Which defense characteristic is described as preventing the enemy from massing combat power?

• A. Flexibility
• B. Disruption
• C. Maneuver
• D. Security

Answer: (B)

Disruption is the defense characteristic that prevents the enemy from massing combat power by breaking up their tempo and cohesion. By introducing friction, deception, and actions that delay, misalign, or degrade the attacker’s plan, you force them to spread their forces, respond to multiple threats, and take longer to concentrate at a single point. This can involve feints and deceptive signals to mislead where the attack will come, obstacles and fires that slow movement, and actions that threaten their communications and logistics, all of which erode their ability to mass their reach and weight at the decisive moment. Flexibility supports adapting to changing situations, but disruption directly targets the attacker’s ability to mass. Maneuver is about how you move to apply force, which can contribute but doesn’t inherently prevent massing. Security protects forces and information, not specifically the attacker’s concentration of combat power.