Nature of Modern Warfare: Decisive Points in the Third Dimension.

摘要

Recent conflicts have provided valuable glimpses at the lethality of the modern battlefield and the vulnerability of large formations, command and control nodes, and air defense elements. The 1967 Six Day War, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1982 Lebanese War in the Bekaa Valley, the War in Afghanistan, and the War in the Falkland demonstrated the potential dominance of air power in a theater. The neutralization or destruction of the opponent's aviation battlefield operating system (BOS) was a pivotal factor in each campaign. This monograph focuses on the characteristics of modern counterair operations at the operational level of war. It explores the application of the classical terms of decisive points and objective points to theater air operations. Emphasis is placed on the physical, and cybernetic domains of war and the characteristics of successful high tempo counterair operations. The importance of the electromagnetic spectrum and its relationship to freedom of action both in the air and on the ground is key to the argument. In the next major war, victory will go to the commander who identifies his enemy's decisive points both in the land campaign and in the air operation and directs overwhelming combat power against them. His focus will be on dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum and neutralizing opposing air with strikes against objective points at tempos too high for the opponent to control. The reward will be freedom of action across the theater. (kr)