Analysis: Three lessons from the fall of Singapore for contemporary US defense planning in Asia (warontherocks.com)

• Singapore's fall in 1942 teaches US strategists the need for pre-war allied coordination.
• A 'simultaneity challenge' forces hard resource choices between theaters, as shown by the Iran war.
• Planners should anticipate multiple campaign branches rather than linear scenarios.

"Iskander Rehman’s essay examines the 1942 fall of Singapore and draws three lessons for current US strategy toward China: 1) The need for deep allied coordination before conflict, 2) Hard trade-offs in resource allocation across theaters given a 'simultaneity challenge', 3) Thinking in campaigns rather than single battles. He warns against overstretch and underestimating adversary capabilities. The Iran war (Operation Epic Fury) serves as a current example of munitions depletion and delivery delays."