Friday, November 11, 2011

America's New Strategy for Fighting Iran and Everybody Else

It's called the "Air-Sea Battle" concept and the US military has established a separate agency to put it into operation.  Reading the Marine Corps concept summary the unmentioned name "Iran" leaps out at the reader, again and again.


"... In the aftermath of DESERT STORM, it was apparent to many potential adversaries that it would be inadvisable to oppose the U.S. in a force-on-force conflict, and they explored how to disrupt U.S. power projection through means designed to complicate both movement to and maneuver within an area of mutual interest. These two elements of an adversary's comprehensive warfare strategy are referred to as "anti-access" and "area denial" or "A2/AD".
"Over the past two decades, the development and proliferation of advanced weapons, targeting perceived U.S. vulnerabilities, have the potential to create an A2/AD environment that increasingly challenges U.S. military access to and freedom of action within potentially contested areas. These advanced systems encompass diverse capabilities that include ballistic and cruise missiles; sophisticated integrated air defense systems; anti-ship weapons ranging from high-tech missiles and submarines to low-tech mines and swarming  boats; guided rockets, missiles, and artillery, an increasing number of 4th generation fighters; low-observable manned and unmanned combat aircraft; as well as space and cyber warfare capabilities specifically designed to disrupt U.S. communications and intelligence systems. In combination, these advanced technologies have the potential to diminish the advantages the U.S. military enjoys in the air, maritime, land, space, and cyberspace domains today. If these advances continue and are not addressed effectively, U.S. forces could soon face increasing risk in deploying to and operating within previously secure forward areas--and over time in rear areas and sanctuaries--ultimately affecting our ability to respond effectively to coercion and crises that directly threaten the strategic interests of the U.S., our allies, and partners."
So there it is.   Iran has "ballistic and cruise missiles."  It has a "sophisticated air defense system."  It has "anti-ship weapons ranging from high-tech missiles and submarines to low-tech mines and swarming boats" that could readily shut down oil tanker traffic in the Persian Gulf.
The Air-Sea Battle agency is plainly designed to network and co-ordinate an early, perhaps initial if not pre-emptive, system to de-fang an adversaries defences before they can be deployed against US forces.  It sounds tailor-made for Iran.  After all, who else deploys "low-tech mines and swarming boat" defences?

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