Term Paper on "How Government Can Strategically Reduce the Cost of War"

Term Paper 7 pages (1976 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Government Can Strategically Reduce the Cost of War

No one can deny that war is costly, not only in a philosophical sense, but also in a practical, financial sense. The vast amount of resources it takes to fight a war has crippled economies on numerous occasions throughout history. As military technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, it also becomes more and more expensive. Technological weaponry, in conjunction with manpower, transportation, research, the use of natural resources and numerous other costs have made war not only a human tragedy, but an economic tragedy as well. So how can governments strategically reduce the cost of war without weakening their military strength? This proposal seeks to answer that question by providing a strategic plan based on the reduction of costs of the following elements: 1) weaponry 2) manpower and 3) natural resources. Additional strategies such as hedging and budgetary cuts are also discussed. The proposal includes three appendices as well.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Weaponry

Manpower

Natural Resources

Other Potential Strategies

Summary and Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendices

Introduction

According to Owens (2008) "on 9/11 'a $250,000 attack was converted into an event that cost the United States over $80 billion (some estimates are as high as $500 billion)'." (p. 71). As can be seen in Appendix A, the costs of war in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to rise exponentially. With the nation's economy suffering at record levels, there is a clear need to develop strategies to reduce the costs of war. These strategies must include ways to reduce the costs of weaponry, manpower, and the natural resources needed for manufacturing, sustenance and transportation.

In addition, strategies to not necessarily reduce, but slow down expenditures are necessary as well. Examples include the practice known as hedging, as well as finding alternatives to oil that will keep the nation from being so dependent on foreign enemies who bask in the control that their oil allows them to hold over us. Moreover, the national budget allocated to defense spending needs to be substantially reduced.

Weaponry

When it comes to weaponry, sacrificing quality could result in sacrificing lives. So simply reducing the costs of materials, research and development and manufacturing are not advisable. A solution that is advisable, however, is the harvesting of any materials that can be reused or recycled. The costs savings from harvesting can be remarkably significant. For example, Klein (2005) reports that in Bosnia in 2004, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which is an arm of Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), "provided military installations with reuse, recycling and disposal services. In fiscal 2004, DRMS found new uses for more than $1.7 billion of military property" (p. 1).

The materials that are harvested are often shipped to locations that would normally need to requisition new materials. The cost savings not only apply to the materials themselves but to the shipping costs. As Klein (2005) explains, "the materials are issued free, and many times the shipping costs are lower, since the materials don't have to be shipped from the United States and are already in the theater or much closer to where they're needed" (p. 1).

Weaponry also has tremendous potential for cost savings in terms of its ability to take out more enemies in a shorter period of time and with fewer expenditures of resources, thanks to modern technology. In fact not only can it destroy more enemies, but it can also reduce the damage to surrounding areas. One example is Dense Inert Metal Explosive (DIME) which is especially designed for low collateral damage. According to GlobalSecurity.org (2010) "It produces lower pressure but increased impulse in the near field. Far Field damage is reduced (no frags / impulse rolloff). The lethal footprint can be tuned to precision footprint" (p. 1).

Manpower

Even more significant cost savings could result from the use of modern technology as not merely a supplement for, but as a replacement for, human soldiers. The use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and similar technologies in Iraq and Afghanistan have already increased. Although they cannot yet entirely replace human troops, they show significant potential for saving both lives and money. According to Dunn (2006):

"The days of crewed vehicles -- both on the ground and in the air - are numbered. The U.S. Air Force admits there is no planned successor to the F-22; the next generation will be unmanned. Why? Because it's cheaper -- no human pilot who needs millions of dollars in training or expensive systems to protect his or her fragile body. Already the F-22 is capable of executing violent maneuvers that would disable a human making an automated version much faster and more agile. The need for a pilot to discern targets has long been relegated to forward air controllers and friend or foe detection systems -- any automated aircraft could detect, identify and fire long before a human could process the needed information" (p. 1).

Until the time that machinery is more effective in battle than humans, deployment costs can help to reduce the economic burdens of war. The costs of deployment of manpower vary considerably in terms of whether are attacking by land, air or sea. According to Eland (2001), sea-based aviation is far more expensive and inefficient than land-based airpower. This was proven in the Gulf War, in which "most estimates project the cost of carrier-based air power at several times that of land-based airpower" (p. 102). While certain regions require specific types of transportation due to their terrain, these are the only times that the less cost-efficient choice should be made. Instead, sea-based aviation is often selected when it is not a logistically necessity. Thus significant cost savings could incur simply by deploying manpower in a more cost-effective and strategic manner.

Natural Resources

Refueling vehicles on the battlefield is both a logistical and an economical challenge. Enhanced fuel economy, therefore, is a logical strategy for reducing the costs associated with transportation. Better fuel efficiency not only reduces the cost of the fuel itself by limiting the amount needed to travel a certain distance, but it also protects manpower. According to Levant Power (2010), the "U.S. Department of Defense estimates that a 1% fuel efficiency improvement can take as many as 6,400 people out of convoys, protection details and supply lines…Fuel savings translate to reduced logistical tail and cost, greater mission endurance, and a higher state of readiness" (p. 1).

Renewable energy technologies are another strategic option for reducing the cost of transportation, technology and warfare as a whole. Not only are renewable resources more cost-efficient than oil, but by reducing the nation's dependence on oil from foreign entities, there is also a great likelihood that war activity itself will be largely reduced. As former President Bill Clinton expressed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, "Our position in the world has been weakened by...a perilous dependence on imported oil" (p. 1).

Taking advantage of renewable energy sources in the countries where soldiers are stationed is also a way to save money, as well as lives. According to Manufacturing.net (2010)

"Convoys of trucks carry diesel fuel, bottled water and other supplies to U.S. military bases in southern Afghanistan, across rugged roads controlled by Taliban forces and tribal chieftains. Every convoy that doesn't have to roll across the dangerous roads means cost savings and, more important, reduced risk to Afghan and American lives. Retired Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson, Gen. David Patraeus's senior logistician in Iraq, estimates that more than 1,000 Americans have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan hauling fuel to power tents and buildings. Fewer truck trips would save billions of dollars and the lives of the truck drivers, he said" (p. 1).

Fuel efficiency and resource efficiency can be significantly enhanced by harvesting the solar, wind and hydro energy in occupied countries. While these systems may initially require an extensive financial layout, in the long run they will more than pay for themselves.

Other Potential Strategies

Planning for war can be almost as expensive as the actual warfare, especially when one is not sure where the next enemy may be coming from. As can be seen in Appendix B, the United States is by far the largest defense spender, accounting for half of the military defense spending in the entire world. Layton (2010) suggests that in uncertain situations such as these, a "hedging strategy" can be the most appropriate course of action. He explains that currently:

"the concern is that equipment acquired in large numbers today for such an improbable situation may draw funding and resources away from preparing for the type of operations that are much more likely. Worse, by the time a major conventional threat reappears -- if it ever does -- the equipment acquired may be obsolescent given the rapid pace of technological change. The use of hedging strategies gives a force the ability and the processes to develop to meet new circumstances as they emerge. Hedging strategies aim to minimize expenditures and long-term commitments, spending limited funds and resources until the… READ MORE

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