World urbanization trends and growing competition with peer adversaries demand clear-eyed attention to the increased possibility of Large-Scale Combat Operations (LSCO) in the urban environment. In recent years, the topic of megacities and urbanization gained attention within academia and the United States Department of Defense (DoD), due to the growing challenges associated with large cities. Despite the increased attention, military professionals struggle to conceptualize useful models and techniques for joint urban operations (JUOs) and LSCO in large cities. This deficiency exists due to city structural variances across regions, which limit the usefulness of traditional urban planning models. Nonetheless, the smart city, an increasingly popular design concept, provides urban planners and joint force command (JFC) planners a consistent model to meet urbanization challenges around the world, due to its analogous technology and functions. This study coalesces science, history, theory, and doctrine by using 32 primary source documents from the Battle of Manila to identify three operational challenges, including the protection of key infrastructure, fire as an obstacle to maneuver, and civilians on the battlefield. Furthermore, the study explains how JFCs may leverage the smart city by offering techniques including the Resilient Pocket and Flammability Corridors to gain positions of advantage.

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