flanking

Flanking is a military tactic in which a force attempts to attack an opponent from the side or rear, rather than directly from the front. The objective is to exploit weaknesses in the opponent's formation, disrupt command and control, and reduce the effectiveness of the enemy’s weapons by threatening less-defended sectors. A successful flank may compel redeployment, pry open a breach, or break morale, sometimes avoiding costly frontal fighting.

Flanking can be achieved by maneuvering units around the enemy’s flank, by concentrating forces on a secondary axis, or by a coordinated multi-directional assault that creates a pincer or double envelopment. The approach requires mobility, reconnaissance, and timing; sustaining it often depends on maintaining speed, securing supply lines, and suppressing the enemy’s fire as the flank is exposed. Defenders counter flanking with extended lines, depth, mutual support between adjacent sectors, and reserves ready to respond to threatened sides, along with surveillance to prevent surprise movement.

In modern warfare and in simulations and games, flanking is a common concept used to gain advantage and win engagements with reduced casualties. The term also appears in other senses, such as biology, where flanking regions refer to sequences adjacent to a gene.

See also envelopment, outflanking, pincers.