The development and proliferation of anti-access and area denial strategies threaten the capability of the United States to maintain its global influence with its expeditionary joint force. In response to this emerging threat, the U.S. Department of Defense published the Joint Operational Access Concept (JOAC) in January 2012, stressing that the U.S. must maintain operational access in order to maintain global influence. The purpose of this study was to analyze the JOAC through the lens of operational art, proposing the thesis that the proper use of operational art, focusing on the principles of distributed operations, simultaneity, and operational tempo, is critical to maintaining operational access in areas contested by anti-access and area denial strategies. This study concluded that operational planners must now translate the concepts outlined in the JOAC into operational plans that meet these emerging threats. Planners must prioritize scenarios by likelihood and importance before presentation to policymakers. The primary deficiency that currently limits the expeditionary capability of U.S. forces is the lack of a secure distributed basing network. In an environment of finite fiscal resources, planners must present basing options to policymakers who will allocate funds, focusing on the highest priority bases that are valuable in multiple scenarios. This study found that a survivable distributed basing network facilitates attacks at multiple decisive points with simultaneity and an operational tempo capable of defeating anti-access systems. Joint Forces can then reestablish operational access, supporting the strategic goal of maintaining U.S. global influence.

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.)