Joint Urban Operations Joint Publication 3-06

Joint urban operations (JUOs) are joint operations planned and conducted on, or against objectives within, a topographical complex and its adjacent natural terrain, where man-made construction or the density of population are the dominant features. Commanders and their staffs should consider the complex and dynamic interactions and relationships of the population with the physical terrain and infrastructure. Urban areas present a complex environment for military operations. This complexity is derived from numerous factors such as location, history, economic development, climate, available building materials, the natural terrain on which they are built, the cultures of their inhabitants, and many other factors. There are many ways to frame an understanding of the factors influencing the urban environment, one of which is to view the urban environment as an urban triad consisting of complex man-made physical terrain, a population of significant size and density and varying sociocultural groupings, and an infrastructure.