Lesson Objective: To analyze and understand current and future capabilities, limitations, and employment of joint/combined aerospace power.

Questions for Study and discussion:

1. What is the value of doctrine to airmen?

Doctrine is a collection of experiences that form the cornerstone of Air Force thinking on the best way to fight. Since doctrine is based on experience it allows for reexamination of the way we fight today’s conflict and projecting out to tomorrow’s threats. This allows for adjustments in organization, weapons systems and force employment to address changes in the environment.

2. Why is centralized control and decentralized execution of airpower assets important to the effective application of airpower?

Centralized control provides strategic focus. This allows for the planning of targets to be attacked thus tasking air assets best suited for the missions while maintaining oversight of required changes due to unforeseen events or enemy reaction. Decentralized execution provides the tactical elements the operational flexibility to plan attacks. Aircrews have wide latitude on the tactical details of how they will accomplish the assigned mission.

This concept supports the inherent flexibility and versatility of aerospace power, giving commanders the tools to adapt to changing circumstances while remaining focused on the campaign objectives.

3. What roles can aerospace forces perform independently for theater commanders?

Aerospace forces can strike directly at an enemy’s COG and vital centers. Aerospace power’s ability to strike the enemy rapidly and unexpectedly across all of the critical points, from deep to shallow adds a significant morale impact to an equally devastating physical blow.

4. How are information operations a part of aerospace power?

Information has evolved from being only an adjunct supporting primary weapon systems to being, in many cases, itself a weapon or target, and perhaps being a field for operational maneuver.

5. What are the strategic and operational effects of information operations in the application of aerospace power?

Aerospace surveillance as parts of IO provides the information required for formulating strategy, developing plans, and conducting operations. IW provides psychological operations, military deception, electronic combat, both physical and information attack, and a variety of defensive activities and programs.

6. What lessons and doctrine implications should we draw from recent conflicts in the Gulf, Balkans and Kosovo?

That doctrine and the best way to wage war can be undermined by the political will to fully exploit the essence of airpower. In Operation Desert storm the destruction of Al Firdos bunker resulted in tight restrictions on subsequent bombing in the Iraqi capital. During Operation Allied Force, the need to maintain a united front provided every member of the NATO the ability to virtually veto strikes on Serbian targets, thus seriously restricting NATO’s aerial assault.

7. What are some of the implications for defense planning at the DOD and theater level as aerospace forces become ever more capable compared to the ground component?

The ground component is constrained by the definition of his AOR. AOR are defined by front and rear areas and are bounded by other forces operating within their defined AOR. Airmen envision the entire theater of operations as their AOR. Aerospace power can be focused on targets in one part of a theater and transitioned to another part of the theater as conditions or war plans warrant.

The notion of "air occupation" inspired by the no-fly zones being enforced over Iraq lend to the argument that air power can lead to the denial of territory by opposing forces.

8. How is the changing international environment affecting the Air Force’s ability to perform its mission?

Operation Allied Force is an example of the impact coalition warfare with political constraints on military operations hampered the AF mission. Operation Allied Force had elements of (1) political immersion at the tactical level of war (2) the lack of clearly defined goals, and (3) the limited, incremental escalation of conflict. To point one, air planners were required to seek the approval of 19 NATO countries before a single target could make its way onto the ATO. Fixation on the unfortunate reality of collateral damage led to directives from the highest levels of government forbidding the use of particular types of weapons. To point two, instead of providing military planners with clearly defined political goals by which to build a target list, political leaders seemed to focus on individual targets as if the targets themselves comprised the overarching strategy. To the third point, as opposed to the application of overwhelming decisive force, a gradual escalation of number of aircraft, sorties, flown and number and types of targets attacked was the norm. Due to political constraints the fundamental airpower precepts of parallel attack, effects-based targeting, and inside-out warfare were never applied to the war in Serbia.

9. How would you counter arguments that aerospace power is limited, in comparison to or as an adjunct to, land forces?

As opposed to ground forces’ close engagement and the immediate enemy in front of their lines or the need to fight and control territory these elements of combat do not limit aerospace power.

10. How does aerospace power differ from other forms of military power?

Aerospace power offers nearly unlimited options and unparalleled flexibility. The USAF gained independence from surface forces in order to more effectively carry out so-called independent missions- the most prominent being strategic attack. Sailors have a less constrained view of the world compared to soldiers but their view is significantly constrained by physical and psychological realities. Physical realities in that a ship cannot sail to some places; thus, the naval worldview tends to focus on the high seas and the littorals. Psychologically, because naval vessels are expensive and difficult to replace their protection has a high priority including the use of their naval aircraft for this purpose.

11. What attributes of aerospace power reduce its military utility?

The unparalleled flexibility of aerospace power does not produce unlimited military utility. Aerospace power cannot seize and hold territory. The most significant vulnerability of aerospace power occurs whenever aircraft leave their operating environment. On the ground aircraft are helpless. Near-heroic measures must be taken must be taken to protect them such as hardened shelters or revetments. Additionally aerospace power has its limits:

• Aerospace power is expensive, this includes airframes and their weapons
• The combination of complexity and cost reduces their numbers
• Expensive and scarce resources should only be put at risk against lucrative targets

8. What are the current and future challenges CINC face in the application of joint and combined aerospace power?

(from Col Drew reading) As evidence indicates, if organized as part of a surface force to the culture, customs, and mid-set of the parent surface force, airmen will be much less likely to fully and appropriately exploit the unlimited employment options available to them.

 

9. How are the "dilemmas" of American aerospace power likely to affect multinational operations?

American aerospace dominance composed of its force structure, weapons systems and information gathering capabilities build upon its R&D and resulting technology investments leave little doubt but for its allies to allow it to take the lead in times of conflict. America’s allies face the challenge of keeping up and in so doing may only be capable of providing "niche force" that would be of "first tier" capability fitting within an American dominated and led force. The challenge remains for the allies, as a "first-tier" element would be required to interoperate with USAF and contain leading edge systems applicable to its role.

10. What capabilities and benefits would implementing a "Global Strike Task Force" concept bring to the CINC?

GSTF will be a rapid reaction force employed within the AEF construct and timeline while maintaining interoperability with joint, coalition, and allied assets. GTSF will better meet the needs of CINCs by leveraging our current and near-future capabilities to overcome the challenges our experience has identified and the threat to theater access.

• GTSF will rapidly establish air dominance
• It will combine stealth and advanced weapons
• Contain a horizontally integrated C2ISR for joint battle-space capability
• It will leverage mass and standoff bomber fleet capabilities, complemented by F-22 and ISR
• Mitigate enemy access denial capabilities

Some responsibilities of unit command are peculiar to and sometimes magnified by, the expeditionary environment. These include determining whom and what to deploy, getting on-site as soon as possible, establishing a relationship with the host-nation commander, making the mental adjustment to the expeditionary environment, and, when the conflict ends, ensuring that redeployment is accomplished in an efficient, effective manner.

Force flow management and requirements, basing, airfields and friendly nation hosting requirements, types of aircraft that friendly nations would support, size of airfields to support specific aircraft, span of control both administrative and physical.