Efficient concentration of forces, or how to fight outnumbered and win

The dramatic outcome of Operation Desert Storm has caused a paradigm shift in military thinking. Traditionally, the overriding factor in combat operations has been mission accomplishment, but doctrinal developers now include additional criteria. Though there are many ways to conduct a compaign to assure a military victory, some are costlier than others in terms of casualties. Current thinking requires that the commander have the goal of mission accomplishment with minimum loss of friendly forces. This article explores the principle of efficient force concentration as a means of minimizing losses while defeating an enemy force, particularly one that is numerically superior. It looks at several attrition mechanisms and considers conditions under which theory suggests defeat of a larger force is and is not possible. It also investigates properties of a measure of effectiveness called force elasticity and argues that this is the proper benchmark for comparing the relative effectiveness of combatants.