Future of Surface Combatants in Operational Planning: Operational Overreach

摘要

Surface combatants, with their ability to independently act as strike platformsand perform tactical ballistic missile defense, have become key elements of operational planning. As these combatants try to fulfill these new roles, in addition to satisfying traditional ones, there may be a shortage of available ships in theater to accomplish all the operational needs of planners. This paper discusses the operational utility of surface combatant forces to operational planners and warns of potential future operational overreach for the force.