artilleryintensive

Artilleryintensive is a descriptive term used in military analysis to denote a doctrine or force design in which indirect fire—artillery, rocket systems, and mortars—constitutes the dominant element of combat power. In an artilleryintensive approach, a high density of fire units is integrated with observation posts and fire-direction centers to shape the battlefield, suppress enemy concentrations, and deter advances before maneuver forces engage.

Historically, artillery has been central to many conflicts. World War I demonstrated the decisive effects of massed artillery on trench warfare. In the Cold War, some armies organized artillery-centric formations to deter armored advances in open terrain, while modern forces pursued integrated fires that combine artillery with missiles and air-delivered munitions.

Key characteristics include a heavy emphasis on indirect fire, a mix of preplanned and responsive missions, and logistics capable of sustaining high rates of fire, along with robust counter-battery and observation capabilities. The term does not imply sole reliance on artillery, but rather its primacy in the fire plan and its ability to influence tempo and protection of maneuver units.

Advantages include delivering massed effects, denying terrain, and constraining enemy movements without large maneuver forces. Drawbacks encompass vulnerability to air and electronic countermeasures, high logistical demand, reduced agility in rapid missions, and collateral risks in populated areas.

Today, artilleryintensive concepts persist in many armed forces, especially where terrain or policy limits airpower, even as precision-guided systems and joint fires broaden the fires capability.