Report on U.S. Military Power 2012 (20)

2. A2/AD as the gravest challenge to the U.S.

According to the “Joint Operational Access Concept“, the future operating environment will be characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change, posing three challenges to the U.S. operational access: a. improvement and proliferation of weapons systems and other technologies capable of denying access or restricting freedom of movement; b. changing U.S. overseas defense posture; and c. emergence of space and cyberspace as contested domains. Future enemies, both state and nonstate actors, will take A2/AD strategies against the United States. Rivals equipped with cross-domain, multi-layered, and highly-integrated A2/AD defense systems are likely to try to deny U.S. operational access, while those who are not as capable might try to inflict what they think as unbearable political losses on the United States. Therefore, potential enemies’ A2/AD capabilities might be the gravest challenge to the United States for the coming several decades.

3. Cross-Domain Synergy as the Thesis of Joint Operational Access Concept

Attaining cross-domain synergy requires effective application of the capabilities across the five domains, namely, land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Cross-domain synergy is “the complementary vice merely additive employment of capabilities in different domains such that each enhances the effectiveness and compensates for the vulnerabilities of the others.“ DoD believes that as the scope of war is extending, no single service possesses the means and capabilities to effectively attack the enemy. Only by way of mutual support and close coordination can the U.S. Armed Forces defeat the enemy even when the enemy manages to avoid damage by any one U.S. armed service. In light of this understanding, DoD will focus on resolving the following three issues to enhance integrated joint operational capabilities. First，greater integration of operational capabilities is needed. DoD emphasizes developing service capabilities to support one another, making sure that each service is able to support other services. Second, integration at tactical level is emphasized. Joint operations should not be limited to the operational level among service components; instead, they should be extended to lower levels. When necessary, different services could be organized tactically into tailored joint formations for specific threats. Third, construction of information networks is critical. It is necessary to step up the construction of information infrastructure, focusing on compatibility of information networks of different services, so that information can be shared and real-time command can be achieved. Cross-domain synergy is realized, therefore, by enhanced joint operations.

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