signature=512cf6e128149ef990a70d6050d87b26,Signature: _____________________ 27 OCT 2010

摘要：

Rethinking the Strait of Hormuz: A Recommended Course of Action that EstablishesOperational Advantage. The recent proliferation of modern anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) weapons has changed the severity of the threat in constricted waters such as the Strait ofHormuz (SOH) and the Arabian Gulf. This paper illustrates how Iran has combined thesemodern weapons with a hybrid form of warfare that presents a Coalition Naval Force (CNF) with a serious threat when operating in Iran's littoral waters. The US Navy and its coalitionpartners must assess the nature of Iran's A2/AD network when considering which Course of Action (COA) will allow them to fight, win and survive a conflict with Iran. This paperrecommends a COA that will allow a CNF to achieve desired objectives by leveraging theoperational advantages of operating in the blue water environment of the North Arabian Sea. This recommendation is defended by refuting the prevailing school of thought whichcontends that freedom of navigation can and must be maintained through the SOH. It dispels the myths and misperceptions regarding Iran's inability to control the straits and our ability to fight our way in/out of the Arabian Gulf. Finally, by drawing on examples from pastoperations, the paper supports the argument that a CNF's conventional advantages will allow them to achieve the desired objectives while limiting the scale of the conflict.

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