The Past and Future Elements of Mountain Warfare

Over the past several years the traditional perception of mountain warfare has changed significantly, due to the new operating environment and the implementation of new technologies and concepts at the strategic, operational and tactical levels. Future large-scale military operations against a peer competitor will present altogether different operational challenges. The operating concept of the mountainous battlefield has expanded to a more comprehensive battle space, incorporating land, air, maritime, cyber and space domains. The aim of this article is to identify the key elements which have had impacts on mountain warfare in the past, present and future, and to review the key NATO concepts and doctrines in this field in order to define the future framework of mountain warfare in a multi-domain environment.