Unity of Command and Interdiction

The cover of Joint Publication 1, Joint Warfare of the U.S. Armed Forces, says, 'Joint Warfare is Team Warfare.' Inside the publication, an Air Force officer observed, 'Now I know that real jointness means attacking the right target at the right time.' The quote makes joint warfare sound like a simple matter, one that the U.S. military has well in hand. Although the services have made great progress over the last decade or so, Unity of Command and Interdiction highlights an area where there is still a great deal of work remaining. The Army and Air Force have been at odds about how to fight together where their missions overlap the most. Beyond the front lines 30 to approximately 200 kilometers is a gray area where Army deep operations and Air Force interdiction overlap. They often address the same target sets and compete for the same weapons. Synchronizing interdiction and land maneuver is not a new problem, but several new twists are complicating the matter even more. Army doctrine calls for fast-paced and deep maneuver, supported by attack helicopters and artillery. Army artillery ranges have increased over fivefold with rockets and missiles: at the same time technological advances dramatically improved interdiction capabilities. Tactical ballistic missile and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are other pieces of a very difficult battlefield puzzle. Unity of command is essential to success for both services.