The
"Magic" Triangle of:
Mobility
- Security - Firepower
Ferrill
(1985: 44) describes "the three indispensable ingredients of warfare":
mobility
- security - firepower
These
can be arranged in a "magic" triangle:
The
positioning of
mobility
in the apex of the triangle - above security and firepower - serves to indicate
its vital importance and the necessity for emphasis. Probably more battles were
lost due to neglect of the mobility factor than for any other cause. Its
paramount influence is evidenced by the two greatest defeats that almost
stopped European civilization in its tracks: The Arab and the Mongol conquests,
both of which were due to neglect of the mobility factor. The heavily armored,
cumbersome, and immobile European knight cavalry proved ineffective against
their swift-moving enemies. If mobility is retained intact, then evasive action
even after a lost battle can ensure survival and ordered retreat of the main
body of forces.
The
three factors stand in a tri-polar tradeoff relation, and finding the optimal
balance between them is the acme of weapons systems design, today as well as
5000 years ago.
