The loss-of-strength gradient (LSG) is a military concept devised by Kenneth E. Boulding in his 1962 book ''Conflict and Defense: A General Theory''. He argued the amount of a nation's military power that could be brought to bear in any part of the world depended on geographic distance. The loss of strength gradient demonstrated graphically that, the further away the target of aggression, the less strength could be made available. It also showed how this loss of strength could be ameliorated by forward positions.

Decreasing relevance

Boulding also argued that the loss-of-strength gradient was becoming less relevant in modern warfare due to easier transportation and the rise of strategic air and

missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

power. He claimed that a 20th-century "

military revolution The Military Revolution is the theory that a series of radical changes in military strategy and tactics during the 16th and 17th centuries resulted in major lasting changes in governments and society. The theory was introduced by Michael Roberts ...

" allowed for a "substantial diminution in the cost of transportation of organized violence of all kinds, especially of organized armed forces", as well as "an enormous increase in the range of the deadly projectile." On the other hand, another scholar contended that the loss-of-strength gradient continues to be relevant, and if there has been a reduction in the concept's significance, it was only temporary, as transportation is not becoming permanently easy, and air power is not replacing the need for forward deployed ground forces.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loss-of-strength gradient Military doctrines Military logistics Military geography

Decreasing relevance

See also

References