Over-the-beach capability

Royal Marines conducting an amphibious warfare exercise

Over-the-beach (OTB) capability is the ability of a military or paramilitary force to launch an effective offensive against a defended coast, or the ability of a firearm to be safely fired immediately after being completely submerged in and taken out of water. The former consists of the number of soldiers, tanks, vehicles, and helicopters that a nation can stage over an adversary's defended coast in a time of war. Generally, these elements only count if they can be projected across hundreds of kilometers of open ocean. Over-the-beach capability determines a nation's power projection together with forward airpower (strength of aircraft carriers and/or overseas airbases), alliances, and nuclear options.

See also

• Amphibious warfare
• Blue-water navy
• Power projection
• Seabasing
• Sea lines of communication
• Glossary of military abbreviations
• List of established military terms
• List of military tactics

Further reading

• Alexander, Joseph H., and Merrill L. Bartlett. Sea Soldiers in the Cold War: Amphibious Warfare, 1945-1991 (1994)
• Bartlett, Merrill L. Assault from the Sea: Essays on the History of Amphibious Warfare (1993)
• Ireland, Bernard. The World Encyclopedia of Amphibious Warfare Vessels: An illustrated history of modern amphibious warfare (2011)

External links

• US Army Field Manual 100-10 Chapter 1: Power Projection
• US Army Field Manual 100-7 Chapter 6: Force Projection