What describes the difference between key terrain and decisive terrain?

Answer 1

Key terrain refers to land features that, if controlled, provide a marked advantage to the military force that holds them, but they may not be critical for the outcome of the battle. Decisive terrain, on the other hand, is land that is crucial to the success of a military operation, as its control can directly influence the outcome of combat. In essence, while all decisive terrain can be considered key, not all key terrain is necessarily decisive. The distinction lies in the level of importance each type of terrain has on the overall mission objectives.