warfighting

Warfighting is the set of practices, doctrines, and processes that military forces use to plan, conduct, and sustain armed conflict in pursuit of political objectives. It encompasses the integration of intelligence, command and control, logistics, surveillance, firepower, maneuver, and protection to achieve strategic aims. In practice, warfighting covers both strategy development and the execution of operations at scales ranging from tactical engagements to large-scale campaigns, often within joint and multinational contexts.

Historically, warfighting concepts have evolved with technology and organization. Ancient and medieval forces relied on terrain, formations, and massed formations. The gunpowder era, industrialization, and mechanization broadened reach and lethality. In the 20th century, theories such as maneuver warfare emphasized rapid movement and the disruption of an adversary's decision cycle, while attrition approaches stressed sustained firepower. The late 20th and early 21st centuries brought information-centric doctrine, precision weapons, networked command, and multinational interoperability, alongside debates about ethics and humanitarian law.

Doctrine and training emphasize mission command, initiative at lower levels, joint operations, and the coordination of arms across domains. Education in warfighting commonly includes professional military education, wargaming, simulations, and realistic exercises to test plans and decision-making under pressure.

Ethics and law constrain warfighting, with international humanitarian law setting rules on distinction, proportionality, and civilian protection. Contemporary warfighting also addresses nontraditional domains such as cyberspace, space, and urban environments, as well as autonomous systems and logistics resilience, while maintaining a focus on civilian harm minimization and strategic accountability.