Which joint operation phases work together to prevent a conflict before it starts?

Which joint operation phases work together to prevent a conflict before it starts?

• A. Shape and Deter.
• B. Seize initiative and Dominate.
• C. Stabilize and Enable Civil Authority.
• D. Engage and Retaliate.

Answer: (A)

Preventing conflict before it starts hinges on shaping operations and deterrence. Shaping operations influence the strategic environment by building partner capacity, legitimizing governance, and guiding perceptions and incentives so that war becomes less attractive and less likely. Deterrence adds credence to the costs of aggression—credible threats or promises of denial that make potential adversaries reassess the risk and likely outcome of attacking. When used together, shaping reduces the drivers that push actors toward conflict, while deterrence communicates that any aggression will meet a costly response, steering behavior away from war before it begins. The other pairings describe actions focused on action during or after conflict, or on stabilization and governance rather than pre-conflict prevention.

Preventing conflict before it starts hinges on shaping operations and deterrence. Shaping operations influence the strategic environment by building partner capacity, legitimizing governance, and guiding perceptions and incentives so that war becomes less attractive and less likely. Deterrence adds credence to the costs of aggression—credible threats or promises of denial that make potential adversaries reassess the risk and likely outcome of attacking. When used together, shaping reduces the drivers that push actors toward conflict, while deterrence communicates that any aggression will meet a costly response, steering behavior away from war before it begins. The other pairings describe actions focused on action during or after conflict, or on stabilization and governance rather than pre-conflict prevention.