In the last entry we identified three categories of obstacles (natural, man-improved, and manmade). In this entry we’re going to look at natural obstacles and try to gain an understanding of why they work and how they impact a threat force. Remember a natural obstacle is any feature already found existing in the environment that will frustrate, channel, delay, or otherwise impede a threats movement (our obstacle goals). Natural obstacles include bodies of water, terrain features (such as cliffs, steep draws and jagged spurs, and depressions), thickly forested areas, and any kind of terrain that makes crossing it a slow-go/no-go effort. By slow-go we mean it will severely degrade the movement rate and capabilities of a threat. No-go means that the terrain is impassible which typically only applies to vehicles but can apply to dismounts that are not properly equipped to deal with it (i.e. a cliff).
Some quick definitions here. In these entries when I use the phrase “fight through” obstacles what I mean here is “Breach”. When the threat breaches and obstacle they are creating a path through the obstacle whether under fire or not. The phrase “command and control” (aka C2) means the process by which a threat directs its assets (troops, vehicles, weapons, and other capabilities) during movement and an assault.
Why do natural obstacles work?
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