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31 July 2019 ADP 3-90 4-1 Chapter 4 The Defense This chapter discusses the basics of defensive operations. These basics include the purposes of the defense, characteristics of the defense, the three types of defensive operations, common defensive control measures, common defensive planning considerations, and transitions. PURPOSES OF THE DEFENSE 4-1. While the offense is more decisive, the defense is usually stronger. However, the conduct of the defense alone normally cannot determine the outcome of battles. Army forces generally conduct the defense to create conditions favorable for the offense. 4-2. The purpose of the defense is to create conditions for the offense that allows Army forces to regain the initiative. Other reasons for conducting the defense include—  Retaining decisive terrain or denying a vital area to an enemy.  Attriting or fixing an enemy as a prelude to the offense.  Countering enemy action.  Increasing an enemy’s vulnerability by forcing an enemy commander to concentrate subordinate forces. 4-3. A defensive operation is an operation to defeat an enemy attack, gain time, economize forces, and develop conditions favorable for offensive or stability operations (ADP 3-0). The inherent strengths of the defense are the defender’s ability to occupy positions before an attack and use the available time to improve those defenses. A defending force stops improving its defensive preparations only when it retrogrades or begins to engage enemy forces. Even during combat, a defending force takes the opportunities afforded by lulls in action to improve its positions and repair combat damage. 4-4. A defending force does not wait passively to be attacked. A defending force aggressively seeks ways of attriting and weakening enemy forces before close combat begins. A defending force maneuvers to place enemy forces in a position of disadvantage and attacks those enemy forces at every opportunity. The static and mobile elements of a defense combine to deprive enemy forces of the initiative. A defending force contains enemy forces while seeking every opportunity to transition to the offense. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DEFENSE 4-5. Defending commanders strive to regain the initiative from attacking enemy forces. This is a primary feature of the defense. Disruption, flexibility, maneuver, mass and concentration, operations in depth, preparation, and security are all defensive characteristics used by commanders to regain the initiative. Their ability to synchronize their decisive, shaping, and sustaining operations greatly improves the probability of a successful defense. DISRUPTION 4-6. Defending forces seek to disrupt attacks by employing actions that desynchronize an enemy force’s preparations. Disruption actions include deceiving or destroying enemy reconnaissance forces, breaking up combat formations, separating echelons, and impeding an enemy force’s ability to synchronize its combined arms. Defending forces conduct spoiling attacks to deny an enemy force’s ability to focus combat power. They counterattack to deny an enemy force the ability to exploit. Defending forces employ electronic warfare