Introduction
The battle of Wanat occurred when a force of Taliban fighters of up to several hundred attacked a remote base in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province defended by 48 American and 24 Afghan troopers on July 13, 2008. American forces lost nine killed and twenty-seven wounded before driving the Taliban fighters away, making the casualties significant for a small tactical action. The analysis demonstrates that the reasons for initial Taliban successes included a favorable operational environment, skilled positioning, precise targeting, and exploitation of incomplete defensive preparations, but the lack of discipline hampered their early gains.
Operational Environment
The Taliban forces were able to prepare a mass assault on the vehicle patrol base (VPB) Kahler near Wanat and the associated observation post due to the favorable operational environment they enjoyed. VPB Kahler was situated near the border with Pakistan – specifically the tribal areas, poorly controlled by the Pakistan government and serving as the operational basis for the Taliban. Apart from that, staffing numerous observation posts with limited forces stretched American forces thin. The necessity to maintain 15 platoon-sized posts simultaneously left the American forces unable to maintain a battalion reserve (Steeb et al., 2011). This, as well as the remote area, made a prompt arrival of reinforcements impossible. Finally, the Taliban enjoyed at least partial support from the local population, which, in turn, made intelligence gathering easier (Steeb et al., 2011). Finally, the intelligence underestimated the forces that could potentially threaten VPB Kahler and the troops garrisoning it, which allowed the enemy to concentrate a large unanticipated force. Put together, these factors allowed the Taliban to maintain secrecy while gathering a numerically superior force for a well-prepared attack on a largely isolated target.
Tactical Considerations
Excellent use of familiar terrain was likely the primary reason why the Taliban was able to achieve uncharacteristically high success in the initial phase of the battle. Using terrain to camouflage troop movements and achieve tactical superiority over the enemy in terms of positioning has been a hallmark of Afghan warfare for centuries. Afghans have used it extensively in recent wars, both against the Soviets in 1979-1989 and against the Coalition from 2001 onward (Steeb et al., 2011). In the battle of Wanat specifically, the Taliban fighters utilized several firing positions overlooking VPB Kahler, most notably – the house on high ground 900 meters to the base’s southeast (Steeb et al., 2011). Seizing and using these positions allowed the enemy to concentrate fire effectively.
Sounds prioritization and precise targeting in the initial minutes of the battle was another reason for the Taliban’s first gains. Utilizing their positional advantage to a considerable effect, the enemy managed to disable the post’s 120-mm mortar and TOW system within the first minutes of the engagement (Steeb et al., 2011). As a result, American forces at VPB Kahler had to defend it with small arms fire, hand grenades, M240 machine guns, and a single Humvee-mounted 50-cal machinegun. Thus, the precision in massing their fire in the initial phase of the combat allowed the Taliban to attain a crucial tactical advantage early on.
Finally, the enemy also exploited the fact that the defensive preparations at VPB Kahler were not completed by the time of the attack. Due to the technical difficulties as well as the stalling of the company contracted to bring heavy engineering equipment, the combat outpost was not fully prepared to withstand an attack. Not all of the necessary force protection assets were in place, and even when they were, their utilization was imperfect (Steeb et al., 2011). For example, the HESCO barriers were only filled up to 4 feet instead of 7, leaving the personnel partially exposed to enemy fire. This factor, combined with the others listed above, allowed the Taliban to attain a considerable initial advantage and inflict high casualties on the defenders before artillery and air support could finally repel the attackers.
While Taliban forces demonstrated good use of terrain and sound prioritizing, the lack of discipline also hundred their initial successes. For example, after driving off the Afghan National Army contingent, the insurgents could have pressed their initial advantage and attacked American positions at VPB Kahler rights away. However, most Taliban fighters began searching the captured positions for spoils despite their commander urging them to press on (Zoroya, 2017). This brief pause provided the American forces in the outpost with more time to organize their defense and hampered the early gains made by the advancing Taliban forces. This lack of discipline among the insurgents made them unable to proceed with a determined assault immediately after the first success and exploit the tactical opportunities it offered.
Conclusion
To summarize, the battle of Wanat was an American tactical victory that came at a considerable cost and highlighted several operational and tactical factors that the Taliban utilized to their advantage. Proximity to the operational basis in Pakistan, the lack of operational reserve for the American forces, and faulty intelligence created a favorable environment for the attacks on remote outposts. The Taliban forces also demonstrated excellent terrain knowledge and sound tactical prioritization to exploit incomplete defensive preparations. However, the lack of discipline made the enemy unable to press forward after their initial gains. As such, the battle of Wanat is a useful case study for small unit tactics in a low-intensity conflict against the enemy possessing fundamental tactical skills and good knowledge of terrain yet little formal training.
References
Steeb, M., Matsumura, J., Herbert, T. J., Gordon, J., & Horn, W. W. (2011). Perspectives on the Battle of Wanat: Challenges Facing Small Unit Operations in Afghanistan. RAND Corporation. Web.
Zoroya, G. The chosen few: A company of paratroopers and its heroic struggle to survive in the mountains of Afghanistan. Da Capo Press, 2017.