Logical line of operation
Encyclopedia
A logical line of operation (LLO) is an American military concept related to counter-insurgency
doctrine
. In the traditional sense, a line of operations is "an imaginary line between the force's base of operations and the objective." In contrast, a logical line of operations is one in which "positional reference to enemy forces has little relevance." In essence, an LLO is a strategy or a series of steps to address a problem, either military or non-military, within the context of counter-insurgency. Such problems may include traditional military objectives such as providing security or training host-nation security forces, or they may be unconventional tasks such as providing social services and economic development. The current U.S. counter-insurgency field manual identifies five different LLOs.
Depending on their appropriateness to the situation, all five should be pursued simultaneously in order to weaken the root causes of insurgency
. As many of these tasks exceed the traditional scope of the U.S. military, this concept is tied to the use of Provincial Reconstruction Team
s (civilian reconstruction experts embedded with combat troops).
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
doctrine
Military doctrine
Military doctrine is the concise expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements.It is a guide to action, not hard and fast rules. Doctrine provides a common frame of reference across the military...
. In the traditional sense, a line of operations is "an imaginary line between the force's base of operations and the objective." In contrast, a logical line of operations is one in which "positional reference to enemy forces has little relevance." In essence, an LLO is a strategy or a series of steps to address a problem, either military or non-military, within the context of counter-insurgency. Such problems may include traditional military objectives such as providing security or training host-nation security forces, or they may be unconventional tasks such as providing social services and economic development. The current U.S. counter-insurgency field manual identifies five different LLOs.
- Combat Operations/Civil Security Operations
- Host Nation Security Forces
- Essential Services
- Governance
- Economic Development
Depending on their appropriateness to the situation, all five should be pursued simultaneously in order to weaken the root causes of insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
. As many of these tasks exceed the traditional scope of the U.S. military, this concept is tied to the use of Provincial Reconstruction Team
Provincial reconstruction team
A Provincial Reconstruction Team is a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in late 2001 or...
s (civilian reconstruction experts embedded with combat troops).