Moving U.S. Forces: Options for Strategic Mobility. A CBO Study.
Abstract
In the aftermath of the Cold War, some military analysts believe that strategic mobility-the system of equipment, personnel, and logistical knowledge for moving military forces over intercontinental distances-is more important than ever before. The Department of Defense (DoD) has reduced the number of U.S. troops stationed abroad, so the United States will need to deploy forces over a longer distance if it becomes involved in a foreign conflict. The ability to project large numbers of forces quickly has been a distinctive feature of the U.S. military. In the opinion of some analysts, it is one means of maintaining the nation's status as a superpower. The Administration envisions having a smaller, but more flexible, set of forces that the United States could use to counter regional aggressors anywhere in the world. As a result, strategic mobility is a top priority: the Administration proposes to spend nearly $20 billion (in current dollars) between 1998 and 2002 to acquire new cargo planes and scalift ships. That amount constitutes about 7 percent of proposed military procurement spending over the period. However, spending for strategic mobility will take place during a period of intense competition for funding-both in the defense budget and in the federal budget as a whole. In light of that competition, the Congress may want to consider alternatives to the Administration's plan for mobility forces that would provide similar capabilities at a lower cost. In doing so, policymakers need to understand the implications of using different modes of lift and how military plauners arrived at their numerical requirements for mobility forces. This study examines those issues and evaluates the costs and capabilities of five alternative approaches to modernizing strategic mobility.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA322265
Entities
Organizations
- Congressional Budget Office