Center of gravity (military)

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Center of gravity (COG) is a military concept referring to the primary source of strength, balance, or stability necessary for a force to maintain combat operations. Centers of gravity can be physical, moral, or both, and exist for all belligerents at all tactical, strategic, and operational levels of war simultaneously.^[1] COGs play a central role in military planning, though exact definition has been elusive, with interpretations varying substantially over time, across forces, and between theorists. Generally, a COG can be thought of as an essential part of a combatant's warfighting system, interference with which would result in disproportionate impact on their combat effectiveness.^{[2]: 60–64 [3]: 1041}

The concept was first developed by Carl von Clausewitz, a Prussian military theorist, in his work On War.^{[4]: 144, 151, 253, 331–4, 413–4, 430–1, 437, 444} After the end of the Vietnam War, interest in the idea was revitalized, resulting in several competing conceptualizations.^[2][5][3] Although the framework is used by armed forces around the world, there is widespread controversy regarding its definition and utility. Present academic literature on the subject generally agrees the term needs further clarification and careful application, while some theorists call for its complete removal from military doctrine.^[5]