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Why do military commanders need to adapt their plans during combat?

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tactics Sumerian phalanx, a block of foot soldiers depicted standing shield-to-shield, presenting spears, and advancing in a dense mass, detail from the Stele of the Vultures, limestone bas-relief, c. 2450 bce; in the Louvre Museum, Paris.

Military commanders must adapt their plans during combat because war is a deeply uncertain endeavor characterized by unanticipated events and the constant reactions of a living enemy. While a well-conceived plan is essential, a commander who cannot adjust to the enemy's moves risks failure, as the "fog of war" and "friction"—the tendency for even simple plans to go awry—are the norms of combat.12

Flexibility is a cardinal principle of tactics, requiring commanders to respond rapidly and smoothly to changing circumstances, such as different terrain, enemy reactions, or the condition of their own troops. Because strategy often relies on assumptions that may prove false, the ability to innovate and modify tactics is vital to maintaining effectiveness. Ultimately, the goal is to strike a balance between maintaining a firm disciplinary framework and exercising the flexibility necessary to seize opportunities and overcome the paradoxes of the battlefield.123