Operation Allied Force: What Happened to Operational Art

Operational Art is the very heart of military planning. This is understandable and quite necessary, given the emphasis on joint operations in today's military. Despite the knowledge of the importance of operational art, leaders have failed to provide planners with the proper guidance and direction needed to succeed. The current dialogue regarding the success of Operation Allied Force has thus far brought a number of controversial arguments and compelling conclusions. To help explain this apparent contradiction and to suggest explanations why the tenets of operational planning are sound and still relevant in today's military operations, an analysis of the major events of Operation Allied Force is developed.