FAS

Army Doctrine on Urban Operations

11.15.06 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The conduct of military operations in urban areas is the subject of a new Army doctrinal manual (pdf).

“Of all the environments in which to conduct operations, the urban environment confronts Army commanders with a combination of difficulties rarely found elsewhere [due to its] intricate topography and high population density.”

The hazards and threats posed by the urban environment, and the spectrum of potential responses to mitigate or exploit them, are considered at length in the 315-page unclassified manual.

See “Urban Operations,” U.S. Army Field Manual FM 3-06, 26 October 2006 (a large 14 MB PDF file).

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