Access Denied: Future Military Operations in an Anti-Access Environment

摘要

The development of Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) threats has the potential to impact the U.S. military's ability to project power throughout the world. A2/AD threats have the ability to impact military operations by affecting movements to a theater (anti-access) and affecting maneuver within a theater (area denial). This paper defines the categories of A2/AD threat (maritime, air, and denial-of-services) and provides operational examples for each of the categories such as submarines, long-range ballistic missiles, and cyber attacks. It explains a potential operational concept designed to overcome the A2/AD threat called AirSea Battle. The AirSea Battle concept emphasizes joint and multinational operations as a means to integrate the capabilities of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and multinational partners to counter the growing A2/AD threat, specifically in response to China's increasing military potential. Finally, the paper addresses possible counterarguments and discusses recent Chinese weapon system developments to highlight the importance of the A2/AD threat on operational planning.