Leveraging Vietnam to Enable Agile Combat Employment: Options in the South China Sea: Future Force Employment Informed by Lessons from the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War
Abstract
Given its geostrategic significance in the South China Sea, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will be a critical component of any United States or coalition effort should tensions drive conflict in the region. This paper leverages lessons learned from the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War to advocate for more robust military engagement with Vietnam. Specifically, the paper calls for a U.S. focus on airfield development and contingency access agreements with Vietnam to establish air power agile combat employment and distributed operations options in theater. Securing this capability could represent a critical factor in how China views its probability of success in a SCS conflict. This paper provides a specific plan for engagement, as well as a thorough assessment of the current relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam that lends itself to more robust partnership. It represents a development in the nascent U.S. Air Force Agile Combat Employment concept by applying it in practical terms to a pressing national security issue. Building on this argument will not only help reverse negative trends in the South China Sea over the last decade but also help advance a promising force employment concept for a future fight in a complex environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 06, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1144834
Entities
People
- Matthew R. Altman
Organizations
- Naval War College