jhungary
MILITARY PROFESSIONAL
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- Oct 24, 2012
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Foreword
As i was answering to a thread, the member there give me an idea on this topic.
What happened was, from the interaction of some member here, the oblivious mistake some member (especially the more nationalistic one) made was confused between the term "Warfighting Capability" and "Power Projection" So, in this article, I would try to make a distinct the two and outline the difference, as well as similiarity to the two term.
What is Warfighting Capability?
In short, the ability to make/fight a war. Notice that fighting a war does need hard asset (tanks, soldier, bases and so on) but to do more than carryout a single strike, you also need to factor in sustainability into the formula.
Now, sometime fighting a war is a bit easier than others, especially when you are fighting a war in close proximaty (also known as Regional Conflict) As you can quickly deploy and quickly evacuate asset whenever you need to, and that you can provide a logistic chain which you can manage for the on-going war effort.
However, what happened if the conflict is at a global scale?? Even without Power Projection ability to the region, one can still have a certain degree of Warfighting Capability left on a conflict of global scale. THe simple solution to the question is to uses resource from others (allies or captured land) to sustain a war outside of your own domain.
What it did was resources sharing, you have a friendly country in the region, and they took your side in the conflict and allow you to use the facilities they have, that would eliminate the need for sustainability requirment for an on-going conflict. On the other hand, if you have to do it solo without any influence in the region, that would mean you have to draw a supply line all the way back to your home base. And the Loss of Strength Gradient would tell you, the further out you fought a war, the increase demand of support troop would be increase increasing in an expontiental manner.
Hence the ability to make war, both in their own domain and internationally is said to be the Warfighting Capability. Which made up of Combat Asset, Support Given and Influence.
What is Power Projection?
Power Projection is the influence one country have toward states and nation outside their domain of control. Now, the ability to make war outside the country's own domain of control is one of the factor to decide how big of an influence in the international stage. The "Global Reach" as many people said this nowadays, however, does not only means the ability to make war.
To assert ssome control on a region that is not within your own domain is quite tricky, and you cannot just do that by making soft power alone. Hence, making a lot of friend does not mean you can project your power further,since you do not and cannot control your "friend" Your friend helping you this time around will increase your warfighting capability for this campaign, that does not translate into having them as a "Slave-State" kind of relationship that can move on to power projection.
Power Projection also does not only include Force Projection, but soft power dealing, such as deterrence mission, show of flag operation and also the most important of all, asset protection.
At thiis point, it should also be noted, as a general rule, when people were talking about Power Projection, it means an "Above-The-Horizon" or Global Power projection, which means an influence to an area you would have no influence from main land in the first place, technically, any country can have a certain degree of power projection capability if they have a big enough armed forces, but to influence other at the other end of the world, that would have been soemthing different altogether.
How do you project power outside your domain? The answer is quite easy, that is by having your own bases in someone else domain. The term "Own Bases" does not mean bases you build for other, but the base you own (In anotehr word your own overseas territories)
This is where people starting to get confuse. What is the different?
A base build by you in other sovereign land belong to that sovereigty, not you. Yes, you two may have been BFF or in an alliance or something, but that does not mean you own him, or own that base. The problem is, in case of war, when everyone have to take side, you don't know what your tradition allies thinks. Time an again, traditional allies perfer to stayed neutral in other conflict (UK and Canada stayed out of Vietnam War, US stayed out of Falkland War, French Stayed out of War in Iraq and so on). Having an alliance or all weather friend does not gurantee you influence in the region.
What can definitely do the job is an overseas territories, which is a piece of land belong to you, and when you set up base there, you can use it without any limitation.
So, the one major requirement for any country to project their pwoer is that they have to project it alone, without any help from other country, because that would mean a power dependence, not power projection.
Another aspect of power projection is the ability to make an expedition warfare. Or just an expeditation, period. What it does is, it allow both Warfighting capability and Deterrence mission to carry on without regards. Thus projecting power over the horizon.
For any expeditionary mission to be made, 2 things was critical for its mission. The first one being combat asset, aircraft carrier, troop, tanks and other asset that make the operation. Another aspect is the suppporting aspect. One need to know, Aircraft Carrier need provision, tank need fuel and ammunition and people need food and water, if all that cannot be provide in a regulaar basis, that the expedition would fail. And A lot of people mistakenly think Aircraft Carrier is one true symbol of Power porjection. Well, that is just half the equation. How do you suppose the carrier can go on without any fuel, food and water?? That another important part is missing and frequently overlook, that would be means to support your expedition.
