Since the revolutionary advent of airpower, the US has been wedded to the paradigm of leveraging air and maritime Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF) to achieve decisive effects. Despite evolutions in long-range capabilities, including the development of the cruise missile in the 1980s, the US has only further cemented this paradigm through highly successful operations in Desert Storm, Desert Fox, Iraqi Freedom, and subsequent Flexible Response Options (FRO) from 2003 to present. Yet since Desert Storm, adversaries have been carefully observing US operational success and reorienting their doctrine, prioritizing rapid technological advancements that specifically target US bilateral dependency. In light of these new challenges in the operational environment and the recent prominence of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), this monograph explores the problem of the LRPF paradigm through leveraging the theoretical lens of systems thinking, architectural design, and John Boyd's Destruction and Creation. Using Gharajedaghi's "mapping the mess" as a framework for searching, mapping, and telling the story, this monograph proposes that the current LRPF paradigm is insufficient for the emergent operational environment and that a paradigm shift must occur that is informed by balance, time, and phasing.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)