ADP 3-90, page 43

The Offense 31 July 2019 ADP 3-90 3-3 forces. Commanders never permit enemy forces to recover from the shock of an initial assault. They prevent defenders from massing effects against the friendly decisive operation. TYPES OF OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS 3-13. The four types of offensive operations are movement to contact, attack, exploitation, and pursuit. The types of offensive operations describe friendly force arrangements by purpose. MOVEMENT TO CONTACT 3-14. Movement to contact is a type of offensive operation designed to develop the situation and to establish or regain contact. The goal of a movement to contact is to make initial contact with a small element while retaining enough combat power to develop the situation and mitigate the associated risk. A movement to contact creates favorable conditions for subsequent tactical actions. Commanders conduct a movement to contact when an enemy situation is vague or not specific enough to conduct an attack. A movement to contact may result in a meeting engagement. Meeting engagements are combat actions that occur when an incompletely deployed force engages an enemy at an unexpected time and place. Once an enemy force makes contact, the commander has five options: attack, defend, bypass, delay, or withdraw. Subordinate variations of a movement to contact include search and attack and cordon and search operations. ATTACK 3-15. An attack is a type of offensive operation that destroys or defeats enemy forces, seizes and secures terrain, or both. Attacks incorporate coordinated movement supported by fires. They may be part of either decisive or shaping operations. A commander may describe an attack as hasty or deliberate, depending on the time available for assessing the situation, planning, and preparing. A commander may decide to conduct an attack using only fires, based on an analysis of the mission variables. An attack differs from a movement to contact because in an attack commanders know at least part of an enemy’s dispositions. This knowledge enables commanders to better synchronize and employ combat power. 3-16. Variations of the attack are ambush, counterattack, demonstration, feint, raid, and spoiling attack. The commander’s intent and the mission variables guide which of these variations of attack to employ. Commanders conduct each of these variations, except for a raid, as either a hasty or a deliberate operation. EXPLOITATION 3-17. An exploitation is a type of offensive operation that usually follows a successful attack and is designed to disorganize the enemy in depth. Exploitations seek to disintegrate enemy forces to the point where they have no alternative but to surrender or retreat. Exploitations take advantage of tactical opportunities. Division and higher echelon headquarters normally plan exploitations as branches or sequels. PURSUIT 3-18. A pursuit is a type of offensive operation designed to catch or cut off a hostile force attempting to escape, with the aim of destroying it. There are two variations of the pursuit: frontal and combination. A pursuit normally follows a successful exploitation. However, if enemy resistance breaks down and enemy forces begin fleeing the battlefield, any type of offensive operation can transition into a pursuit. Pursuits entail rapid movement and decentralized control. Bold action and calculated initiative are required in the conduct of a pursuit. The Third U.S. Army’s actions in France between August and September 1944 during World War II is an example of a pursuit. COMMON OFFENSIVE CONTROL MEASURES 3-19. Commanders use common offensive control measures to synchronize the effects of combat power. Chapter 2 introduced airspace coordinating measures, permissive FSCMs, and restrictive FSCMs used in the offense. Commanders use the minimum control measures required to synchronize the application of the combat power required to accomplish their mission. This provides subordinates the flexibility needed to