In Search of Synergy: Joint Amphibious/Air Assault Operations
Abstract
In World War II the United States took advantage of its insular geography and massive industrial strength. More significantly, it took the time to fully develop the force structure needed to wage the war of annihilation that defeated the Axis. The Army spent two years preparing to invade Europe. Army amphibious operations were first developed for the capture of North Africa in November 1943 in Operation Torch before being rehearsed and perfected for the Normandy invasion of June 1944. Future conflicts will not offer such luxuries. Technology has increased the ability of enemies to bring conflict to our national airspace and our interdependent global economy, greatly reducing response time and thus our traditional geographic and industrial advantages. The impact of emerging technologies practically guarantees that future amphibious operations will be come-as-you-are. It is thus critical that our forces form and rehearse joint force packages to wage conflicts abroad without the traditional preparation time. The 101st Airborne Division and Marine Corps are ideally suited to create a joint force to apply what the Commandant of the Marine Corps calls operational maneuver from the sea (OMFTS).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA528431
Entities
People
- James B. Brown
Organizations
- National Defense University