Page 88 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA
Principles of War

The principles of war influence the conduct of war in its widest sense. At
the strategic level they provide criteria against which courses of action
affecting the national interests or the planning of a campaign may be
tested. At lower level they provide a guide for the planning and conduct
of operations on the battlefield. They are not rules of a game but act as
guides to action or fundamental tenets forming a basis for appreciating
a situation and planning, whilst their applicability and relative important
change with the circumstances. Although framed in relation to war,
they also apply in every form of military activity, whether in war or
peace. Underpinned by ‘understanding’, ‘mission command’ and the
‘manoeuvrist approach’. They represent enduring principles, whose
expression and emphasis change in relation to context. The principles of
war is comprehensively dealt in Chapter 7 of MDSL.

Doctrine

Doctrine deals with laying down processes, procedures and methodology
of employment of resources (forces) for various operations of war under
different conditions. It is based upon historical experiences of successes
and failures in battles and wars. It governs the coordinated action
towards common objectives. As such, it is primarily oriented towards
the operational level of warfare. Naval doctrine will first consider war
fighting aspects but will eventually include military operations other
than war. Within the broader guidelines of national strategy, doctrine
provides the basis for mutual understanding and trust within our naval
service as well as with sister services. MDSL is the SLN’s foremost
doctrinal publication. It is a guide to understanding the unique nature
of SLN’s contribution to national security and how the SLN goes about
its business. MDSL provides an authoritative guide to current naval
thinking and is thus a vital component of the training and education of
all the SLN personnel. It is fundamental to improve own knowledge and
own service. Likewise, a key element in ensuring that all Sri Lankans’ to
understand better, the continuing importance of their notion of the sea
and maritime power.

70 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea