Which type of defense focuses on inflicting losses on the enemy while retaining ground?

The choice of area defense is centered on the principle of holding and protecting a specific territory while simultaneously inflicting attrition on the enemy forces. This strategy emphasizes maintaining control of the ground and leveraging the terrain to create advantageous positions for defense. The defenders focus on denying the enemy essential objectives and resources, thereby inflicting losses through defensive maneuvers, such as engaging enemy units with concentrated fire and utilizing fortifications.

In this context, the essence of area defense lies in its dual objectives: conserving one's own forces and causing enemy casualties, which makes it particularly effective in situations where maintaining territorial integrity is crucial. This highlights the tactical balance of defense and active engagement rather than solely retreating or fortifying positions without engagement.

Other types of defense, while related, have different primary focuses. Mobile defense emphasizes the use of mobility to strike at the enemy’s flanks or rear, which is more dynamic rather than holding a specific area firmly. Static defense involves strong fortifications and defensive positions, but does not actively pursue losses against the enemy in the same way area defense does. Offensive defense refers to a strategy where the defending force takes offensive actions to regain lost ground or disrupt the enemy, which is contrary to the primary focus of simply holding ground against an attacking force