CHAPTER 5: The OPFOR in the Offense

5-3 Types of Offensive Action.

    The OPFOR will employ three basic types of tactical offensive actions: attack against a defending enemy, meeting battle, and pursuit.

    a. Attack Against a Defending Enemy. The basic form of offensive combat and the preferred OPFOR method of attacking a defending BLUFOR:

• Occurs when the BLUFOR is occupying known defensive positions.

• Can occur in a variety of situations: envelopments, supporting attacks, penetrations of the BLUFOR defense, and exploitation.

• An attack from a position in direct contact is most often used when transitioning over to the offense from the defense.

• Figure 5-4 illustrates the difference between the two methods.

        (1) Assembly Areas.

• When attacking from the march, a division would normally occupy an assembly area of between 300 to 600 sq. km located 60 to 75 km from the BLUFOR’'s forward positions.

• Brigades could occupy assembly areas as close as 20 to 30 km.

• Forces depart assembly areas in march formation and deploy into prebattle and, if necessary, battle formation at designated lines.

        (2) Operations Against an BLUFOR Covering Force Area.

• Goal: to prevent having the main body deploy from march formation prior to reaching the designated deployment lines.

Against a weak covering force:

• Forward detachments of 1st echelon divisions, with strong artillery and air support, responsible for destroying BLUFOR covering force.

• Main bodies of divisions follow in tactical march column, ready to exploit the forward detachment success.

• Deployment of lead divisions depends on degree of BLUFOR resistance.

Against a strong covering force:

• OPFOR would deploy main bodies of 1st echelon divisions from the outset.

• Use forward detachments and air landings to cut off BLUFOR withdrawals and seize entries into the tactical zone.

• Divisions may send forward detachments to seize key terrain in the covering force area.

Figure 5-4. Attack against a defending BLUFOR.

        (3) Attack zones and strike sectors. Figure 5-5 lists average widths of attack zones (frontages) and strike sectors (penetration sectors/sectors of main effort) at the tactical level. The OPFOR's goal is to achieve overwhelming superiority in the strike sector. A minimum of 5:1 is desired but more is better.

Figure 5-5. Typical Attack Zones and Strike Sector Widths.

NOTE: These distances are doctrinal and may vary significantly depending upon the situation.

        (4) Force Disposition.

            (a) MID and TD.

• In attacking a well-prepared defense, a division will normally attack on a narrower frontage (as narrow as 10 km) with a stronger second echelon (two brigades rather than one).

• A division attacking on an army's supporting axis will normally have a wider frontage than one attacking on the main attack axis.

• Division elements will normally deploy as listed in Figure 5-6.

Figure 5-6.Deployment Depths.

Figure 5-7. MID Attack Against a Partially Prepared Defense (Variant).

Figure 5-8. MID Attack Against a Partially Prepared Defense (Variant).

Figure 5-9. MIBR Attack Against a Partially Prepared Defense (Variant)

MIBN and TBN

• Battalion may attack using either one or two echelons.
• When attacking in one echelon, it will normally have a small combined arms reserve (platoon sized).
• A tank company attached to a MIBN normally operates intact.

• Does not have the organic combat support or combat service support required for independent action, except when deployed as a security or enveloping detachment, an advance guard, a raiding detachment, a forward detachment , or a heliborne or amphibious landing force.

Figure 5-10. MIBN Attack Against a Partially Prepared Defense (Variant)

    b. Meeting Battle.

• The basic form of offense used to meet and destroy BLUFOR tactical reserves.

• Goals: to destroy the BLUFOR and to continue developing the offensive.

• The side that seizes the initiative first through rapid deployment into battle or prebattle formations and through delivery of indirect and direct fires is most likely to win, even in the face of a superior BLUFOR.

• Figure 5-11 illustrates the circumstances under which a meeting battle may occur.

• Figure 5-12 describes Phases of a Meeting Battle.

• Figure 5-13 illustrates possible outcomes of advance guard action in meeting battle.

Figure 5-11. Circumstances under which a meeting battle may occur.

        (1) OPFOR battalion in the meeting battle. A mechanized infantry or tank battalion is most likely to become involved in a meeting battle when acting as the advance guard of a brigade. This is also true of a battalion acting independently as a forward detachment of a division or brigade. When performing such a role, a mechanized infantry battalion is normally reinforced with tank, artillery, and engineer troops and possibly with antitank, air defense, or chemical protection elements. A tank battalion would be similarly reinforced, but with mechanized infantry rather than tank or antitank elements. Figure 5-14, illustrates advance guard actions.

        (2) OPFOR company in the meeting battle. OPFOR maneuver companies fight meeting battles and defending enemies in the same manner. A mechanized infantry or tank company normally fights as part of a battalion. However, it can also act independently as a forward security element of an advance guard or a forward detachment. A company in such a role can receive reinforcements from NBC reconnaissance, artillery, and a unit of the other maneuver arm (tank or mechanized infantry).

Figure 5-12. Phases of meeting battle.

Figure 5-13. Possible outcomes of advance guard action in meeting battle.

Figure 5-14. Advance Guard Actions

COMBAT RECONNAISSANCE PATROL (CRP) / FORWARD PATROL

Upon contact, actions of the CRP/Forward patrol are:

• Report contact to the advanced guard commander.
• Attempt to penetrate to the BLUFOR main force, bypassing his advance elements.
• Perform chemical and engineer reconnaissance.
• Collect all information on the BLUFOR that will expedite the commander’s decision.

Build-up of Firepower (CRP/Forward Patrol)

• Time: 0 minutes
• Forces Committed: 3 BTRs

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FORWARD SECURITY ELEMENT (FSE)

Actions of the FSE, moving in column behind the CRP(s) by up to 10 kilometers, are:

• Advance at maximum speed.
• Engage the BLUFOR with all weapons.
• Develop the fight.
• Seize and hold a position until arrival of the advanced guard main body.

Build-up of Firepower (FSE)

Time: +20 minutes

Forces now committed:

• 11 BTRs
• 3 Tanks
• 6 Mortars
• 6 Howitzers, 122mm

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ADVANCE GUARD MAIN BODY (AGMB)

At the time of initial contact, the advance guard main body is moving in march column 5 to 10 kilometers behind the FSE. The commander:

• Defines the plan for the engagement.
• Issues orders to the commanders of the CRP and FSE.
• Moves forward, with the artillery commander, at maximum speed to an observation point.
• Issues orders for the deployment of the advance guard main body.
• Launches the attack

Build-up of Firepower (Advance Guard)

Time: +60 minutes

Forces now committed:

• 50 BTRs                         2 Antiaircraft Guns
• 10 Tanks                        6 AT-4s and 9 AT-7s
• 6 Mortars                      3 recoilless guns, 73mm
• 18 Howitzers, 122mm     6 Automatic Grenade Launchers

    c. Pursuit. The OPFOR defines pursuit as a type of offensive conducted against a withdrawing BLUFOR. The goal of a pursuit is to complete the destruction of, or capture the BLUFOR.

(1) The three forms of pursuit are shown in Figure 5-15.

(2)  Characteristics of the Pursuit:

• Centralized planning.
• Decentralized execution.
• Artillery allocated to maneuver battalions.
• Extensive use of forward detachments (both heliborne and ground) to seize key terrain to block the BLUFOR's withdrawal routes.
• Heavy emphasis on reconnaissance.

Figure 5-15. Forms of Pursuit.

Figure 5-16. Example of a Pursuit.

Note: The OPFOR are represented by the shaded arrows.