Defensive operations are characterized by preparation, disruption, concentration, and flexibility. Platoons and squads normally defend as part of a larger force to disrupt, disorganize, delay, or defeat an attacking enemy, deny an area to an enemy, or protect a flank. They may also defend as a part of a larger unit in a retrograde operation.
The challenge to the defender is to retain the initiative, that is, to keep the enemy reacting and unable to execute his own plan. Defensive Warfare Strategy might have a Security Element (consisting of an Assault Fire Team patrolling the flank), Assault Element (consisting of a Heavy Weapons Fire Team providing the 'shock and awe' which is denying enemy movement and delaying their advance), and Support Element (Safe House, where wounded troops are getting patched up or are on their way back to resupply).
Since the enemy decides the time and place of the attack, leaders seize and retain the initiative in the defense through careful planning, preparation, coordination, and rehearsal.
Leaders plan and establish the defense to find the enemy first, without being found; fix the enemy with obstacles and fires; locate or create a weakness in the enemy's attack plan; and maneuver to exploit that weakness with quick violent counterattack.
Leaders use the troop-leading procedure to make sure that all necessary steps are taken to prepare for an operation. They analyze the factors of METT-T to determine the best course of action. In the defense, they determine where best to kill the enemy with fires. They position key weapons to concentrate fires into that area, tie in fires with obstacles, position the remaining platoon and squad weapons to support and protect the key weapons, and reconnoiter and rehearse counterattacks.
Platoon leaders find the enemy by knowing how he fights, by analyzing the terrain in light of this knowledge, by positioning OPs along likely avenues of approach, and by actively patrolling to locate him.
Platoons avoid detection by securing their defensive positions or sectors early and continuously, by positioning squads and weapons away from natural lines of drift or obvious terrain features, and by employing effective camouflage and noise and light discipline.
Platoons use a combination of tactical obstacles and direct and indirect fires to disrupt the enemy attack and fix the enemy in a place where the platoon can destroy him with fires.
Platoons create a weakness by destroying the enemy's command and control nodes, by isolating an attacking or assaulting enemy formation from its support, by causing mounted forces to dismount and thereby slowing the attack and making the enemy vehicles more vulnerable, by use of night vision devices to gain a visibility advantage, or by the effective use of illumination to blind or expose the enemy during his attack.
Maneuver to exploit the weakness.
Having created a weakness, platoons must exploit it with counterattacks against the flank or rear of the enemy attack by fire or maneuver.
Platoons must carefully coordinate and rehearse all counterattacks to ensure the proper synchronization in lifting and shifting of direct and indirect fires.
They must also consider the threat of follow-on enemy forces against their counterattack.
Platoons and squads must be able to reorganize quickly to continue the defense against follow-on forces.