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Operational Art

The cognitive approach that links tactics to strategy by developing campaigns and operations and integrating ends, ways, means, and risk.
Defines operational art

Operational art is the cognitive approach by commanders and staffs — supported by their skill, knowledge, experience, creativity, and judgment — to develop strategies, campaigns, and operations to organize and employ military forces by integrating ends, ways, and means. In more recent joint planning doctrine, operational art is also framed explicitly in terms of evaluating risk [jointchiefs2016dictionary].

Operational art is not only about moving forces on a map. It is a problem of time, sequencing, sustainment, and organizational coherence: how to make many actions add up.

References

[jointchiefs2011jp5] Joint Chiefs of Staff. (2011). Joint Operation Planning. Joint Publication 5-0 (11 Aug 2011).

[jointchiefs2016dictionary] Joint Chiefs of Staff. (2016). Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. Joint Publication 1-02 (as amended through 15 Feb 2016).

Relations

Cites
  • Jointchiefs2016dictionary
  • Jointchiefs2011jp5
Date created
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Cite

@misc{emsenn2026-operational-art,
  author    = {emsenn},
  title     = {Operational Art},
  year      = {2026},
  note      = {The cognitive approach that links tactics to strategy by developing campaigns and operations and integrating ends, ways, means, and risk.},
  url       = {https://emsenn.net/library/militarism/domains/military-command/terms/operational-art/},
  publisher = {emsenn.net},
  license   = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}