Effectiveness of Naval Surface Fire Support to the Army Brigade Commander in a Littoral Campaign

Since the end of the Cold War, the Army has engaged in an unprecedented number of joint contingency operations hinting at future missions aimed at protecting U.S. interests worldwide. To engage and defeat future threats to our national security, the Army must transform itself into a more strategically responsive, lethal force. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS), which can help lighten the force by providing support for brigade-sized units. The Fire Support Simulation Tool (FSST) simulates the employment of various indirect fire courses of action (COA’s) for analysis. Comparing the utility of several well-constructed COA’s using the FSST’s output can help decision-makers determine the effectiveness of NSFS for specific campaigns. The results of this analysis conclude that there is strong quantitative and analytical evidence to support the effectiveness of NSFS to an Army Brigade commander engaged in a littoral campaign.