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AirorceManual-1Volume

BasicAerospaceDoctrineofheUnitedtatesAirForce

mmsm ?ECTED4DistributionUnlimited March992

1 9 9 8 0 3 0 9 0 8 0 B M D T E C H N I C A L I N F O R M A T I O N C E N T E R B A L L I S T I C M I S S I L E D E F E N S E O R G A N I Z A T I O N 7100D E F E N S E P E N T A G O N W A S H I N G T O N D . C .0301-7100

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AccessionNumber:6327 PublicationDate:Mar 01,1992Title:BasicAerospaceDoctrineOf TheUnitedStatesAir Force.VolumeIPersonalAuthor:Drew,D.M.CorporateAuthorOrPublisher:Departmentof the AirForce,HeadquartersUSAir Force,Washington,DC 20330 -5000ReportNumber:AF Manual1-1 Commentson Document:From BMDO/DE,Washington,DC Abstract:Thismanualprovides theframework forunderstanding how toapply military power.It containsnotonly thebarebonesof thedoctrinebu talsotheessays thatprovidetheevidenceandsupporting rationaleforeachdoctrinalstatement.Descriptors,Keywords:basicaerospacedoctrineUSAFenvironmentpowerrolesmissionstenetsoperationalar tcampaignemploymentairmindednessequipmentPages:20 CatalogedDate:Ja n06,1998Copyrightedor Not:NODocumentType:HCNumberof CopiesIn Library:000001 RecordID:46030

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DEPARTMENT OF THEAIR FORCEHeadquartersUSAirForceWashingtonDC20330 -5000 AF MANUAL1-1

March1992 ContentsVolumeI

Page

ForewordIntroduction iiChapter

1arand theAmerican Military2heNatureofAerospacePowerSec AAerospaceEnvironmentSecBAerospacePowerSecCAerospaceRolesand MissionsSecDTenets ofAerospace Power3mploying AerospaceForces:he OperationalArt .Sec AInfluenceson Campaign Employment .SecBAerospaceOperationalArt0 SecCOrchestrating Aerospace Rolesand Missions 0

SecDAirmindedness 54reparing th eAirForcefo rW ar 7 Sec AAirForceAerospace Power 7SecBOrganizingAir ForceAerospacePower 7

SecCTrainingAir ForceAerospaceForces . 8 SecDEquipping theAir Force 9

SupersedesAFM 1-1,5January1984 .See signature pagefo rsummary ofchanges.)No. ofPrintedPages:52(volsIand II) OPR: F /XOXWD(L tColCharlesM.Westenhoff)Approved by:MajGen HowellM.EstesinWriter:AUCADRE/RI (ColDennisM.Drew)Editor:UCADRE/PT (JohnE.Jordan,Jr.)Distribution:;X (see page20 )

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ContentsVolumeII Page

Introduction i OverviewEssay

A War,AnInstrumentofPolicyB Principlesof WarC HumanFactorsinWar 7 D TheExpertiseoftheProfession ofArms5 E Characteristicsof War 1 F ThreeLevels ofWar 3G MilitaryActivitiesShort ofWar 1 H AerospaceEnvironment 3 I AerospacePower 1 J AerospacePowerCapabilities 9K BalancedCompositionofAerospaceForces 7L AerospacePowerRolesandMissions 0 3 M TheTenetsofAerospacePower 13 N EmployingAerospaceForces:TheOperationalArt 25 0rchestratingAerospaceControl35 P StrategicAttack 47 Q AirInterdictionand CloseAirSupport61 R Deterrence 73 S AerospaceForceEnhancement 8 5 T SustainingAerospaceOperations99U Airmindedness:AnExample 09VirForceAerospacePower 19W Organizing to Win 29X TrainingtheAir Force:TheFourComponents39YquippingtheModemAirForce51

Appendix1unctionsof theUnitedStatesAirForce572esponsibilities oftheCombatantCommandsandServiceComponents 63

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ForewordThismanualisoneofthemostimportantdocumentseverpublishedbytheUnited States AirForce.Doctrineis important because it providesthe framework

forunderstanding how toapply military power.tiswha thistoryhas taughtusworksin war ,as wellas wha tdoesnot.Thiseditionha sspecialsignificancebecauseitcontainsno tonlythe"barebones"of ourdoctrinein quick-reference form (volume I)butalso the essaysthatprovidehevidencendupportingationaleorac hoctrinaltatement(volumeII).

Theguidancethismanual provideswillbe valuable to thosein field unitsand to thosein headquarters, to thoseinoperationsand to thosein supportareas,to thosew ho understand airand space powerand tothosew hoare justlearning.nshort,thismanualwill be valuableto theentireforce.

Iexpectevery airman and,in particular,every noncommissioned and commis-sionedofficertoread,tudy,ndunderstandvolumeIndtoecomeully conversantwith volume n.hecontents of thesetw o volumesareat the heartofthe profession ofarmsfo rairmen.

/MERRILL A.Mc.McPEAK General,USAF ChiefofStaff

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Introduction Aerospacedoctrineis ,implydefined,wha tw eholdtruebouterospace

powerand the bestw ay todo the jobin theAirForce.tis basedon experience, ourow nandthatof others.octrineiswhatw ehavelearnedaboutaerospacepowerand its applicationsincethedawn ofpoweredflight.Whilehistorydoesnotprovidespecificformulas thatcan beappliedwithoutmodification to presentand futuresituations,itdoesprovidethebroadconceptualbasisforourunder-standing ofwar ,humannature,and aerospacepower.hus,doctrineisaguidefortheexerciseof professionaljudgmentratherthan a set ofrulesto befollowedblindly.tisthestarting pointfo rsolving contemporary problems.Doctrineis alsoastandardagainstwhichtomeasureou refforts.tdescribesour understanding of the bestw ay to do the jobtheworldas itshould be .Many factors ca n preventusfrom actingin thebestmanner,butdoctrinecanguideourefforts,gaugeoursuccess,and illuminate our problems.Doctrine should beal ivegrowing,evolving, and maturing.N ew experiences,reinterpretationsfformerxperiences,dvancesnechnology,hangesnthreats,and culturalchangescanallrequirealterationstopartsofourdoctrineevenasotherpartsremainconstant.fw eallowou rthinkingaboutaerospace powerto stagnate, ourdoctrinecanbecomedogma.This is an airman'sdoctrinewrittenby air power scholars foruse by air powerpractitioners.

