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Joint warfare is amilitary doctrine that places priority on the integration of the variousbranches of a state'sarmed forces into oneunified command. Joint warfare is in essence a form ofcombined arms warfare on a larger, national scale, in which complementary forces from a state'sarmy,navy,air,coastal,space, andspecial forces are meant to work together injoint operations, rather than planning and executingmilitary operations separately.
Its origins can be traced to the 1938 establishment of theOberkommando der Wehrmacht, the world's first joint higher command structure, though it should not be seen as the same level of "jointness" asU.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.[1]
TheUnited States Department of Defense, which endorses joint warfare as an overriding doctrine for its forces, describes it as "team warfare", which "requires the integrated and synchronized application of all appropriate capabilities. The synergy that results maximizes combat capability in unified action." This priority on nationalunity of effort means practitioners of joint warfare must acknowledge the importance of the inter-agency process, including the priorities, capabilities, and resources of other non-uniformed agencies (such asintelligence services) inmilitary planning.
Military operations conducted by armed forces from two or moreallied countries are referred to by the U.S. Department of Defense ascombined operations.
