Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid DominanceUllman, Harlan
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Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance
Ullman, Harlan
Rapid dominance (Military science)
Deep Strike is defined by distance, albeit relative distance. Some of
the target sets may lend themselves to circumstances beyond the
nation's control; for example, Seoul borders on North Korea. Our
protective oceans mean that likely conflict is offshore. The
likelihood our next adversary may have access to surveillance,
precision munitions, and long-range delivery systems dictates that
much of our operations will be at long range, lest our forces come
under attack at their ports, camps, and bases. There will be a need
for systems capable of projecting military force from distances of
10,000KM. A sizable portion of the force must be able to deliver
ordnance of enemy targets from ranges in excess of 5,000KM. Launching
attacks from inside 1,000KM of the enemy forces will demand that
friendly forces be protected from attack by means of active and
passive defenses and dispersal. This latter constraint will preclude
achieving levels of Shock and Awe through simultaneous attack.
Survivability
Great cost benefits are attained if the vehicle used to deliver the
attack is reusable. Keep in mind that the force built for the most
demanding conflict must also be flexible for other operations.
Therefore, while ballistic missiles provide great range, speed, and
survivability in reaching their target, their cost become prohibitive
in large-scale operations which endure beyond a few hours, or in
smaller-scale operations where the goals are modest and the demands on
other military forces are low. Simultaneous combat operations require
a number of expensive, expendable platforms in the opening hours of
the conflict if our response is to be timely and induce shock. Awe is
not achieved if the enemy is permitted to gain experience in being
attacked; at best you may make them numb. Alternatively, reusable
long-range survivable systems provide needed flexibility to alter the
Deep Strike plan as it unfolds. The food chain of weapons systems
ranges from the most valuable systems such as ballistic missiles,
cruise missiles, and stealth bombers, to less valuable, but useful,
stealth fighter and long-range surface-to-surface high trajectory
fires.
Firepower
Discriminate fires are important due to the likelihood of people and
structures being in close proximity to the desired target. It is not
improbable that the national command center is located next door to a
children's hospital.
Discriminate fires require precision in target cordinate
identification and location. Precision does not mean "small warhead,"
although there is a beneficial impact as the right amount of explosive
is placed on the target due the penalties imposed on the delivery
vehicle required to carry the warhead long distances. All operations
involving the use of firepower must also understand and evaluate the
beneficial aspects of using non-destructive elements in conjunction
with the attack to include all aspects of the so-called information
warfare.
Appendix C
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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