Airpower is the entirety of abilities to project power or influence. Jan 30, 20 airpower has thus not quite lived up to the promise of its theory, and so while it is both a very important and extremely powerful arm of military force, outside of conventional warfare between states, which is quite a rare occurrence in the modern international system, airpower leaves much to be desired, and cannot alone be employed in order. Airpower lessons for an air force cyberpower targeting. Echevarria, fusing airpower and land power in the twentyfirst century, 69.
Mcfeely united states air force distribution statement a. Airpower for strategic effect project gutenberg self. Along the way, it puts forward a roster of observations about the air weapon that warrant careful reflection by all who would presume to find it wanting. Mar 07, 2018 in hindsight, opposing tactical and strategic effects by the application of airpower was meaningless as airpowers versatility offers the possibility to operate across all levels of war. While terrorists and insurgents remain significant threats to. It concludes with lessons for air force leaders in developing future strategies. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The theory advocated airpower as a force that could bypass the outermost ring to achieve effects against the others, presumably with a decisive effect. Realignment and indian airpower doctrine air university au. Hammond, 2005 ultimately, the use of land power remains the most conclusive instrument of strategy. In this expansive assessment of airpowers steady rise in salience from its fledgling days to todays combat involvements, colin gray, a prolific strategist of longstanding scholarly repute, has produced an outstanding tutorial for airmen by addressing the air weapon in the.
This study assesses how alternative solutions might affect airpower strategy formation and execution by examining the improvements intelligence agencies and the services are likely to pursue over the. Pietrucha i n 1988 colonel john warden, usaf, developed the five rings model, classifying a country as a system organized. In this expansive assessment of airpowers steady rise in salience from its. Index of publications in air power, national military strategy and policy. This plan was developed by the checkmate division of the air staff in washington, d. Airpower or air power consists of the application of military aviation, military strategy and strategic theory to the realm of aerial warfare and close air support. While terrorists and insurgents remain significant threats to american national security, we are already seeing a return to great power rivalry and conflict. Airpower for strategic effect air force digital media.
The concept of strategic air power in the last war, air power forfeited much of its effect from being kept in separate packets like the parts of an army, with a consequent dispersion of effort and. In essence, the decision to establish a tactical and strategic. Oct 15, 2017 thus, this paper will propose a new strategy for the employment of airpower, informationcentric operations ico, and advocate for a transition in strategic airpower thinking from ebo to ico. Ap1 allows students to explore this debate in depth while studying the past to learn how airpower can be effective. Its use as a tactical tool will always limit its full potential to produce the desired effect. Against that background, this chapter seeks to offer a perspective on the nature and meaning of the qualitative improvements that have. Apr 01, 2012 airpower for strategic effect provides a critical, strategic history of airpower as well as a new general theory. It situates airpower history in modern strategic history broadly, and it rests airpower theory on the authors prior work on the general theory of strategy. It situates airpower history in modern strategic history broadly, and it rests airpower. Using agentbased modeling to capture airpower strategic effects conference paper pdf available february 2000 with 36 reads how we measure reads. This study comprises an analysis of the strategic effects of airpower in irregular warfare.
On the morning of 8 august 1990, cinccent made a unique phone call to the pentagon. Coercion is an evolution of the classical airpower theorists ideas of destroying the enemys will to resist. While the future is always unclear, it seems likely. This routine ability to create strategic effects has been a central characteristic that had guided air power.
Although germany didnt sue for peace as a result of airpower attacks, airpower did weaken the german economy and infra. Apr 17, 2014 2 gray, chapter 3, geographies of warfare, airpower for strategic effect, pages 57 82. A modern airpower theorist whispers to a wall medium. The strategic effect of airpower is the master theme that binds this work and to which all the issues raised here relate. I think his project accomplishes what it set out to achieve. The formation and early years of strategic air command by phillip s. Airpower s product is strategic effect on the course of strategic history.
Airpower for strategic effect provides both a critical analytical strategic history of airpower and a new general strategic theory of airpower. Air power development centre bulletin the concept of strategic air power in the last war, air power forfeited much of its effect from being kept in separate packets like the parts of an army, with a consequent dispersion of effort and frittering of effect. In hindsight, opposing tactical and strategic effects by the application of airpower was meaningless as airpowers versatility offers the possibility to operate across all levels of war. This title provides both a critical analytic strategic history of airpower and a new general strategic theory of airpower. In the context of the cold war, both conventional and nuclear airpower were. Airpower for strategic effect air force digital media program. Thus, this paper will propose a new strategy for the employment of airpower, informationcentric operations ico, and advocate for a transition in strategic airpower thinking from ebo to ico.
Control is airpowers calling card and where the strategic effects of the. Interwar airpower, grand strategy, and military innovation. Airpower for strategic effect is intended to contribute to the understanding of airpowerwhat it is, what it does, why it does it, and what the consequences are. The conclusion is the state versus nonstate actor dynamic imposes specific limitations on the ways and means of strategy each. Force definition of airpower as the ability to project military power or influence through the control and exploitation of air, space, and cyberspace. Air power is a strategic element of national power. The role of air power going into the 21st century benjamin s. Using agentbased modeling to capture airpower strategic effects. This research was sponsored by the director of strategy, concepts and assessments, deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements afa5s. Though ico has applicability in all domains and to each service, i will scope this paper to air force airpower strategy and employment.