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Chapter1 W arandtheAmericanMilitary

Itisclearthatwarshouldneverbethoughtofassomethingautonomousbut alwaysas aninstrument ofpolicy.Carlvon Clausewitz

J\nunderstandingof aerospacedoctrinemustbegin withnnderstandingfheaturefwar .he Americanpenchantforviewingwarasanaberrationintheaffairsofman,and asan occasionalcrusadeto destroy clearlyecognizedvil,ftenistortsurunderstanding ofwarfareand it s purposes. 1-1.ars iolenttruggleetweenivalsocietiesottainompetingoliticalbjectives. Warsjustnemeanssedyation-states,ub -nationalroups,rsupranationalroupsochieve disputedobjectives. (Refertovol.I I ,essayA.) a.Waris an instrumentofpoliticalpolicy.W ar isgenerallytheinstrumentoflastresortreservedfo rthosessueseemeditaldisputesha tannoteresolvedsingonviolentnstrumentsfolicy).W aroe soteplacethernstrumentsfpolicy,ratheritis used inaddition to other instruments.Refertovol.II ,essay A. )

b.hemilitarybjectiveinw arisocompelth eadversary to doou r will. asting success(abet-terstateofpeace)requires thattheadversary'shostilewillndbilityevercome.vercomingostile willannvolve ilitaryperationsutrimarily reliesonotherinstrumentsofpolicy.he military is theinstrumentofpower(policy)bestsuitedtoattack theability toresist.Militarymethodsar ebasedupontherinciplesfwarfig.-1 )utmusteoor-dinatedand orchestrated withnonmilitary instruments O f nationalpower. (Refertovol. I ,essayA.) 1-2. Wars umannterprise. Th esefviolencenjectsevelsfemotionnderocityntowarthattendtounderminetherationalityandcloudthevisionoffriendan dfoe.Refertov o l . n,essay c. )

PRINCIPLESOFWAR (Refertovol.II ,essayB. )

Objective.irectilitaryperationstowardadefinedandattainableobjectivethatontributeso trategic,operational,or tacticalaims.Offensive.ctratherthanreactanddic-tateheime,place,purpose,cope,n- tensity,ndacefperations.he initiativeus teeized,etained,nd fullyexploited.Mass.oncentratecombatpoweratthedecisivetimean dplace.EconomyofForce.reateusablemassbysinginimumombatowernsecondaryobjectives.akeheullestuseofallforcesavailable.Maneuver .lacetheenemyinaposition ofdisadvantagehroughhelexibleap -plicationof combatpower.UnityofCommand .nsureunityofef -fortfo reveryobjectiveunderonerespon-sible commander.Security.rotectfriendlyforcesand theiroperationsromnemyctionshichcouldprovidetheenemywithunexpectedadvantage.Surprise.triketheenemyatatimeor placeorinamannerfo rwhichheisun -prepared.Simplicity.voidnnecessaryom -plexitynreparing,lanning,ndon -ductingmilitaryoperations.

Figure1-1.

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a.W arisharacterizedy fog,riction,nd chance."Warisno tanengineering projectan dmustnotbereatedsuch.llhumanqualitiesgoodan dbad,ofteninfluencedby fearan dfatigueensurethatwarwil leharacterizedyncertainty,n- reliability,ndunpredictability.Refertov o l .,ssayc. )b.uccess in w arrequiresmasteryofth ear tofw araswellasth escienceofwar .Modernwarfareis oneof themostcomplexofhumanactivities.uc- cessinwardependsatleastasmuchonintellectualsuperiorityasitdoeson numericalan dtechnologicalsuperiority. ictoryresultsfromcreatingadvantagesagainstathinkingopponentw hoisbentoncreating bi sow nadvantages.hus,successdemandsan intri-cateombinationftheciencefwar(thatwhich ca nbemeasuredandstudied)an dthear tofw ar(thecreative,lexible,ndesponsivemploymentfmeansto achievetasks).Refer t o v o l .n, essayD.)c.h eprinciplesofw arhelpprovideabetterunderstandingofwarfare,buttheyar enot check-listitems thatnecessarilylead to success.heprin- ciplesareimportanttotheunderstanding andmastery ofwarfare,bu tprofessional expertiserequiresadepthofknowledgefarbeyondmereprinciples.Referto v o l . I I ,essayB . ) 1-3.h estudyofw aris complicatedbecausew ar is complicated. ttemptstosimplify warby arrang-ing descriptionsalonga"spectrum"ora"continuum"ca nleadtooversimphficationhe followingdiscus-sion recognizesthatwarca n be characterized in many ways . Thewarriormusttriveounderstandllfthem. (Referto v o l .U ,essayE . ) a.W ar ca nbe characterized byth elevelofob -jectiveintent.Totaldestructionofan enemyisatthehighendfobjectiventent.nexampleflowerlevelsofobjectiveintentwouldbetoapplymilitary leveragetochangeanenemy'sbehaviorortopunishan enemyfo rtransgressions.Refer t o v o ln, essayE . )

b.araneharacterizedyh eevelofeffortupport ingh ewar .ationalmobilizationdescribeshemaximumlevelfeffortofnationstwar .nthetherhand,throughouthistorynationshaveonetowarusinglimitedresourcestoachievelimited Objectives. (Refert o v o l .n, essayE ) c.Warca nbedescribedatan yinstantbyth elevelofintensityofcombat .Rapidandcontinuous engagementndxchangeflethallowsetweennuclearorconventionalorcesharacterizehehighendofcombatintensity.heus eofsubversion,ter-rorism,an dguerrillatacticsoftenfoundininsurgent

warfarecharacterize thelower levelsofcombatinten- sity.Refertov o l . I I ,essaysEa n d R)d.W arca nbecharacterizedbyth enatureof

allianceorcoalitionrelationships.oalitionsmay bebinational,multinational,or,inthecaseofinsur- gency,ubnational.oalitionelationshipsann- creasetrengths,auseulnerabilities,etermine commandelationships,ndnfluencemploymentStrategies.Refer t o v o l .n, essayE.)e.W arca nbecharacterizedyth eweaponry employed.nthisregard,nuclearan dconventional warfareinvolvesuchfundamentaldifferencesthat thedifferencesav e ignificantffectnequiredequipment,raining,ndmploymentechniques. Nuclearwarfareisuniqueinthatno instanceof it ha soccurredwhenmorethanon eopponentha dnuclearweapons.ecausefhencertaintiesssociatedwithuclearwarfarendheestructiveowerfnuclearweapons ,deterrenceasbeenandwil lcon-tinuetobe acornerstoneofAmericansecuritypolicy.(Refer to v o l .I I , essaysEandR.)

