Effects-based operations

Okay, so imagine you're playing a game of hide and seek. There are different ways you could try to win the game. You could try to find your friend hiding in a specific spot (like the kitchen), or you could try to make your friend come out by making a loud noise or turning on the lights.

Well, in the same way, when people are fighting a war, there are different ways they could try to win. One of those ways is called effects-based operations.

Effects-based operations are when military leaders try to figure out how they can cause certain things to happen (these things are called "effects") that will help them win the war. Like in the game of hide and seek, instead of trying to attack a specific spot or person, they're looking for a way to create a certain outcome.

To do this, the military leaders carefully study the enemy and their surroundings to figure out what things are important to them. For example, if the enemy relies on a specific road to transport their troops and supplies, blocking that road could have a big effect on their ability to fight the war.

Once the military leaders figure out what effects they want to cause, they come up with a plan to make it happen. This might involve attacking certain targets, spreading disinformation, or even using technology like cyber attacks.

So, effects-based operations are a way for military leaders to think creatively about how they can win a war by causing specific outcomes, instead of just blindly attacking the enemy.