The challenges of military operations in urban areas

Urban areas, depending on their characteristics, have different effects on the engagement of forces and equipment and the manner in which military operations are conducted. The characteristics of these areas that are important for conducting operations are position, location, shape, size, the method of construction, the layout of the street network, the existence of underground facilities, plants, etc. Their complexity is one of the greatest challenges for planners of these operations. To conduct operations in urban areas, forces are expected to be modular and thus flexible, and adaptable to a constantly changing environment. It is necessary to focus on smaller units that are in the field, up to company level. Their most important feature is to disperse fast, and then quickly concentrate towards target. The discussion between scientific and military circles is whether to establish special forces to fight in an urban area or to use the existing ones with certain technological solutions and futuristic weapons. The consideration of the type of weapons that will be used in these military operations in urban areas is primarily related to the issue of the protection of civilians. The use of weapons that have limited effect (do not break through several walls) and weapons that do not cause additional effects (such as fire, unnecessary destruction) should be the choice of modern armies in military operations in urban areas. The issue of command and control is also one of the challenges that modern armed forces conducting military operations in urban areas face. In this context, modern technology (robots, sensors, satellites, etc.) can be of great help to the forces conducting these military operations. On the other hand, they are very expensive for most armies in the world. The logistical challenges are also very great when it comes to military operations in urban areas. The increased use of food and water, as well as greater consumption of ammunition pose additional challenges for planners and logisticians of these operations, which, above all, have to be taken into account when planning these operations. In any case, the issue of future military operations in urban areas should not be a taboo subject because it is expected that there will be more and more of them in the future. Population movement has made suburbs huge and a major challenge for military forces, even greater than urban centres. Distinguishing combatants from non-combatants, providing basic necessities for civilians during operations, the use of conventional and unconventional combat equipment are some of the challenges that planners of operations in urban areas have also to consider. The detailed analyses of previous operations in urban areas, transformation of these identified lessons into lessons learned, adaptation of training and equipment for such operations are some of the first steps that should be taken. Special emphasis should be placed on the need to study more the topic of combat in urban areas in operations of battalions and brigades and to be as much as possible an integral part of the training process of these units.