f.h eformsan dcharacteristicsofw arare no tmutuallyxclusive.ependingnircumstances(including politicalandoperationalobjectives, as wellasthemilitary capabilitiesofopposingforces),apar-ticularormfwarmayssume oreha nne dimensionverime,rdifferentormsfwarfaremayccursimultaneously.orexample,nnsur-gencymay takenconventionalvertoneswiththeovertmilitarynterventionfahirdountry,rconventionalwargainst nuclear-equippeddver- sarymay,tsomepoint,nvolveheseofnuclearweapons.urther, varietyfweapons,ncluding chemicalndiological,anemployednny form ofwar.Refertov o l . H ,essaysEa n d R)1-4.W ar isplannedan dexecutedatthreelevels:strategic,operational,an d tactical.Theselevelsar edynamicallynterrelated.herereolearly definedboundaries between them.Referto v o l . n, essayF .) a.h etrategicevelofw arncorporatesh ebroadestoncernsofnationalolicy.hentirewareffort,otjustthemilitaryffort,sheocus.Decisionstthislevelhouldreflectnationaloals,integratellfhenstrumentsfower ,rovideforces,an ddeterrnineconstraintsontheiruse. R e f e r t o v o l .I I ,essayF. )

b.h eoperationallevelofw arfocuseson cam-paigns.ecisionstthislevelorchestrateforcesto accomplishtrategicbjectivesithinheater.Theseobjectivesareachievedthroughthedesign,or -

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ganization,ndonductfampaignsndmajoroperationsthatguidetacticalevents. R e f e r oo l.,essayF .)

c.h eacticalevelofw arfocusesnbattles an d engagements.Decisionsat tinslevelapplycom-bat powertocreateadvantageswhenincontactwith or proximityto th e enemy.R e f e r t o v o l .n, e s s a y F .) 1-5. significantdomain ofmilitaryactivitiesex -istsbelow th elevelofwar.heUnitedStatesseekstopreserveastableglobalenvironmentinwhichit snationalnterestsanbechievedhroughpeacefulaccesstofreemarketsandresources.nthisregard,U S ilitaryorcesreharged ith angefpeacetimeresponsibilitiesin additionto preparingforwar.Thedividing linebetween militaryoperations in w arandthosehortofwarisotlwayslear-cut.(Referto vol.H,essayG.)

a.mericanmilitaryforcesar ecalleduponto trainnddvisetherationsn attersfdefense,to includeforeigninternaldefense.Train-ingandadvisoryeffortspromoteregionalstabilityby facilitatingollectiveecurity,elf-defenseapa-bilities,andinternalorderamongforeignfriendsandallies.Refertovol.n,essayG. )

b.eacekeepingunctions,upportornsur-genciesndounterinsurgencies,ndombating terrorismftennvolvectivitieshortfwar.Americanmilitaryforces may be called onto performspecificpeacekeepingfunctionsin resolvingregionalconflicts.dditionally,th eUnited Stateshas found it necessarytolendsupporttogovernmentscombating insurgenciesndoupportnsurgentmovements. Finally,ombatingterroristthreatsmaynvolveheU Smilitaryin activitiesshortofwarfare.R e f e r t o v o l . HessayG.)

c. ctivitiesshortofw ar haveimportantancil-lary enefits.eacetimectivitiesesultn irectcontactsbetween USmilitaryforcesand th eforcesofmanyothernations.hesecontactsoftenprovehelp-ful in pursuing such nationalgoalsasdemocratizationand peacefulconflictresolution.R e f e r ov o l .n,e s s a y G. )1-6.h eorganizationofth eAmericanmilitary is basedon th econceptoftaskspecialization.Th eor-ganizational framework and responsibilities are prescribedbypublicaw.Referool.I,ppendicesand2. )

a.h eservicesorganize,train,equip,an dpro-videmilitaryorces.heervicesrerganizedunderthreedepartments,generallyalongth elinesof

mediumsof warfare:ir,land,andsea.Refertovol.n,appendix1.) (1 )ac hepartmentsharged ithhe developmentndultivationfpecializedom -petenceinon eofth emediumsofwarfare. R e f e r o vol.0,appendix.)(2 )hemilitarydepartmentsarealsochargedwithth eresponsibilityfor definingth efuturerequire-mentsofw ar fightinganddeterrencewithrespectto th essociatedmediumsofwarfare.henequire-mentsrepprovedyppropriateuthorities,militaryepartmentsreesponsibleorcquiring,testing,ndieldingwar-fightingystems. R e f e ro vol.U,appendix.)

b.orcesareprovidedby th eservicestocom-mandersofcombatantcommandsthroughservicecomponentcommanders .ervicecomponentcom-mandersemainesponsibleorontinuedraining,administration, and logistic support ofssignedforces. (Refertovol.II ,appendices nd 2. )(1 )ommandersofcombatantcommandsare chargedwithbroadmissionresponsibilitiesndreempoweredithperationaluthorityomployforcesprovided byth emilitarydepartments.R e f e rt o vol.H,appendix2. )(2 )A commanderofacombatantcommand en -visionsmeansofaccomplishing ismissionsjointcommander'sintent)and developsplanstocarryoutthesemissionscampaignplans.R e f e rt o v o l .n,a p p e n - dix2 .) (3 )deally,campaignplanningresponsibilitiesareullyharedwithubordinateomponentom -manderstoensurethatth ebestavailablespecializedexpertisendorcesreroughtoearmostffi-cientlyndffectivelynheombatantom -mander'smission.R e f e r t o v o l .I I ,a p p e n d i x 2 .)

c. omponentcommandersprovidespecializedcompetence.ommandersofcomponentcommandsbringland,sea,ir,orotherspecializedcompetence andorcesormploymentnderheperationalauthorityofommandersofombatantommands.(Refertovol.H,appendix2. )

(1 )nconcertwithth ejointcommander,each componentommanderevelopsisisioncom-ponentcommander'sintent)ofth ebestwaysin whichhisparticularexpertiseandforcescanbebroughtto bearon th ecombatantcommander'smission.R e f e rt o vol.II ,appendix2. )

(2 )omponentcommandersincorporatetheirvisionswhiletranslatingth ejointcommander'sintentintoperationallanshatupportheombatantCommander'splan.Refertovol.II ,appendix2. )

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Chapter2

Th eNatureofAerospacePowerNowadays ,anyoneconsidering land and seaoperationsof anyimportancemustofnecessityrememberthat aboveth eland andsea isth e air.

