Page 18 - Maritime Services and the Kill Web

The Maritime Services, the Allies and Shaping the Kill Web

“One of the key aspects of changes involves weapons in the kill web. Target identification and weapons
delivery will not be necessarily located on the same platform. Indeed, the ability to deliver lethal effect in the
electro-magnetic battle space will be distributed throughout the kill web. Weapons are distributed throughout
the kill web and can be fired by platforms also operating throughout the kill web capable of firing weapons
not carried by that platform.
Distributed strike will become increasingly significant as well as weapons modernization accelerates and the
problem of providing new capabilities to the force, a force that is distributed in operations.”

There are several significant force design considerations, which flow from a payload-utility kill web approach.

If Pu was the driver year back then the Littoral Combat Ship would have been looked at differently-what TA,
TE and Pu does it bring to the fleet-or is an expensive one off?
There is not sufficient knowledge of emerging fleet TA, TE and hence better Pu on ranges to design a 6 Gen
th
Fighter, whatever that means.

Currently the U.S. and core allied militaries is in an “applied physics” phase of 21 Century combat
development, the early 21 Century information revolution could be considered the ‘theoretical physics”
st
phase.
I firmly believe that embracing the central theme of a payload utility function can greatly help resolve the
laundry list of technological complexities in the “3 Off Set Strategy”” which was in vogue during the Obama
rd
Administration.

Pu is “Kill Web” compatible; “Kill Chain” is simply linear thinking.
Keeping ideas simple is a gift to all in creating the most effective military in the world.

For clarity of first building a combat capable military one may also set aside a lot of Sun Tzu’s profundity.

He is often quoted to confuse or divert from the central focus of what is brutally quipped as the first purpose
of the USMC, by Marines— support equip and train “A Big Green Killing Machine.”

Although, General/Philosopher Tsin Szu did get one thing absolutely right; “Victory usually goes to the army
who has better trained officers and men.”

A little noted American President James A Garfield was a combat veteran fighting in vicious battles as the
country was torn asunder.

From his history; Garfield opposed Confederate secession, served as a major general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War, and fought in the battles of Middle Creek, Shiloh, and Chickamauga.
He made a profound and lasting statement about ideas: Ideas are the great warriors of the world, and a
war that has no idea behind it, is simply a brutality.

Second Line of Defense

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