Untethered Operations: Rapid Mobility and Forward Basing Are Keys to Airpower's Success in the Antiaccess/Area-Denial Environment.

摘要

Simply put, anti-access (A2) challenges prevent or degrade the ability to enter an operational area. . . . Area denial (AD) refers to threats to forces within the operational area (italics in original). Although opposing forces throughout history have tried to deny each other freedom of movement around the battlefield, during recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, these actions occurred mostly at the tactical level. However, just as Blitzkrieg changed combat in 1940, anti-access/area denial technologies and strategies have re-defined the character of modern warfare. In this new environment, sophisticated adversaries will use asymmetric capabilities including electronic and cyber warfare, ballistic and cruise missiles, advanced air defenses, mining, and other methods to complicate our operational calculus. US strategic guidance has been clear in noting that despite the challenges of operating in the A2/AD environment, US forces must continue to project power to credibly deter potential adversaries and prevent them from attaining their objectives.4 Recent discussions of A2/AD have mostly focused on the Western Pacific theater of operations; however, Russia s aggression in Ukraine makes it clear that European security and the international rules and norms against territorial aggression cannot be taken for granted. Given this backdrop, Russian A2/AD capabilities pose new issues for US and NATO/partner air forces.