June 13, 2016
Third Offset Strategy and Chinese A2/AD Capabilities
Richard A. Bitzinger, Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Military Transformations Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, examines the feasibilities of the Third Offset Strategy as a countermeasure against China’s growing A2/AD capabilities. Noting the innate advantage of distance China enjoys in contrast to the US, he points to China’s growth in hard and soft A2/AD capabilities as well as in its willingness to use it. Bitzinger questions how new the concepts that comprise the Third Offset Strategy are and, more importantly, how they can be cashed out into effective counter-A2/AD measures in reality. While maintaining the technological edge is critical, he stresses, it is equally imperative to maintain a conventional superiority and physical presence.
The report is available online.
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Richard A. Bitzinger