Th? B????c???, t?il???? t? m??t th? n???s ?? ??th l?w ?n???c?m?nt ???nci?s ?n? milit??? ???c?s, ?m????s ?s ? hi?h-s???? s?ntin?l ?? th? s??s, ???i???? t? t?ckl? ? ?iv??s? ????? ?? ch?ll?n??s. A???n?? with ?n ?ss??tm?nt ?? s?ns??s ?n? w????n s?st?ms, th? B????c??? is ??im?? ??? th? ??l?ntl?ss ???s?it ?n? int??c??ti?n ?? m??itim? th???ts, ??n?in? ???m s??-???in? ?i??t?s t? ???? sm???l??s ?n? ?v?n m?t??h??ic?l “w?lv?s ?? W?ll St???t.”
A s??ct??m ?? c?ttin?-???? n?vi??ti?n ?n? s??v?ill?nc? ??????t?s?s ????ns this v?ss?l, ???ti?i?? ?? th? ??t?nti?l int????ti?n ?? ??llistic shi?l?in? t? s???????? its c??w. C?nst??ct?? ???m li?htw?i?ht ??t ????st c????n ?i???, th? B????c??? is ?n?in????? t? withst?n? ???mi???l? t?i?ls, ???t??in? ? w?t??????? c??in ?n? s??m?nt?? int??n?l c?m???tm?nts th?t ?ns??? th? v?ss?l ??m?ins ??? ?v?n wh?n s??j?ct?? t? ?xt??m? ??lls. F??th??m???, th? v?ss?l’s h?ll ??ss?ss?s th? ??m??k??l? ??ilit? t? s?l?-?i?ht in th? ?v?nt ?? c??sizin? ???in? t????l?nt w?t??s.
Th? ?ss?nc? ?? ? st??lth ???t ??si??s n?t ?nl? in its ??sili?nc? ??t ?ls? in its v??s?tilit?. Th? B????c??? s??ml?ssl? ?cc?mm???t?s ?n ????? ?? c?st?miz??l? s?ns??s ?n? w????n s?st?ms, l??vin? n? ???m ??? c?m???mis?. F??m ??m?t?l?-?????t??, st??iliz?? h??v? m?chin? ??ns t? ??c?? ?n? sm?k? ???n??? l??nch??s ??siti?n?? ?t?? th? ???t’s ??w in ? ???-?? c?n?i????ti?n, th? ??ssi?iliti?s ??? ?s ?iv??s? ?s th?? ??? im???ssiv?. This m???l?? ??si?n ???ns th? ???? ??? ??t?nti?l ????t?ti?ns s?ch ?s ???n??? l??nch??s ?? ?v?n li?htw?i?ht missil? inst?ll?ti?ns.
M?nnin? th? B????c??? ????i??s ? c??w ?? ???? t? six in?ivi???ls, with c???cit? ??? ?? t? tw?lv? ??ss?n???s wh?n ci?c?mst?nc?s ??m?n?. S??nnin? 230 mil?s ?n ? sin?l? t?nk ?? ???l, this ????tic ?????t?? ?tt?ins s????s ?xc???in? 40 kn?ts, ?????tl?ssl? slicin? th????h w?v?s c???t?s? ?? its ????t ????-V h?ll. Tw? 600h? ?i?s?l-?l?ct?ic ?n?in?s ???vi?? th? ??ivin? ???c? ??hin? this ????tic j?????n??t. N?t??l?, th? B????c??? ???sts th? c????ilit? t? ?????t? in s?? st?t?s ?s int?ns? ?s 46-???t sw?lls whil? m?int?inin? ?????ti?n?l s????s in c?n?iti?ns ???t??in? 13-???t sw?lls.
B?t ?n???h with w???s—witn?ss th? B????c??? in ?ll its ?l??? th????h th? c??tiv?tin? vi??? ??l?w. As S???h?v?n M??in? ?xt?n?s its l???c? ?? m??itim? m?st???, th? B????c??? ?m????s ?s ?n ?m???im?nt ?? ?n?i?l?in? ??t??min?ti?n ?n? t?chn?l??ic?l ???w?ss in th? ???lms ?? l?w ?n???c?m?nt ?n? milit??? ?????ti?ns.