That complete the circle of Power Projection.
As i was answering to a thread, the member there give me an idea on this topic.
What happened was, from the interaction of some member here, the oblivious mistake some member (especially the more nationalistic one) made was confused between the term "Warfighting Capability" and "Power Projection" So, in this article, I would try to make a distinct the two and outline the difference, as well as similiarity to the two term.
What is Warfighting Capability?
In short, the ability to make/fight a war. Notice that fighting a war does need hard asset (tanks, soldier, bases and so on) but to do more than carryout a single strike, you also need to factor in sustainability into the formula.
Now, sometime fighting a war is a bit easier than others, especially when you are fighting a war in close proximaty (also known as Regional Conflict) As you can quickly deploy and quickly evacuate asset whenever you need to, and that you can provide a logistic chain which you can manage for the on-going war effort.
However, what happened if the conflict is at a global scale?? Even without Power Projection ability to the region, one can still have a certain degree of Warfighting Capability left on a conflict of global scale. THe simple solution to the question is to uses resource from others (allies or captured land) to sustain a war outside of your own domain.
What it did was resources sharing, you have a friendly country in the region, and they took your side in the conflict and allow you to use the facilities they have, that would eliminate the need for sustainability requirment for an on-going conflict. On the other hand, if you have to do it solo without any influence in the region, that would mean you have to draw a supply line all the way back to your home base. And the Loss of Strength Gradient would tell you, the further out you fought a war, the increase demand of support troop would be increase increasing in an expontiental manner.
Hence the ability to make war, both in their own domain and internationally is said to be the Warfighting Capability. Which made up of Combat Asset, Support Given and Influence.
What is Power Projection?
Power Projection is the influence one country have toward states and nation outside their domain of control. Now, the ability to make war outside the country's own domain of control is one of the factor to decide how big of an influence in the international stage. The "Global Reach" as many people said this nowadays, however, does not only means the ability to make war.
To assert ssome control on a region that is not within your own domain is quite tricky, and you cannot just do that by making soft power alone. Hence, making a lot of friend does not mean you can project your power further,since you do not and cannot control your "friend" Your friend helping you this time around will increase your warfighting capability for this campaign, that does not translate into having them as a "Slave-State" kind of relationship that can move on to power projection.
Power Projection also does not only include Force Projection, but soft power dealing, such as deterrence mission, show of flag operation and also the most important of all, asset protection.
At thiis point, it should also be noted, as a general rule, when people were talking about Power Projection, it means an "Above-The-Horizon" or Global Power projection, which means an influence to an area you would have no influence from main land in the first place, technically, any country can have a certain degree of power projection capability if they have a big enough armed forces, but to influence other at the other end of the world, that would have been soemthing different altogether.
How do you project power outside your domain? The answer is quite easy, that is by having your own bases in someone else domain. The term "Own Bases" does not mean bases you build for other, but the base you own (In anotehr word your own overseas territories)
This is where people starting to get confuse. What is the different?
A base build by you in other sovereign land belong to that sovereigty, not you. Yes, you two may have been BFF or in an alliance or something, but that does not mean you own him, or own that base. The problem is, in case of war, when everyone have to take side, you don't know what your tradition allies thinks. Time an again, traditional allies perfer to stayed neutral in other conflict (UK and Canada stayed out of Vietnam War, US stayed out of Falkland War, French Stayed out of War in Iraq and so on). Having an alliance or all weather friend does not gurantee you influence in the region.
What can definitely do the job is an overseas territories, which is a piece of land belong to you, and when you set up base there, you can use it without any limitation.
So, the one major requirement for any country to project their pwoer is that they have to project it alone, without any help from other country, because that would mean a power dependence, not power projection.
Another aspect of power projection is the ability to make an expedition warfare. Or just an expeditation, period. What it does is, it allow both Warfighting capability and Deterrence mission to carry on without regards. Thus projecting power over the horizon.
For any expeditionary mission to be made, 2 things was critical for its mission. The first one being combat asset, aircraft carrier, troop, tanks and other asset that make the operation. Another aspect is the suppporting aspect. One need to know, Aircraft Carrier need provision, tank need fuel and ammunition and people need food and water, if all that cannot be provide in a regulaar basis, that the expedition would fail. And A lot of people mistakenly think Aircraft Carrier is one true symbol of Power porjection. Well, that is just half the equation. How do you suppose the carrier can go on without any fuel, food and water?? That another important part is missing and frequently overlook, that would be means to support your expedition.
That complete the circle of Power Projection.
