Which LOAC principle requires that force used is necessary to achieve a legitimate objective?

• A. Military Necessity
• B. Unnecessary Suffering
• C. Proportionality
• D. Discrimination

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is military necessity: force or measures used in war are allowed only if they are necessary to achieve a legitimate military objective and are not otherwise prohibited by law. This means that actions must have a clear military purpose and be essential to achieving that objective, while still fitting within the broader rules of LOAC. Other principles limit how far we can go even when an objective is legitimate—for example, unnecessary suffering (prohibiting weapons or methods that cause superfluous harm), proportionality (avoiding excessive force relative to the objective), and discrimination (targeting only military objectives and avoiding civilians). So, requiring that force be necessary to achieve a legitimate objective is the essence of military necessity.