14 centrespread centrespread 15 OCTOBER 09-15, 2016 OCTOBER 09-15, 2016

Drone Warfare In Iraq, Syria and Turkey, drones are being increasingly used for purposes by nations and military forces including the Islamic State, according to analysts and officials in the region. These devices are, in fact, changing the shape of warfare and making it more sophisticated. Turkey, Syria, Iran, Russia, the US, Britain and Iraq all have used drones in the region. Kurdish militias, Syrian rebel forces, and the Hezbollah and IS have also used some form of drones. The missions range from simple surveillance to precisely targeted assassinations of key terrorists by the US-led coalition

The surgical strikes carried out by the Indian army’s special military strategies that have been used by nations to suit the forces in end-September on Pakistani terrorist launch-pads objectives and the situation at hand. Others have been more Limited across the Line of Control are still a subject of (hot) debate long drawn, intense and brutal. ET Magazine takes a look at Limited in time, location and objectives. The Falklands War between Argentina and more than a week after they were executed. The surgical some of these military manoeuvres (but is certainly not UK in 1982 was fought over the course of strike — a swift and targeted attack on a specific target while recommending any of them!): 10 weeks and ended with a little over a ensuring minimum collateral damage — is just one of the many :: Ishani Duttagupta thousand casualties on both sides

Strike from the Past Military The US forces' Operation Geronimo of Annihilation An effort to cut off supplies, war to kill Osama bin Laden on May 3, A in which an attacking army material or communications from a 2011, in Abbottabad in Pakistan seeks to destroy the military capacity of the particular area by force, either in part or was described as a surgical strike opposing army in a single planned pivotal bat- totally. Should not be confused with an embargo or by the US administration. The oper- tle. This is achieved through the use of tactical sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade. It is also ation, conducted by a small team and surprise and application of overwhelming force distinct from a in which a blockade is usually designed to minimise collateral dam- at a key point. While there are no modern exam- directed at an entire country or region, rather than a age, was a team effort and a ‘model of ples of this, military historians believe that the fortress or city. An example is the siege at San Antonio really seamless cooperation’ across US agen- Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, which was the in 1836 when Mexican forces under Santa Anna cies. While no breakdown of the mission's turning point of the American , is one besieged and massacred American rebels who were composition was made public, defence officials such battle of annihilation, with over 51,000 fighting to make Texas independent of Mexico had revealed that US Navy SEALs were involved casualties during three days A military strategy that targets anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area. All assets that are used or can be used by the enemy are targeted, such as food sources, Attrition Warfare & transportation, communica- Also referred to as Rapid Dominance, it is a based on the A method of warfare whereby an Pincer tions, industrial resources, and use of overwhelming power and spectacular displays of force to paralyse the attacking force spearheaded by a even the people in the area. Widely used in the . While Movement enemy's perception of the battlefield and dense concentration of armoured and Kuwaiti oil fires set alight by attrition, a strategy where the enemy is Also known as double destroy its will to fight. In March 2003 , a motorised or mechanised retreating Iraqi forces in worn down to the point of collapse envelopment, it is a military US-led coalition launched a military formations with close air support 1991 is an example through continuous losses in people and manoeuvre in which forces campaign against Iraq, which toppled breaks through the opponent's line of material, was used by the US in simultaneously attack both sides the government but defence with short, fast, powerful Vietnam, the North Vietnamese army of an enemy formation. continued for many years. There attacks and then dislocates the used the strategy of guerrilla warfare The name comes from were massive casualties among defenders, using speed and surprise including ambushes, sabotage, raids, visualising the action as the the Iraqis in the first 3–4 to encircle them. The term had and great mobility to overwhelm the split attacking forces years of conflict with appeared in 1935, and was used to enemy. The US government faced pro- "pinching" the the US officially describe German military operations tests at home over its attrition strategy enemy withdrawing in 2011 between 1939 and 1941 because of the heavy civilian casualties

Source: Online military archives, CNN & other news sources