Military Operations Based on Climate - Essay Example

fferent climatic changes such as high and low temperatures, drought and floods, high and damaging winds, and heavy or blowing snow have significant impacts on military operations. These may lead to increased risk to life and safety, injury, and a degrading effect on mission performance. The effects of snow are felt across a range of tasks from intelligence gathering by sensors to mobility of vehicles and personnel. At the tactical level, the climate and its extremes affect soldier and unit issues such as doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leaders, personnel, and facilities.

Proper training and doctrine have At the operational level, climate and extreme weather have an effect on the design and organization of successful campaigns, theater operations, and battles. When the campaigns are launched in the environments of tropical storms, monsoon season, or extreme desert heat these are clearly affected by the expected climate. Extreme weather events can cause delays and disruptions in plans for mobility, lines of communication, point of embarkation, logistics and support.

At the strategic level, climate and extreme weather affect the national and international resources. The requirements for developing new aircraft, ground vehicles and ships are also affected by the range of extreme weather conditions. The operating and maintenance costs that are tied to both climate and the frequency of extreme weather, such as heating and cooling costs, damage by tropical storms and periodic floods. There have been many examples in the past when military attack has been affected by the extreme climatic conditions.

During World War II the bad weather in Europe was the worst enemy of the air operation. Bad weather is the enemy of the side that seeks to launch projects requiring good weather, or of the side possessing great assets, such as strong air forces, which depend upon good weather for effective