Chapter six the role of air power going into the 21st. Chapter six the role of air power going into the 21st century. Ap1 allows students to explore this debate in depth while studying the past to learn how airpower can be effective in great power conflict. In essence, the decision to establish a tactical and strategic air force under a single air commander northwest african air forces under gen carl. Next some of the limitations of strategic airpower are explored with examples. Air university press, air force research institute, 2012, 367 pp. Air power is best employed when the desired strategic end.
Airpowers missing ingredient joint chiefs of staff. Finally, the political employment of us strategic airpower is summarized for each major conflict from world. Airpower for strategic effect offers an uncommonly thoughtful application of informed intellect to an explanation of how modern air warfare capabilities should be understood. Back in 2012, air university commissioned and published colin grays airpower for strategic effect, which opens up the aperture on airpower thinking. Military strategy, joint operations, and airpower will introduce readers to contemporary strategy and the operational level of war, particularly as it relates to airpower.
As colin gray states, airpower has strategic effects, but it is not inherently strategic since the outcomes depend on the nature of the target, not. He moves the story through world war i and the interwar years, showing how airmen incrementally advanced the art of airpower. If america is able to reduce or eliminate its strategy. The idea of airpower as a decisive instrument with deterrent. This was much like the objective of the strategic air force in world war ii. Airpowers product is strategic effect on the course of strategic history. This idea became foundational for the newly independent us air force in 1947, and it remains essential today. A wholly original work combining ideas drawn from existing literature on airpower with colin s. The convergence of high technology with intensive training and determined strategy that was attested by the allied coalitions.
Liddelharts post wwi strategic paralysis theory was the forerunner to john wardens air power theory of paralysisdecapitation. Airpower for strategic effect air university series on. Eight days prior to that phone call, general schwarzkopf had given his assessment of the iraqi forces along the kuwaiti border to the jcs. This intermediate textbook was developed as required reading for all us air force academy cadets, and is designed to close the gap between military theory and military practice. A strategy for survival, dependent upon airpower, aligned the efforts of britains government, military, and industry. Michael evans, 2004 this is a study of strategy and of that most essential of concepts, strategic effect. Project muse military strategy, joint operations, and airpower. Thus, airpower can simultaneously strike directly at the. This srp is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the master of strategic studies degree. This is the airpower theorist the air force needs and. This study assesses how alternative solutions might affect airpower strategy formation and. Airpower reborn offers a conceptual approach to warfare that emphasizes airpowers unique capability to achieve strategic effects. Military strategy, joint operations, and airpowerwill introduce readers to contemporary strategy and the operational level of war, particularly as it relates to airpower.
This really is the standard work on airpower theory and will likely remain so for some time. Air power is best employed when the desired strategic endstate has been defined at the national security level and thereafter it is employed by air power professionals to create the necessary strategic. Anrig 2011 airpower for strategic effect by colin s. Airpower has become the preferred american way of war. Grays own research on strategy, this study situates the story of airpower within a larger history of modern strategy, reevaluating the benefits of airpower from world war i to recent. Gray sets out to correct this oversight by devoting an entire volume to exploring the history of airpower and the relationship between airpower and strategy. To determine if centafs current combat planning organization has the capability to produce an acceptable airpower strategy for future conflicts, this study. Arkin 2007 the quest for relevant air power by christian f. Airpower has thus not quite lived up to the promise of its theory, and so while it is both a very important and extremely powerful arm of military force, outside of conventional warfare between. In the last war, air power forfeited much of its effect from being kept in separate packets like the parts of an army, with a consequent dispersion of effort and. The twenty first century presents a signficantly more complex strategic environment, both on the global and regional stages, than the. Six worldleading theorists argue that a viable strategy must transcend the. A wholly original work combining ideas drawn from existing literature on airpower.
Wells, who wrote prolifically about airpowers utility and application in warlong before the wright brothers fateful first flight at kitty hawk. Airpower for strategic effect is intended to contribute to the understanding of airpower what it is, what it does, why it does it, and what the consequences are. The historical development of airpower provides a useful. Throughout several of the fallacies, gray uses the terminology strategic. Airpower for strategic effect world public library ebooks. While terrorists and insurgents remain significant threats to american national security, we are already seeing a return to great power rivalry. The twenty first century presents a signficantly more complex strategic environment, both on the global and regional stages, than the bipolar strategic environment of the cold war period. Lambeth1 introduction air power took a quantum leap in credibility and perceived importance after the opening days of operation desert storm in 1991. Directed by the innovative dowding system, pilots of the iconic spitfire and her workingclass. Few strategists have devoted much thought to airpower, which is surprising given its nearubiquity in modern conflicts. Has strategic airpower failed to live up to its promise.
The concept of strategic air power in the last war, air power forfeited much of its effect from being kept in separate packets like the parts of an army, with a consequent dispersion of effort and frittering of effect. May 31, 2012 airpower for strategic effect by colin s. Airpower for strategic effect air university series on airpower and national security 9781478392262. Jun 04, 2014 gray, airpower for strategic effect, 284285.
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