Soviet Union Table of Contents
Military art is the theory and practice of preparing and conducting military actions on land, at sea, and in the air. Its three components--military strategy, operational art, and tactics-- are interconnected and mutually supporting. Military strategy is concerned with the conduct of the war as a whole. Operational art deals with the preparation and conduct of military actions within geographical limits of a theater of military operations (teatr voennykh deistvii-- TVD; see Glossary). Operational art is employed to achieve the goals set under strategy. It links strategy and tactics, in that tactical missions are assigned to support theater operations. Military tactics defines combat methods for the battlefield. Although it is subordinate to operational art and strategy, tactics can influence both the operational and the strategic levels of war.
Data as of May 1989