An Option Offense in the Defense of Europe

Abstract : Regardless of the numerous accounts that the NATO Alliance is purely a defensive coalition, this paper advocates that an element of offensive thrust is engrained in the fibers of the adopted 'flexible response' strategy. It is more prominent at the operational and tactical levels of conventional warfare. The generation of the FOFA concept as well as the U.S. Army's Airland Battle doctrine are typical examples of potential offensive efforts across the Central European front. Supporting points of application in military strategy and doctrine are presented for the reader's review. Keywords: FOFA(Follow On Forces Attack); Military doctrine; Theater level offensive application; NATO strategic objectives.