Identification of Geographical Factors Influencing the Success of Military Operational Planning and Execution

Geography, as the spatial setting in which military operations are conducted, has long played a decisive role in determining the outcomes of armed conflicts, while the secure geographical location of certain states has protected them from the destructive consequences of war. This study aims to identify the principal geographical factors influencing the successful planning and execution of military operations through a mixed-methods approach. The study population comprised experienced military commanders and faculty members of Imam Ali Officer University, and purposive sampling was employed in both the qualitative and quantitative phases. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) implemented in SmartPLS software. The study identified the key geographical determinants of successful military operations, specified the influential variables associated with each dimension, classified them based on expert judgments, and proposed recommendations for their enhancement. The findings indicate that the geographical factors affecting the success of military operations encompass both physical and human geographical dimensions. Physical geographical factors include spatial relationships and configurations, climatic conditions and elements, water bodies, vegetation cover, geological characteristics, and soil composition. Human geographical factors comprise the characteristics of commanders and military personnel, military equipment and weapon systems, communication and transportation networks, demographic characteristics, cultural factors, urban and rural settlements, and critical infrastructure and strategic installations. The results further demonstrate that the identified geographical indicators exert a statistically significant influence on the success of military operations at the 95% confidence level. Based on these findings, it is recommended that all combat brigades systematically assess military geographical factors within their assigned areas of responsibility, as designated by higher headquarters, using the identified dimensions to enhance operational superiority during crises