Dominant Land Forces for 21st Century Warfare
Abstract
The most likely threats over the near and mid terms are irregular forces operating predominantly on the ground in complex urban environments, with the potential of being equipped with weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, across the range of possible contingencies the U.S. must establish an overarching security environment in order to successfully employ all elements of national power. This thesis introduces the notion of persistent security that originates from dominant land power. Producing forces that can establish a persistently secure environment is the challenge frequently overlooked in the way the American military trains, thinks and approaches warfighting. This paper begins by discussing the logic behind a notion of persistent security and how land forces play a critical role in sustaining security. The paper then flows in to a discussion on the constant ebb and flow of firepower versus maneuver warfare to see how modern armies have evolved to meet the threats of their day. This historical vignette is then applied to recent lessons learned on the battlefields in order to garner a vision for how to adjust formations and methodologies for force employment in future wars. It is important to analyze how modern doctrinal principles came to be, whether as a result of the changing environment of warfare, budget constraints, or both. Lastly, the thesis argues for dominant land combat forces capable of instituting secure environments globally, thus allowing stability to flourish in these same environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA487296
Entities
People
- Edmund J. Degen
Organizations
- National Defense University