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Major Combat Operations

Research Brief

Why Understanding 'Will to Fight' Is Crucial

Arguably, will to fight is the most important factor in war. The best technology in the world is useless without the force of will to use it and to keep using it even as casualties mount and unexpected calamities arise. Ignoring will to fight can contribute to tactical or even strategic defeat.

Sep 13, 2019
Report

Report

Distributed Operations in a Contested Environment: Implications for USAF Force Presentation

This report's authors identify capabilities the Air Force needs to carry out distributed operations in a contested environment. They then assess whether the current force presentation model can provide such capabilities.

Jul 17, 2019
Report

What Makes U.S. Military Interventions Successful?

An analysis of 145 U.S. military interventions identifies the factors that have made them more or less successful at achieving their political objectives. They were successful 63 percent of the time, but levels of success have declined over time as the United States has pursued more ambitious goals. Before intervening, planners should carefully match strategy with political objectives.

Apr 1, 2019
Tool

Four Problems on the Korean Peninsula

North Korean provocations and threats have created an unstable environment on the Korean Peninsula. The United States and its allies must attend to four interconnected problems. Failure to prepare will increase the chance of miscalculation and constrain options to reduce the likelihood or gravity of future conflicts.

Jan 11, 2019
Report

The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Ground Interventions: Identifying Trends, Characteristics, and Signposts

This report uses an original data set of U.S. ground interventions to identify factors that determine where and when the United States is most likely to intervene militarily.

Oct 12, 2017
Report

Report

Assessing Tracked and Wheeled Vehicles for Australian Mounted Close Combat Operations: Lessons Learned in Recent Conflicts, Impact of Advanced Technologies, and System-Level Implications

We assess trade-offs between tracked and wheeled combat vehicles by exploring lessons learned from conflict in various parts of the world, the implications of advanced technologies, and system-level implications of the different classes of vehicles.

Apr 5, 2017
Commentary

A Brief History of the Assault Rifle

The assault rifle is a class of weapon that emerged in the middle of the last century to meet the needs of combat soldiers on the modern battlefield, where the level of violence had reached such heights that an entirely new way of fighting had emerged.

Jun 30, 2016
Commentary

The Tension Between What the Army Is and What It Does

Cooperation and integration of the Army's three components is important, but what's most important is effectiveness in war and the key to that is trained, properly organized, and ready forces.

Mar 3, 2016
Testimony

PLA Joint Training and Implications for Future Expeditionary Capabilities

Effective joint operation capability is a centerpiece of the PLA. Joint training efforts have resulted in successes, but also have highlighted long-standing problems that military leaders recognize as obstacles to future expeditionary capabilities.

Jan 21, 2016
Commentary

Ground Combat

The U.S. Army needs to pay attention to state-sponsored irregular forces, whose numbers are growing. Such groups represent the type of adversary U.S. ground forces are likely to face.

Dec 23, 2015
Report

Report

Integrating Operational Energy Implications into System-Level Combat Effects Modeling: Assessing the Combat Effectiveness and Fuel Use of ABCT 2020 and Current ABCT

The authors developed and applied a methodology that leveraged detailed combat effectiveness models to account for the operational energy needs of an Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) 2020 and the current ABCT conducting combat missions.

Apr 23, 2015
News Release

Lasting Consequences of World War II Means More Illness, Lower Education, and Fewer Chances to Marry for Survivors

Experiencing World War II is associated with a greater chance of suffering from diabetes, depression, and heart disease as adults. And because so many men died during the war, fewer women married and many children were left to grow up without fathers.

Jan 21, 2014
Announcement

John Gordon Receives Arthur Goodzeit Book Award for 'Fighting for MacArthur'

John Gordon won the 2011 Arthur Goodzeit Book Award for Fighting for MacArthur: The Navy and Marine Corps' Desperate Defense of the Philippines, a World War II history. The award was presented by the New York Military Affairs Symposium.

Jun 8, 2012
Report

Army Networks Enable Shared Situational Awareness and Unity of Action

The ability of U.S. forces to gather, process, and disseminate battlespace information in a networked fashion has given them an advantage in major combat operations. The Army should extend the network to lower echelons; expand it to include host nation, coalition, and other U.S. government partners; and invest more time in developing informal networks.

Mar 13, 2012
Report

Report

Flawed Strategy, Not a 'Failure of Air Power,' Led to Israel's Disappointing Performance in 2006 Lebanon War

Israel's disappointing performance in its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 did not reflect a "failure of air power," but rather a failure of Israel's political and military leaders to properly assess the enemy, set achievable goals, apply an effective strategy and adequately manage public expectations.

May 23, 2011
News Release

News Release

Americans Will Back Military Action Overseas If They Believe the United States Has "Important Stakes" in a Battle

Americans Will Back Military Action Overseas If They Believe The United States Has 'Important Stakes' in a Battle

May 29, 2005
Commentary

Commentary

Mao as Guide to Fight in Iraq

And strange as it may seem, a look at the thoughts of Chairman Mao on battling an occupying army from 66 years ago may help us make some educated guesses about the challenges facing the United States and the next government of Iraq.

Jan 4, 2004
Report

Report

Theaterwide Tactical Fighter Combat Operations Model (TAFCOM): A Program Description

An updated programmer's manual for TAFCOM, which simulates large-scale air attack; it can handle thousands of aircraft with hundreds of bombers attacking tens of targets and penetrating through up to 20 air defense systems of varying effectiveness.

Jan 1, 1969
Content

Content

D. Sean Barnett

Senior Engineer
Education B.S. in nuclear engineering, Purdue University; Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
Content

Content

Jeff Hagen

Senior Engineer
Education M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics, University of Washington; B.S. in engineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

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