The Value of Warship Attributes in Missile Combat
Abstract
The primary purpose of this study is to offer a methodology to study modern surface warfare in a form suitable to help put the value of a modern surface warship's staying power in the context of overall "military worth." A salvo model of combat is developed to compare staying power with offensive firepower and various defensive measures that reduce susceptibility to damage. The model and its attributes are first exhibited in Section II and further discussed in Section VII. The analytical role and value of other attributes are specified, most notably the capacity to acquire tactical information about the enemy. An embellished model is presented in Section VIII. Much of the study is intended to trace the pedigree of the salvo model, including its deep roots in analysis by Naval officers. The salvo model is only new and original because Naval combat with missiles is new, different, and untested in fleet actions. Complex computer simulations tend to obscure the essential structure of a modern sea battle and thus mask some important implications for warship design and the significance of staying power. A methodology is introduced to compare the military worth of warship combat capabilities. It is based on two principles. First, a simple salvo model is necessary for exploratory analysis of modern characteristics. Second, the "fractional exchange ratio" is a robust way to compare equal-cost configurations of Naval Forces, even though one cannot know in advance how and where the warships will be fought. The methodology is justified in three ways: by tracing the evolution of elemental Naval force-on-force models since 1902; by a summary of studies covering model exposition, verification and application, and the collection of battle data; and by illustration with important conclusions from parametric analysis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA259349
Entities
People
- Wayne P. Hughes Jr.
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School