Wishing Away the Problem: The Impact of Ignoring the Modern Diesel Submarine on the Operational Commander

摘要

The United States must accurately assess the impact of modern submarines on its ability to effectively conduct future military operations. Many of the world's submarine forces are utilizing state of the art submarine technologies to rapidly improve their capabilities. Among these nations are some of the United States' most probable future military competitors, including North Korea, Iran, and China. These ships, and the ability of U.S. antisubmarine warfare (ASW) systems to counter them, are a joint problem that needs to be confronted by both the Navy and the regional Combatant Commanders. Because an undersea threat can disrupt, delay, or severely limit U.S. and coalition response during a crisis, the role of ASW in achieving battlespace dominance is integral to the successful execution of any campaign. As a result, the operational commander must thoroughly integrate the submarine threat into his planning or painfully relearn the lessons taught by the success of twentieth century submarine warfare.