School of Advanced Military Studies

Behind the Mosaic: Insurgent Centers of Gravity and Counterinsurgency (Defense) School of Advanced Military Studies

Given ongoing conflicts and the likelihood of executing counterinsurgency in the future, it is vital to conduct effective campaign planning for counterinsurgency. Additionally, effective campaign planning is essential for rapid and effective operational and tactical adaptation. Center of gravity analysis is a tool that can be useful to support these activities. This book validated the hypothesis that there are multiple centers of gravity in counterinsurgency that vary by insurgent purpose, location, approach, and phase. Leaders and planners need to place centers of gravity in their proper context. Countering an insurgency requires understanding the operational environment, which this work often refers to as a mosaic. Fighting an insurgency or multiple insurgencies is fighting a mosaic war, and centers of gravity determine the nature of tactical areas of operation. Center of gravity analysis can help avoid the historical conceptual planning problems, such as improperly focusing on just the insurgents or just protecting the population. The population is not a center of gravity. Rather, the support of the population is often a critical requirement and a critical vulnerability. Support of the population should therefore be a strategic, operational, and tactical objective for both insurgents and counterinsurgents. There must be a balance of enemy-centric and population-centric activities that suits the current environment.