OMFTS and STOM: An Enemy Opportunity?
Abstract
The OMFTS and STOM concepts are now several years old and yet the Marine Corps still does not have an evaluation of the consequences of potential enemy reactions to them. Unfortunately, these concepts potentially provide the future enemy with a tremendous opportunity to thwart United States foreign policy, associated military goals and objectives. A third World country, using a minimum number of high technology weapons, can use Operational Maneuver From The Sea (OMFTS) and its associated tactic of Ship to Objective Maneuver (STOM) to defeat the United States. In this situation, the definition of defeat is to cause the United States to withdraw from the conflict in question. Conceptually, this defeat is relatively simple, and is accomplished using asymmetric approaches at the strategic, operational and tactical levels. The sophisticated future enemy will plan strategic, operational and tacticalelements all designed with one goal, to kill United States service members. He will specifically target OMFTS and STOM to shape the battlefield to kill a maximum number of Americans while still maintaining combat power for the future. OMFTS doctrine assists this enemy effort by placing a heavy emphasis on operational level objectives with the resulting creation of a Marine mindset dominated by a focus on selection of an objective providing an operational impact or "knock out" blow. Careful deception and shaping operations tailored towards the Marine Corps planners will allow the enemy to predict the Marine military actions and provide the opportunity to use asymmetry against Marine forces. This asymmetry will include strategic, operational and tactical elements. It will also rely heavily on moral (or values) asymmetry, capitalizing on the American tendency to Westernize the enemy. While OMFTS and STOM are well thought out initial future concepts, further deep thought must occur before actual implementation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA527890
Entities
People
- Robert L. Gardner