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Bending the Principle of Mass: Why That Approach No Longer Works for Airpower

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Bending the Principle of Mass: Why That Approach No Longer Works for Airpower
David Alman and Heather Venable
September 15, 2020
 

It is one of warfare’s oldest questions: What is mass, and what advantages accrue from sheer numbers? The concept has variously been defined as being about “the superiority of numbers,” or “concentrating the effects of combat power.”

While commanders often desire numerical superiority over their adversaries, they are not always able to achieve it. Instead, commanders use methods such as maneuver to achieve a local superiority in combat power. Maneuver is just one of many ways commanders attempt to artificially inflate the mass of their forces. Others include improving command and control, enhancing lethality, and seeking to possess better information than their opponents. All of these methods can allow assets to contribute relatively more to a fight, thereby potentially offsetting a requirement for mass. Over the past 50 years, the United States has progressively placed more emphasis on artificial mass — command and control, lethality, and superior information — as a substitute for actual mass.

https://warontherocks.com/2020/09/bending-the-principle-of-mass-why-that-approach-no-longer-works-for-airpower/

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