GiulioDouhet

1he adventofairpower,and lateraerospacepower,didothangehessentialaturefwar ,utir powerdi dchangethew ay warisconducted.urther,itcreatedtherequirementfo rdevelopmentndcul-tivationofanew expertise,acompetenceinexploit-ing the three-dimensional aspectsofaerospaceforces.

SectionA Aerospace Env i ronment

2-1.heaerospaceenvironmentca nbe mostfullyexploitedwhen considered as an indivisiblewhole.Althoughtherearephysicaldifferencesbetweentheatmospherean dspace,thereisnoabsoluteboundary betweenthem.he samebasicmilitaryactivitiesca nbeperformedin each,albeitwithdifferentplatformsandmethods. (Refertovol. ,essaysHandI. )a.erospaceonsistsfh entirexpanseaboveh earth'surface.tsowerimitshe earth'surfacelandrwater),ndtspperlimitreachestoward infinity.Refer t o v o l . n,e s s a y H.)

b.erospacerovidesccessollfh eearth'surface.nlikeurfacenvironments, aerospaceha snonaturallateralboundaries.ationsdorecognizepoliticalboundariesintheatmosphere, bu tyonventionherereouchoundariesnspace.Refertovol.D, essayH .)

SectionB Aerospace Power

2-2.erospacepowergrowsou tofth eabilityto use aplatform operatinginor passing through th eaerospace medium fo r military purposes .Developmentfplatformsha tperateboveothlandndeaasignificantlyltered arfarey

creating hirdimensionormilitaryperations. (Refertovol.II,essay I. )

a. levationaboveth eearth'ssurfaceprovides relativedvantagesve rurface-boundorces.Elevationrovidesroadererspective,reaterpotentialpeedndange,ndhree-dimensional movement.he resultis inherentflexibility an dver-satilitybasedon greater mobilityandresponsiveness.Aerospacepower'sspeed,range,flexibility,andver- satilityreitsoutstandingattributes.hi scombina-tionfttributesrovidesheoundationorhe employmentonceptsfaerospaceower . ( R e f e ro vol.II ,essayJ. )

(1 )erospaceoweranuicklyon- centrateonorabovean ypointon th eearth'ssur-face.erospacepowerca nexploittheprinciplesofmassndmaneuversimultaneouslyo argreaterextentha nurfaceorces.herereoaturallateraloundariesnheerospacenvironmentopreventaerospaceplatformsfromconcentratingthen-poweratanypoint,ndfromdoingsoveryquickly, evenwhenstartingrom widelydispersedlocations.(Refertovol.II ,essayJ. )(2 )Aerospacepowercanapplyforceagainstan yfacetofenemypower. erospacepowerca nbe broughtoearnnnemy'solitical, ilitary,economic,ndocialtructuresimultaneouslyrseparately.tca nbe employed insupportofnational,theater/joint, or othercomponentobjectives.tca n be coordinatedwithurfaceowerrmployednde-pendently.R e f e r tov o l .H ,essay J . )

b.heinherentspeed,range,an dflexibilityofaerospacepowercombineto make itth emostver-satilecomponentofmilitarypower.tsversatilityallowserospaceoweroeapidlymployedagainstanylevelofobjectivefromstrategicthrough theater,toincludetacticalemploymentinsupportof

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othercomponentforces'objectives.he versatilityofaerospaceowermayasilyeos tferospaceforcesaresubordinated tosurfaceelements ofpower .(Refertovol.II ,essayJ. )2-3. erospacepower resultsfrom th eeffectivein -tegrationf latforms,eople, eapons,ases,logistics,an dallsupportinginfrastructure.N ooneaspectofaerospacepowershouldbetreatedin isola-tionsinceeachelementisessentialndinterdepen-dent.Refer t o v o l . H , essayK.)a. lt imately,aerospacepowerdependsonth eperformanceofth e peoplew h ooperate,command,an dsustainaerospaceplatforms. lthoughhumanperformancecan rise farabove expectations underthestressfcombat,ommandersmustememberha teveryoneas breakingpoint.henthatpointis reached,ndividualerformanceendsoegradecatastrophicallyratherthangradually.Referov o l .n,essayK.)

b.h echoiceofweaponsisakeyaspectin th erealizationofaerospacepower.Weaponsshouldbe selectedasednheirbilityonfluencenadversary'scapability andwill.Referto v o l .n,essayK . ) c.recisionweaponryequiresrecisentel-ligencendffectiveommandndontrol.Achievingtheullpotentialfaerospacepowerre- quiresimely,elevantntelligencendufficientcommand andcontrolassetsto permitcommandersto exploittspeed,ange,lexibility,ndersatility.(Refertovol.II ,essayK.)d.upport ingbaseswith theirpeople,systems, an d facilities ar eessentialto launch,recovery,an d sustainmentofaerospaceplatforms.The effective- nessofaerospaceforcesdependson baseavailability andoperability. (Refert o v o l . H ,essay K.)

SectionCAerospaceRolesandMissions

2-4erospaceorces erformou rasicoles:aerospaceontrol,orcepplication,orcen-hancement ,ndorceupportfig.-1).olesdefinethebroadpurposesrfunctionsfaerospace forces.issionsefinepecificasks,otapa- bilitiesororganizations.herolesand missionsare,inturn,definedby objectives,no tby theplatform or weaponsed.osterospaceorcesanerform multipleolesndmissions,ndom eanperform multiplerolesandmissions inuniqueways .oleandmission matchupsareno texclusive.Forexample,theelectroniccombatmission,whileprimarilya forceen -

