Regional Nuclear Proliferation and Future Conflict: Implications for the Operational Commander.
Abstract
The end of the Cold War is thought to signal a watershed in American military thought, allowing the practical application of operational art in conventional conflict, unshackled by the doctrine of the "strategic defensive" imposed by the nuclear stalemate of a bipolar world. This thesis is "proven" by the success of the U.S.-led coalition in Operation DESERT STORM. But what if Iraq had had a deliverable nuclear capability? The operational impact of a nuclear-capable regional predator on U.S. power projection capabilities is examined in the context of three assumptions: (1) Nuclear proliferation into the ranks of the regional powers is inevitable, given the present dynamics of power, politics and economics. (2) Given the concomitant inevitability of United States engagement in future regional conflicts throughout the world, American forces (either unilaterally or as part of a coalition) will eventually have to confront a regional nuclear power. (3) For a variety of reasons, the United States will not elect a nuclear response to such a challenge. Given these assumptions, the impact of a credible, localized nuclear threat on the operational commander is examined, concentrating on the extent to which such a threat might constrain his free exercise of classical operational art. (MM)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 13, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA293381
Entities
People
- Charles C. Swicker
Organizations
- Naval War College