Current MOUT Doctrine Enhanced by Elements of Operational Design

The world is becoming more urbanized and at an unprecedented rate. Some of the greatest factors contributing to increased world urbanization include changes in economies, availability of resources, education, cultural identity and politics. The most significant event contributing to the world's increasing urbanization is the end of the Cold War. With the end of the Cold War came a significant decrease in the need for U.S. forces to be forward deployed. The end of the Cold War also convinced America and many other nations of the world that the robust size of military forces required for stand guard against communism were no longer required. Subsequently, in the case of the United States, the military was downsized and transformed to a power projection force as opposed to a forward-deployed force. The end of the Cold War did not end conflict. Belligerents world-wide have quickly come to understand that urban terrain can, in some cases, provide the support no longer forthcoming from Cold War allies. Belligerents have also come to understand that urban terrain can mitigate the use of technology available to modernized opponents such as the Unites States and her allies. With the increase in urbanization, the realization of the mitigating effects of urban terrain on modern weapons by belligerents, and the smaller, less-forward-deployed forces of the United States, there is a much increased likelihood that U.S. forces will be called upon to conduct military operations on urbanized terrain. While the likelihood of U.S. forces conducting military operations on urbanized terrain is increasing, the ability of outdated MOUT doctrine to guide tactical planners in developing courses of action is decreasing. This monograph proves that while current MOUT doctrine is not currently capable of adequately assisting military planners in planning military operations on urbanized terrain, current doctrine enhanced by elements of operational design can. Two recent combat operations with a