hancer,canbeavitalelementinboththeerospacecontrolndorcepplicationoles.pecialpera-tionsforcesalsoprovidecapabilitiesformanyrolesandmissions.hey ar eused to perform closeai rsup- port,nterdiction,irlift,econnaissance,ndthermissionsromre-conflicttageshroughheul lspectrumfonflict,utenerallyhe yperate withintheframeworkofclandestineconditions.e- causeftheniqueemandsfthesepplications, employmentfpecialperationsorcesnvolveshighlypecializedrainingnddeally tilizespe -cializedaerospaceplatforms.heseapabilitiesre mostoftenemployedas partofa jointspecialopera- tionstaskforce(JSOTF).ffectiveforceapplication an dafetyequirementsmaketssentialha the JSOTFommanderperatesnloseoordinationwiththetheateraircommander. (Referov o l .n,essayL .) a.erospacecontrolassuresth efriendlyuse ofth environmentwhileenyingtsseon enemy.erospaceontrolncludesll issionswhosebjectivesredesignedtoai nndmaintaincontrolfheerospacenvironment.ounterairmissionsarethosewhoseobjectiveisontroloftheair.he objectiveofcounterspace missionsis controlofspace.hesemissionscan befurtherdividedintooffensivean ddefensiveaerospace control. ffensiveaerospacecontroloperationsseekou tan dneutralizeor destroyenemyaerospaceforcesan dground-baseddefensesatat imeand placeofourchoosing.efen-siveerospaceontrolperationsetect,dentify,intercept,ndestroynemyerospaceorcest- temptingtoattackfriendlyforcesortopenetratetheaerospaceenvironmentabovefriendlysurfaceforces.(Refertovol.HessayL .)

b.orceapplicationbringsaerospace powerto beardirectlyagainstsurfacetargets.hi srolein-cludeshose issionsha tpplyombatoweragainsturfaceargetsexclusivefmissionswhoseobjectiveiserospaceontrol.hebjectiveofthestrategicattackmissionis todestroyor neutralizean enemy'swar-sustainingapabilitiesrwilloight.Interdictionelays,isrupts,iverts,restroysnenemy'smilitary potentialbeforeitcan bebroughtto bearagainstfriendlyforces.loseai rsupportdirect-lysupportsthesurfacecommanderby destroyingorneutralizingnemyorcesha trenroximityofriendlyforces. (Refert o v o l .I I ,essay L. )c.orcenhancementncreasesh ebilityofaerospacean dsurfaceforcesto perform theirmis-sions.irliftprojectspowerby transportingpeople and materiel rapidly without regard to surface

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obstacles.irefuelingncreaseshebilityfaircraftyxtendingheirange,ayload,ndn- durance.paceliftrojectsoweryransportingpeoplean dmaterieltoand throughspace.lectroniccombatontrolshelectromagneticpectrumy neutralizingrdestroyinghenemy'slectromag-neticapabilities.urveillancendeconnaissance providedataneededfo reffectivecombatoperations.(Refertovol.II ,essayL .)

d.orceupportmustustainperationsfaerospaceforcesar etobesuccessful.orcesper-formingheas eperabilityndefensemissiondefenderospacenstallationsromttack,elpaerospaceforcessurvivesuchattacks,an dreturnin-

stallationsoul lapabilityfterattacks.ogistics createsndsustainserospaceorces.hi smissioninvolvesal lsuchactivitiesexceptthosethatar epartofheombatupportmission.ombatupportprovides essentialservicestoaerospaceorganizationsan dheirpersonnelnperationalonditions.n- orbitsupportkeepsplatformsinspaceoperating as ef -fectivelyandefficientlyaspossible. (Referoo l.,essayL .)

SectionD TenetsofAerospace Power

2-5.erospace poweremployment is based on th eprinciplesfw arndh eenetsferospace

ROLESANDTYPICALMISSIONSOFAEROSPACEPOWER(Seenotesbelowandretertovol.II,essayL. )

ROLES AEROSPACECONTROL (Control theCombatEnvironment) FORCE APPLICATION(ApplyCombat)Power)

FORCEENHANCEMENT(Multiply CombatEffectiveness)

FORCESUPPORT (SustainForces)

TYPICAL MISSIONS

CounterairCounterspace

StrategicAttackInterdiction CloseAirSupport

AirliftAirRefuelingSpaceliftElectronic CombatSurveillanceandReconnaissanceSpecialOperations

BaseOperability andDefense LogisticsCombatSupportOn-OrbitSupport

NOTES:1. olean dmissionmatchupsare no texclusive.A strategicattack (e.g.,bombingan aircraftfactory) ca nbeavitalpartof the aerospacecontrolrole.2. he development of capabilitiesin spacedependson technologicaladvancementsan d nationalpolicy. 3.Aerospaceforces an dplatformsare notlimitedto particular rolesor missions.or example,heavy bombers ca nperform close ai rsupport, fighter-bombersca nattack strategictargets,an d specialoperationsforcescanperform a variety of rolesan d missions.

Figure2-1.

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power. Therinciplesfw ar ereresentednorces.Whilethe principlesofwarareguidelines thatchapter fig.-1). Thetenetsofaerospacepowerommandersof al ltypesoffereescan use toform and(fig.2-2)ar eimportantguidelinesan dconsiderationselect oursefction,heenetsferospacefo rcommandersinadditiontotheprinciplesofwar .owereflect orepecificnderstandingfhe Theseenetsescribeowerospaceowerca neerospacemediuman dcurrentaerospacecapabilities,usedtochievemilitarybjectives. TheyhighlightRefer to v o l .n, essayM . ) importantwaysaerospaceforcesdifferfromsurface

TENETSOFAEROSPACEPOWER(Refertovol.I,essayM.)

Central izedControl /Decentral ized ExecutionAerospaceforceshouldbecentrallyontrolledbyanairmantoachieveadvantageoussynergies,establisheffectivepriorities,capitalizeonuniquestrategicandoperationalflexibilities,ensureunityofpurpose,ndminimizehepotentialoronflictingobjectives.xecutionofaerospacemissionsshouldbedecentralizedtoachieveeffectivespansofcontrol,esponsive-ness,andtacticalflexibility.

Flexibility/Versatil ityTheuniqueflexibilityandversatilityofaerospacepowershouldbefullyusedandnotcom-promised.Theabilitytoconcentrateforceanywhereandattackanyfacetoftheenemy'spower isthe outstandingstrengthofaerospacepower.

PriorityEffectiveprioritiesfortheuseofaerospaceforcesflowfromaninformeddialoguebetweenthe jointor combinedcommander andtheaircomponentcommander.Theaircommandershouldassessthepossibleusesastotheirimportanceto(1)the war,(2)thecampaign,and(3 )thebat-tle.Air commandersshouldbealertforthe potentialdiversionofaerospaceforcestomissionsofmarginalimportance.

