An assessment of uncertainty due to adversary mobility

Abstract

Uncertainty related to an adversary's tactics, techniques, and procedures is often difficult to characterize, particularly during the period immediately before a conflict, when planning for a face-to-face confrontation with a combatant. Adversarial freedom of maneuver and the fixed nature of asset defense leaves limited room for error or half-assessments, yet past analysis of regional defendability presumes a static, symmetric adversary, rather than a nimble, cunning one. This thesis examines historical events to identify the source of uncertainty with respect to defensive operations, and proposes that an alternative measure of performance be evaluated to fully characterize the effectiveness and limitations of defensive elements in the face of a determined peer.