Deep Strike: The Evolving Face of War

摘要

Deep strike operations, a traditional domain of the Air Force, have evolved with the advent of long-range land-based and sea-based weapons. To maximize force effectiveness and synergy in the adjacent close battle, joint doctrine must define deep strike operations as well as concomitant responsibilities for command and control and mission execution. This issue arose in a Gulf War post mortem that identified the lack of a focal point for deep strike target planning, coordination, and attack execution as a campaign shortfall. While several solutions have been proposed, deep strike remains at the center of a heated controversy. It is not defined in service doctrine, much less joint publications. It takes various forms and meanings. The Army uses deep battle, deep attack, and deep strike interchangeably; the Navy adopts the holistic term strike warfare; and the Air Force refers to interdiction, air interdiction, and battlefield air interdiction. While the applicability of deep strike may be argued in given combat situations, its potential use and related planning and coordination should be examined. Also, in view of force reductions, the efficient, synchronized, and synergistic role of combat power in the deep battle is mandated to influence the outcome of the adjacent close-in battle, which will determine victory or defeat. Thus deep strike must be defined and a conceptual framework developed for its use in joint warfare.