Guided weapons may perform less reliably in contested conditions or when fired in production-scale numbers rather than in limited demonstrations. Combat encourages commanders to take low-probability shots whenever even a small chance of stopping an attack is worth the ammunition. Crews also expend more live rounds and operate harder than they do in exercises designed partly to preserve weapons and stocks. Supplies positioned forward for quick replenishment are exposed to enemy action and ordinary battlefield loss. Testing, production depth, dispersed stockpiles, and resupply therefore matter alongside nominal magazine capacity in this counterfactual campaign.
Chapter · 2:20-4:19
Real war consumption exceeds exercise assumptions
Uncertain high-volume weapon performance, low-probability combat shots, and vulnerable forward stocks make real ammunition demand exceed exercise assumptions.