SynergyInternally,themissionsofaerospacepower,whenappliedincomprehensiveandmutuallysupportiveaircampaigns,produceeffectswellbeyondtheproportionofeachmission'sindividualcontributiontothe campaign.xternally,aerospaceoperationscanbeappliedincoordinatedjointcampaignswithsurfaceforces,eitherto enhance orbe enhancedby surfaceforces.

Balance Theaircommandershouldbalancecombatopportunity,necessity,effectiveness,andeffi-ciencyagainstthe associatedrisktofriendlyaerospaceresources.echnologicallysophisticatedaerospaceassetsarenotavailableinvastnumbersandcannotbe producedquickly.

ConcentrationAerospacepowerismosteffectivewhenitisfocusedinpurposeandnotneedlesslydis-persed.Persistence

Aerospacepowerhouldbeappliedpersistently.estroyedargetsmaybeebuiltbyresourcefulenemies.Aircommandersshouldplanfor restrikesagainstimportanttargets.Figure2-2.

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Chapter3

EmployingAerospaceForcesTheOperationalArt Ifweloseth ewarinth eair,weloseth ewar andloseit quickly.

Field MarshalMontgomery

1hi shapterdealswithmploymentfaerospace forcesattheoperationallevelofwar .tbuildsupontheuidanceresentednhapters nd.ac hstatement ithinhishaptermusteonsideredwithinthecontextofthepreviouschapters.fpar- ticular importanceis theprincipleoftheobjectivean dtheequiredinkageetweentrategicbjectives,operational(campaign) objectives,an dtacticalobjec-tives.hebjectivesherivingorceehind decisionsateachlevelofwarfare.ir power'sver- satility derivesfrom its ability toattack targetsaffect-ing eachlevelofwarfareatanytime.nthisregard,airpoweremploymentmay precedethercampaignefforts,orsurfaceforcesmay supportairforcesinajointampaign.hileowerfulynergiesanecreatedwhenerospace,and,ndavalorcesre employedinasingle,integratedcampaign,itispos-siblethataerospaceforcescanmakethemosteffec- tivecontributionwhentheyareemployed inparallelor relativelyindependentaerospacecampaigns.he primaryriterionoruc hhoiceshouldehe suitabilityoftheaerospacecampaigntofulfillthein-tentof theoperationalcommander.

Section AInfluenceson Campaign Employment

3-1 .irmenreesponsibleorh effectiveemploymentofaerospacepower.Airmen's special-izedompetencenhemilitaryxploitationftheaerospace medium is thebasisfo rtheirresponsibility.Theirresponsibilitybeginswiththeadvicethey pro-

videnwhaterospaceorcesreeededndhow theseforcesca ncontributetonationalobjectives.tcontinueswiththeemploymentofaerospaceforcesin aspecifictheater.nairman,actingasanai rcom-ponentommander,houldeesponsibleor employingllirndpacessetsnheheater.Basedon hi sknowledgeand experience, theai rcom-ponentcommandershould alsoproposecourses ofac -tiontothejointorcombinedcommander ,aswellas tothelandan dnavalcomponentcommanders,toen-sureha tontingencyperationsndheateram -paignserivehemaximumenefitromvailableaerospaceassets. (Refer t o v o l .I I , essayN . )

3-2.heresoniversalormulaorh eproperemploymentof aerospacepowerinacam-paign.heampaignbjective,ogetherwithts relationshipstostrategican d tacticalobjectives,istheparamountconsiderationinevery campaign.naddi-tiontothecontrollinginfluenceoftheobjective,op -timum us eofaerospace forces dependsuponahostofdynamicircumstanceseculiaroheonflictthand.rchestrationfaerospacemissionsntoneffectivecampaignintheac efpeculiarandoftenrapidlyhangingituationsomprisesheirman'soperationalart.everal(butno tall)ofthemostim -portantinfluencesareoutlinedbelow.Referov o l .n,essay N.)a. h enature ofth e enemyshouldbe aprimaryconsideration in campaigndecisions.he natureofthenemyefineshenemy'sentersfravity,howhenemywil light,ndhu shehreathe enemyosesohechievementffriendlybjec-tives.heseactorsffectheocusfacampaignandetermineerospacemissionpriorities. Under-

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Standing theenemyrequireseffective intelligenceor -ganizations,capabilities,and procedures.Refertov o l . II,essayN.)b.h eharacteristicsofaw arhouldhapecampaign decisions.Th especificcharacteristicsofawareterminewhatmissionshouldomprisehe campaign, how they must be executed,andhow muchfreedomofactionisavailableformilitaryoperations.(Referovol.II ,essaysEan dN.)c.h eaturendocationfh eheatergreatlyinfluencecampaigndecisions. eploymentrange,theaterinfrastructure,ndregionalgeography affecttherolefaerospaceforces,pecificallymis-sionequirementsndriorities andperationaltempo.Referto vol.D,essayN.)

d.lannershouldxamineheullangeofavailableirndpacessetsw h e nelectingth e systemsequiredochieveh ebjectiveofth e campaign.herowingcapabilitiesofspacessetscomplementnd ,nsomeases,mayubstituteor traditionalairandurface)apabilities.heom -binedemploymentfairndpacessetsrovidesgreaterflexibilityandredundancyntheonductoftheampaign.henemyayav eimilarflexibilityndredundancy,whichwouldurtherin-fluencethecampaign.Refert o v o l .U ,essayN.)e.h eversatility ofaerospacepowershouldbe ake yconsiderationin thedevelopmentofcoursesofaction.irmenhouldxamineowerospace forces employed independently, attacking an y facetoftheenemy's power,can contributetostrategicobjec- tives.he yhouldlsoxamineheontributionaerospaceforcesca nmakewhentheiremploymentis coordinatedwithsurfaceforces.hesynergiesfrom simultaneousxecutionfmultiple,omplementary coursesfctionhouldeceivearefulttention.(Refertovol.II ,essayN.)

SectionB AerospaceOperat ionalArt

3-3 .h essenceofaerospaceperationalrtsth eplanningan d employmentofai ran dspaceas -setsomaximizeheirontributionoh eom -batantcommander's intent. erospacepowermay be employed independentlyofor inconjunction withsurfaceoperations.heai rcomponentcommander'sexercisefoperationalrtinvolvesou rtasks.he firstisenvisioningthetheateran ddetermining whenandwhereopplywhatorcenoncertwithhe

combatantcommander.henextisreatingcondi-tionsthatgiveunitsapplyingforcethebestchanceofsuccess.hethirdisdirectingadjustmentstoopera-tionsnccordance ithmissionesultsndhe operationalcommander'srevisedintent.hefinalis exploitingtheftenfleetingopportunitiesthatresultfromcombat.neachtask,thekeytosuccessliesin an ai rcomponentcommander'sability toachieveob -jectivesby orchestratingaerospacerolesan d missionsso they producea mutually reinforcing effect.Refertovol.II, essayN.)

