Which principle advocates pitting strengths against weaknesses?

• A. Focuses on operational objectives
• B. Using sea as a maneuver space
• C. Pit strengths against weaknesses
• D. Integrates all combined assets

Answer: (C)

Pitting strengths against weaknesses means using what you do best to hit where the enemy is least prepared or most vulnerable. It’s about aligning your advantages—like mobility, firepower, surprise, or precision—to exploit the opponent’s gaps, rather than simply pressing every front with equal force. This approach produces the greatest effect with the least wasted effort by targeting a point where your capabilities have the most impact and the enemy has the least defense.

In practice, you’d assess both sides: identify your strongest capabilities and locate the opponent’s weaknesses or vulnerabilities. Then you shape the plan to strike at that weak point with your strength, possibly coordinating multiple assets to maximize disruption and reduce risk to your force. This is the essence of exploiting advantage rather than just attacking where both sides are equally matched or where the enemy is strongest.

The other options describe important ideas—focusing on the mission, using the sea as a maneuver space, or integrating all assets—but they don’t capture the strategic emphasis on exploiting the opponent’s vulnerabilities with your own strengths.