Air and Sea Power Shaped for the Asia-Pacific Rebalance
Abstract
Crisis stability and the means for maintaining it--crisis management-- are again becoming more relevant as nuclear proliferation, ballistic and cruise missile proliferation, and the reemergence of great-power competitors make state confrontations more likely and more precarious, especially in the Asia-Pacific theater. This article is a rejoinder to "Shaping Air and Sea Power for the 'Asia-Pivot' " by Michael Kraig and Lt Col Leon Perkowski published in the Summer 2013 edition of Strategic Studies Quarterly (SSQ). Kraig and Perkowski initially make some reasonable arguments to establish their case. For example, they properly highlight the importance of crisis stability, which has seemingly been lost by a number of strategists over the last several decades. They take us on a tour of Asia by delineating a host of geopolitical issues, while spending a few paragraphs summarizing the Chinese military and the threats it poses but postulating that these threats are regional in nature and hardly have a "global reach" as defined by the United States. They also provide some good discussion of the aggressive nationalism China displays. Their analysis of the Air-Sea Battle (ASB) concept early on raises concerns that it may be overly focused on "deep strikes on the adversary's homeland." They introduce their recurring theme of strategic denial without a clear definition, and use of, the military instrument of national power to support the diplomatic (or political) instrument of national power. Our critique of this article focuses on the authors' China analysis, threat analysis and implications, use of political and military theory, specific recommendations against the LRS-B and ASB, and their recommendation to pursue an F/B-22-like capability.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA606838
Entities
People
- Carl D. Rehberg
- Christopher Wrenn
Organizations
- Air University