The Strategic Importance of Defeating Underground Facilities
Abstract
America's potential adversaries have realized that current non-nuclear penetrating weapons are relatively ineffective in destroying underground facilities. According to the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, "the use of underground facilities...is expanding as potential adversaries conceal and protect their most vital national security functions and activities." National security functions and activities include but are not limited to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), the means of delivering WMD, anti-access weapons, senior leadership, protection of critical terrorist assets and facilities, and command and control assets. As such, underground facilities likely constitute adversary centers of gravity. In fact, vital national security functions and activities describe strategic centers of gravity. Therefore, if resources allow, attacks on these centers of gravity may deal a decisive blow to the enemy. This paper argues that successful targeting of these facilities may persuade the adversary to discontinue their efforts. The paper examines two historical events (German U-boat campaign in WWII and the OIF decapitation strike) to reveal that targeting underground facilities may largely contribute to halting the conflict or compelling an adversary to surrender before the conflict even starts. Next, it will examine the most relevant ethical questions surrounding the direct targeting of strategic leaders known to be hidden in such facilities. Finally, it will focus on specific challenges in defeating underground facilities. The conclusion argues that the strategic importance of underground facilities demands national-level attention to the practical and ethical questions relevant to successfully attacking and defeating them.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 20, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA560679
Entities
People
- Craig R. Baker
Organizations
- United States Army War College