Application of Water as a Barrier in Defense Operations

Although there are considerable water resources like rivers, lakes and damns throughout the operational areas, these resources are usually ignored nor given much role in military planning. We can make better use of these resources by applying engineering actions, exerting changes on earth and utilizing special methods. This can have major and vital effects in different military operations, especially defense operations, and increase the influence of the commanders’ will in the theater. On the other hand, these actions, given a civil engineering look, and due to their versatility, will reduce the sensitivity of the neighboring countries and will practically contribute the deterring non-regional powers. The main reason for paying attention to this issue and the primary approach of this article is to utilize the surface resources of water such as rivers, lakes, streams and damns in tactical activities for conducting highly-effective defense operations by using technical and engineering methods which are both innovative and practical.