The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
The 850 Tomahawks Launched in Operation Epic Fury Is the Most Fired in a Single Campaign
English Summary
Operation Epic Fury has expended 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in four weeks—the largest single-campaign expenditure in U.S. naval history—depleting approximately half of available regional launchers at a cost of $3.6 million per missile. The Navy can only replenish 110 Tomahawks annually despite possessing low-3,000s stockpiles, and ships cannot reload at sea, requiring extended port maintenance. This accelerated depletion creates near-term strategic vulnerability for the United States in other theaters, particularly the Western Pacific, as inventory constraints may limit future military options and contingency response capacity.
中文摘要
「史詩憤怒行動」在短短四週內耗用了850枚戰斧巡弋飛彈，創下美國海軍史上單一行動的最大消耗紀錄。這導致區域內約一半可用發射器耗盡，每枚飛彈成本高達360萬美元。儘管海軍擁有低於3000枚的庫存，每年卻僅能補充110枚戰斧飛彈，且軍艦無法在海上進行重新裝填，必須返回港口進行耗時的維護作業。這種加速消耗在近期為美國在其他戰區，特別是西太平洋地區，製造了戰略脆弱性，因為庫存限制可能制約未來的軍事選項和應急反應能力。
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