Understanding Urban Warfare

n nNo environment is more challenging for militaries than a city. No form of combat is more inherentlyn ndestructive than urban warfare. And yet too often, militaries are both unprepared for the challengesn nof cities and unable to avoid being pulled into brutal urban fights.n n nn nIn Understanding Urban Warfare, readers will gain more than just an appreciation of the uniquen nchallenges of urban warfare-from the limiting effects of three-dimensional terrain on many weaponn nsystems and the multiplicity of enemy firing points on a city street to the overarching need ton nminimize civilian casualties and protect critical infrastructure and cultural property.n n nn nThe book presents new ways to understand the distinctive characteristics of a variety of cities-n nmegacities, global cities, feral cities, and even smart cities-and how those characteristics impactn nmilitary operations in urban terrain. Readers will also be introduced to some of the most relevantn nurban battles in modern history-the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, the 2004 Second Battle of Fallujah inn nIraq, plus the 2020 Battle of Shusha in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, and more-to illuminaten ntrends and lessons to better understand urban warfare.n n nn nIn an increasingly urban world, the future character of conflict will also be increasingly urban. Thisn nbook sets out to understand that future.n