SectionC Orchestrat ingAerospaceRolesandMissions

ROLE TYPICALMISSIONS AEROSPACECONTROL (ControltheCombatEnvironment) CounterairCounterspace

3-4.erospaceontrolormallyhouldeh efirstpriorityofaerospaceforces.erospacecon-trolpermitserospacendsurfaceorcestooperatemoreeffectivelynddeniesthesedvantagesotheenemy.sheegreefontrolncreases,llaerospacendurfaceffortsai nffectiveness.Conversely,anyreductionincontrolthreatensevery mission,campaign,andtypeofforce.ontrolisan enablingmeansratherthananendinitself. (Refertovol.H,essayO.)

a.h eerospacemissionsmostirectlyn- volvednerospaceontrolreounterairnd counterspace.f,ow ,ndwhentheseroadmis-sions,whichhavemany offensiveanddefensivesub-sets,resedependspo nheituationtand.Otheraerospacemissionse.g.,trategicattack)ca ncontributedirectlytoaerospacecontrol.urfacefor-cesalsoca ncontributedirectly.or example,groundforcescan attack enemyairbasesanddefend friendlyair bases.Referto vol.D,essayO.)

b.bsolutecontrolofth environmentish eidealai m ofaerospacecontroloperations. irmenmustbeparticularlyawarethaterospaceontrolis generally amatterofdegree.bsolutecontroloftheair(airsupremacy)orofspaceis no tpossibleaslong

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astheenemy possessesanyaerospaceforcescapableofffectiventerference.hilestablishinghe desireddegreeofcontrol,effectivecoordination,in-tegration,regulation,andproperidentificationarees -sentialferospaceorcesreovoidratricide. (Refertovol.II ,essayO.) c.ffensiveountererospacectionsreusually ecessaryochieveufficienterospace control.ften,he os tffectivendfficientmethodorchievingheppropriateegreefaerospacecontrolistoattacktheenemy'saerospace assetsClosetOtheirSOUrce. (Refertov o l .I I , essayo. )

(1 ) ffensiveactionsshouldincludeattacks onenemywarningan dcontrolsystems.Warningan dcommandandcontrolsystemsareusually criticaltotheeffective operationofaerospaceforces.ffen-siveactionsshoulddeny theenemyaccesstosurveil-lance,econnaissance,ndntelligence-gathering systems.ffensivectionshouldlsopreventtheenemyromaunchingdditionalystems. (Referovol.II ,essayO.) (2 ) ffensiveactionsshouldincludeattacks onnemyasesndaunchacilities.erospaceforces can be mostvulnerablewhengroupedtogether onheurfacend ,hereossible,houldedestroyed orneutralizedthroughdestructionor denialOfcriticalfaculties. (Refertovol.II ,essayO.) (3 )ffensivectionshouldttacknemysurface-basederospacedefenses .roliferationofsophisticatedsurface-basedaerospace defensesmeansthat,evenwithoutaircraft,theenemymay beableto deny friendly forces an acceptable degree ofaerospace control.Refer to v o l . I I , essayo. )

(4 )ommandersshouldconsiderth eutilityofsurfaceorcesnupportofoffensivecounteraerospacections.urfaceorcesmayebleoseizenemynstallationsrisruptperationstenemybases,launchfaculties,an dsurfaceaerospace warning,control,an ddefensivefaculties.R e f e rt o v o l . II ,essayO. )

d.nmostircumstances,ommandersmustexecuteh e efensivecountererospacemission.Unlessthethreatfromenemyaerospaceforcesisin-significant,defensiveactionswillberequired. R e f e rtovol.II ,essayO.) (1 )h ecurrentituationmust ictateth elevelfmphas i snh eefensiveounteraerospacemission.Earlyin campaign,heremay beohoiceutomphasizeefensivemissions. (Refertovol.0,essayO.)

(2 )efensiveountererospacemissionsconcentratenefeatingh enemy'sffensiveplanndnnflicting nacceptablelossesnt- tackingenemyforces.Toachievea powerful defen-siveapability,erospaceorcesequireffectivewarning;ommand,ontrol,ndommunication systems;ndarefulntegrationfurface-baseddefensivecapabilities.(Refertov o l .n,essayo. )ROLE TYPICALMISSIONS FORCEAPPLICATION (ApplyCombatPower) StrategicAttackInterdiction CloseAir Support

3-5.Aerospaceforces ca nattackth efullspectrum ofenemycapabilities.Withtheappropriatedegree oferospaceontrol,erospaceorcesossesshe versatilityoeliverombatowernhenemy whenandwhereneededtoattainmilitaryobjectives atan ylevelofwar.nmostcases,combatpoweris increasedby theus eofprecisionweaponry,whichal -lows higherperationalempo,educesisk,nd decreasescollateraldamage.orcepplicationmis-sionsca nbeconductedindependentlyof ,inparallelwith,orinsupportofsurfaceoperations.hereareimportantsynergiesbetweenthemissionsof theforceapplication role. (Refertovol.H, essaysP an dQ.)a.trategicattacksshouldproduceeffectswellbeyondth eproport ionof effortexpendedintheirexecution. trategicattacksarecarriedou tagainstan enemy'sentersfgravityincludingommandele- ments,warroductionssets,ndupportingn- frastructure(forexample,energy,transportation,an dcommunicationassets).trategicttacksshouldbe designedtobe persistentandcoordinatedsoastoaf -fecttheenemy'sapabilityndpossiblyiswillowagewar.hus,trategicttackshouldaffecttheentirew areffortratherthan justasinglecampaignor aSinglebattle. (Refertovol.II ,essaysPan dR .)

(1 )trategicattacksar edefinedbyh eob -ject ivenotyh eeaponystemmployed, munitionused,or targetlocation.trategicattacks(whetherconventionalor nuclear)ca nmakevitalandattimesdecisivecontributionsingainingawar'sob -jectives.R e f e r tov o l . H ,essaysPa n d R.)

