ABSTRACT
Operational design is an arbitrary term for collection of military-related considerations in planning a campaign or major operation. For maritime campaign, strategic guidance issued by the highest politico-military leadership should be the key document for the analysis; design for a major naval operation should be based on the operational guidance issued by the operational commander. The ultimate objective should be identical to the mission received by a higher authority/commander. The intermediate objectives provide a pathway toward the accomplishment of the ultimate objective. After determining the ultimate and intermediate objectives, the operational commander and the planners must balance the operational factors of space, time, and force against the ultimate objective. An important element of operational design is calculation of the overall size and mix of forces for the entire maritime campaign or major naval operation. The concept of a center of gravity is, along with the determination of the ultimate and intermediate objectives, the most critical part of the operational design.
