Analysis of General-Purpose Force Procurement.
Abstract
Difficulties encountered in a number of past force-procurement studies for general-purpose forces have been traced, in large measure, to problems in the definition of objectives for such forces. The report describes an extensive series of investigations aimed at creating a broad conceptual framework for analyzing the effectiveness of a general-purpose force. The approach explicitly recognizes the role of general purpose military forces in bargaining and negotiations as well as in actual combat. The relationship between threat and negotiation, developed by John Nash for bargaining games, is used to derive theoretical measures of effectiveness for general purpose military forces. These theoretical criteria are then utilized (in an analysis of time-sequential combat 'games') to derive criteria for the selection of optimum strategies and the evaluation of force effectiveness in local engagements within an overall campaign. The approach provides a logical framework for evaluating the marginal value military force components. These marginal values reflect the importance of preserving forces for later engagements, as well as the importance of achieving early destruction of enemy force components. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 16, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0729411
Entities
People
- George E. Pugh
- John P. Mayberry