-
  ten involves smaller, independent forces accomplishing discrete missions dis-
  persed from the main body of the operational-strategic command (OSC).