SMALL TEAM AS A SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY TO WIN THE WAR AGAINST LTTE

Abstract

Sri Lanka's Armed Forces have used many war strategies to win the protracted war against LTTE. In the fourth stage of the war, which erupted under the cause of securing humanitarian needs against LTTE, the Sri Lankan Army used different strategies, tactics, and techniques and employed procedures to achieve their targets on the battlefield. The infantry regiments of the Sri Lanka Army headed adopting those more effectively against the brutal terrorism, LTTE. These new methods worked efficiently on attacking and advancing their capabilities on the battlefield while providing massive defeats for terrorists. This research extends to broadly discuss “Small Team” as one of the successful strategies used to win the war against LTTE in Sri Lanka. The composition of the Small Team consists of Navigation, Gunnery/Demolition, Communication, and Medical experts as a unit. The small Team strategy used by the Sri Lankan military was one of the key elements of the maneuverist approach to shutter the LTTE cohesion and will to fight. Moreover, Small Team provided effective battlefield shaping and conducted deep operations to weaken the enemy's ability to fight effectively while contributing to overall success in Eelam War IV. This research elaborates on the concept of a Small Team as a strategy and analyzes its impacts to win the fourth Elam War. This research used a qualitative research approach to explain the strategy and the author used first-hand experiences of military officers through interviews, questionnaires, and other militaryrelated secondary data for this research. Most of the sectors in Sri Lanka are going through a reform process, and Sri Lanka's military reform has also taken top priority. Against this backdrop, the modernization of Sri Lanka's military while enhancing its capabilities will help to protect and provide its national security as a key concern of the country's national security.