A primary measure of a nation's
power projection is its over-the-beach capability. This consists of the number of
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
s,
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
s,
vehicles
A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), ...
, and
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
s that a nation can stage over an adversary's defended
coast
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...
in a time of war. Generally, these elements only count if they can be projected across hundreds of kilometers of open
ocean
The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...
. Over-the-beach capability determines a nation's
power projection together with forward
airpower
Airpower or air power consists of the application of military aviation, military strategy and strategic theory to the realm of aerial warfare and close air support. Airpower began in the advent of powered flight early in the 20th century. Airp ...
(strength of
aircraft carriers and/or overseas airbases), alliances, and
nuclear options.
See also
*
Amphibious warfare
*
Blue-water navy
*
Power projection
References
Further reading
* Alexander, Joseph H., and Merrill L. Bartlett. ''Sea Soldiers in the Cold War: Amphibious Warfare, 1945-1991'' (1994)
* Bartlett, Merrill L. ''Assault from the Sea: Essays on the History of Amphibious Warfare'' (1993)
* Ireland, Bernard. ''The World Encyclopedia of Amphibious Warfare Vessels: An illustrated history of modern amphibious warfare'' (2011)
External links
US Army Field Manual 100-10 Chapter 1: Power Projection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Over-The-Beach Capability
Military logistics
Military strategy