What is the goal of a delaying operation?

The goal of a delaying operation is to inflict maximum damage on the enemy while slowing down their advance, providing the defending force the opportunity to regroup or set up for a more advantageous position. Such operations are designed to hinder the enemy's momentum and cause disruptions to their plans, which can lead to increased chaos and attrition on the enemy's side.

This approach allows the defending force to take advantage of terrain, use time to its benefit, ensure the safety of civilians or other priorities, and extract maximum operational effect from the situation at hand without necessitating a full-scale engagement. By engaging in delaying tactics, the defending unit can strategically choose when and how to commit further resources while still sustaining some level of resistance against the enemy's progress.

The other choices do not align with the primary purpose of a delaying operation. Avoiding contact with the enemy focuses on evasion rather than confrontation, negotiating a ceasefire is a diplomatic approach rather than a tactical one, and seeking immediate engagement contradicts the intention behind a delaying operation, which is to create space and time rather than an aggressive confrontation.