US General McKiernan called creation of corps system in Armed Forces positive decision: But this is not all that Ukrainian army needs to change
In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, there should be a clearer distinction between the lines of command, responsibility and accountability between "force generation structures" and "operational forces".
According to Censor.NET, this was stated by David McKiernan, a four-star retired US general and former commander of US forces in Afghanistan, in an interview with ZN.UA.
"Force generation structures" are the General Staff and the commands of the military branches. Their task is to recruit, train and provide combat-ready units for the headquarters that directly manage combat operations. And the "operational forces" are the headquarters of the corps that are being formed and lower tactical level units, those structures that integrate trained and combat-ready units into their areas of responsibility.
"A clear delineation of responsibility for providing troops and employing them will also reduce the problem of too many commands and staffs issuing operational orders and guidance, which often leads to confusion and incoherence during operations," McKiernan explained.
He also added that if the new army corps are properly resourced and their sphere of control is optimally defined, this innovation will serve to ensure effective management and command at the operational level.
"Although reorganising command structures during active hostilities is a challenging task, now may be the best time to do so. War becomes a catalyst for optimising a clear chain of command and control. The gradual and targeted establishment of corps headquarters and ensuring their effective structure will help to increase the coherence of operations," the US general added.
