Shows of force have historically been undertaken mostly by a military actor unwilling to engage in allout hostilities, but fearing to 'lose face' (i.e. to appear weak). By performing a carefully calculated provocation, the opponent is to be shown that violent confrontation remains an option, and that there will be no (or no further) backing off on the principle the show of force is to defend.[1] Shows of force may be actual military operations, but in times of official peace, they may also be limited to military exercises.[2]

Shows of force also work on a smaller scale – i.e. military forces on a tactical level using mock attacks to deter potential opponents, especially when a real attack on suspected (but unconfirmed) enemies might harm civilians. As an example, most air "attacks" during OEF and OIF have been simple shows of force where jet aircraft drop flares only while making loud, lowlevel passes. One recent 12month report for Afghanistan noted 18,019 strike sorties by United States military aircraft, but weapons use in only 3,330 of these missions.[3]
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