Naval Force Sizing: Zero-Based or 'Bottoms-Up' Method

Abstract : Decisions about the size of a military force are made in a very complex political and economic environment. This paper tries to bring the focus back to basics. In an unclassified context, using the laws of physics and current best estimate of a wartime scenario, it demonstrates the aggregate of considerations to determine the required size of naval force. It briefly applies contemporary risk theory to the difference between the required naval force and one that is fiscally constrained.