A successful UW effort typically involves three main organizational elements:

: Civilians who provide clandestine support such as logistics, safe houses, and early warnings. Historical and Strategic Context Unconventional Warfare Pocket Guide - Public Intelligence

: Psychological and physical steps to ready a population for resistance.

: Training and equipping the "guerrilla force," "underground," and "auxiliary".

: Assisting the resistance as it demobilizes or integrates into a new government structure. Key Components of a Resistance

: The armed, militarized component that conducts overt combat.

Unlike conventional warfare, which involves direct confrontation between states using standard weapons, UW operates "through or with" local forces. It relies heavily on , subversion, and guerrilla warfare. The Seven Phases of UW