The capstone document Land Operations 2021: Adaptive Dispersed Operations presents the Canadian Army's doctrinal vision for its forces to be relevant and decisive in the near future. This monograph situates itself as a contribution to the development of the optimal doctrinal configuration of the Canadian Light Infantry Battalions of 2021. It reviews key Canadian Department of National Defense documents and establishes basic historical facts surrounding the organization of light infantry forces, primarily through the writings of John English and Basil Liddell Hart. It then explores various theories of allied organizations built for similar environmental settings and for various operational contexts. The structures of the United States Army, United States Marine Corps and Australian Defense Forces light infantry companies are respectively explored and then compared to the current Canadian infantry companies. The case studies are deliberately used to represent parts of the envisioned 2021 problem and this paper posits that the best structure for the light infantry forces to meet the Adaptive Dispersed Operations' requirements is at the confluence of each set of capabilities. Thus, the proposed structure maximizes its capability to disperse and aggregate through an increased number of basic maneuver elements, such as the basic Canadian 4-man assault group. It also provides for enhanced air "'deployability"' through a pure light organization with the option to add formed light vehicles sub-units to provide protected mobility without being tied to a specific platform. The structure provides for enhanced lethality through an increased number of light support weapons. Its inherent modularity ensures its ability to fall on various weapons systems and mobility platforms while maintaining small unit integrity.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)