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(2 )trategiettackshould executedoachieve aximumestructionfh enemy'sabilitytowagewar.nadditiontothisdestruction,strategicttacksconductedattherighttime,place, an dntensity)an ,s econdaryffect,roduce shockha temoralizeshenemy'seadership,militaryorces,ndopulation,hu sffectinghe enemy'sdesiretowagewar.owever ,ademoraliz-ing psychologicalimpactca nbeanelusiveobjective.(Refertovol.II ,essaysPan dR .) (3 )recisioneaponryasreatlyn- hancedh efficiencyftrategicttack.eing abletohi ta precisetargetin thefirstattemptprovidestremendouseverage.tls oeducesheeedor largeexpendituresofairpowerandreducestherisk ofcollateraldamage.Refertov o l . n,essayp.)

(4 )h effectsofstrategicttacksm ay eincreasedwhenh eyrentegrated iththeraerospace forceapplication missions an d with sur-faceperationsoor m ynergisticampaign.Forexample,nterdictionfwarmaterielssmuchmoreffectivefheactoriesroducinghosematerielsaredestroyedor impairedthroughstrategicattacks.onversely,suchattacksca n be oflittleavailunlesssurfaceforcestakeadvantageofthesituation. (Referovol.U ,essayP .) (5 )nynemywithheapacityoethreatis likelyto havestrategicvulnerabilit iessus-ceptibleoirttack;iscerninghoseul- nerabilitiesisanairman'stask.vennationsthatpossessnosignificantindustrialbaseand relyon im -portedweaponrymay havevulnerableeadershiporeconomictargets,ports,rse alinesfcommunica-tion.nom eess-developedtates,ransportationan dommunicationetsmayerimitiverx- tremely resilient,an denemy command elements may bevery difficulttotarget.nsuchcases,strategicat-tacksmay notbeaseffective asagainstindustrializednations,butnonethelesswillhaveanimpactonwar-sustaining Capabilities. (Referto v o l . I I , essaysPa n d R.)

b.nterdictionndurfaceperationshouldbe plannedan d executed to complementan d rein-forceeachther.nterdictionisrupts,elays,rdestroysanenemy'smihtarypotentialbeforeitca nbe usedagainstfriendly forces.Aerospaceforcesca nbeeryffectiventtackinghe ovementnd supplyofan enemy'sforces.oachieveefficienciesandenhanceffectiveness,heircomponentom -mandershouldcontrolal lforcesperforminginterdic- tionndntegratenterdiction ithurfaceorceoperationstoachievethetheatercommander'sobjec- tives.Refer t o v o l .I I ,essayQ .)

(1 )Complementary employmentofinterdic-tionan dsurfacemaneuvershouldbedesignedto presenth enemy ith i lemma.ctualrthreatenedsurfacemaneuverca nforcenenemyorespondbyttemptingrapidmovementrresupply.Theseresponsesca n provideexcellentandvulnerable targetsforinterdictionefforts,reatinganagonizingdilemmaorhenemy.fthenemyttemptsocounterthesurfacemaneuver,hi sforceswillbeex-posedtounacceptablelossesfrominterdiction;if theenemyemploysmeasurestoreducesuchlosses,hi sforces il lotebl eoounterheurfacemaneuver.ainingmaximumdvantageromhe enemy'sdilemmadependsnthebilityffriendly surfaceorcestoexploittheenemy'sdelaynddis-ruption.Refertov o l . I I ,essayQ .)(2 )h edepthatwhichinterdictionisper-formedgenerallydetermines th efreedomofactionavailableoh ettackingorce.ncreasinghe depthofoperationsreducesheangeroffratricide fo rfriendlyai ran dsurfaceforces,reducesthecoordi-nationequiredetweenomponents,ndllowsincreasinglylexibleperations.hettacker'sn- creasedfreedomofactioncompoundsthedefender'sproblemyeavingoocationmmuneottack.(Refertovol.II,essay Q.)(3 )nterdictionm ayaveactical,pera-tional,or strategic-leveleffects.The depthatwhichinterdictionisconductedoftendeterminesthespeedwith hichtsffectsreeen.ependingnvariety offactors,suchasthenatureofenemyforcesan dcommunicationsinfrastructure,interdictiondeep intheenemy'srearwillhave broadoperationalor strategic-leveleffectbu t delayedeffectonsurfacecombat.uc hoperationalandstrategic-leveleffectsnormally wil lbeofgreatestconcernfromthetheaterperspective.ncontrast,argetslosertoheattlearelikelytobe ofmoreimmediateconcerntosurfacemaneuverunits.nterdictionclosetothebattlereawillroducemoreuicklyiscernibleesults,ut onlyon forcesin thevicinityoftheattacks.egard- lessfwhereinterdictionisperformed,irandsur-faceommandersogetherhouldonsiderow surfaceforcesca nbe employedtoenhancetheability ofairinterdictionoupportheampaign'sbjec-tives. (Refer t o v o l .I I ,essayQ .)

(4 )A ir interdiction'sabilityto delayan d dis-rupt ayav e evastatingmpactnh eenemy'splansan dabilityto respondto th eactionsofriendlyorces.elayrisruptionfenemy maneuvernhanceshebilityfriendlyurfaceforcesochieveperationalrtacticaldvantages. Delayrisruptionfenemyesupplyfforts,et

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alonedestructionofsuppliesandthemeanstomovethem,imitshenemy'sbilityoustainntense,high-tempoffensiverefensiveperationsnd restrictsthemobility ofhi sforces.Referto v o l .n, essayQ) (5 )nterdictioncanbenxtremelyffec-tivemeansor estroyingnemyurfaceorces.Enemy surfaceforcesthathavebeenfixedin placeortrappedyheos sfheirmobilityanrovide lucrativetargetsfo rai rinterdiction.nemyforcesat-temptingomoveapidlylsoremuchmoreul -nerabletodestructionby airinterdiction.Referto v o l . II ,essayQ.)(6 )ommandershould seinterdictionto enhancedestructionan dpursuitofenemyforces.Whilenterdictionanontributeouccessy hamperingeinforcementndesupply,tlsoan contributeyrappingnemyorcesrhanneling theirmaneuvers,hu sleadingtotheirdestructionin detail. (Referovol.D,essayQ .) c.loseirupportsh epplicationfaerospace forcesin supportofth e land componentcommander'sbjectives.incetrovidesirectsupporttofriendlyforcesin contact,closeai rsupportrequiresclosecoordinationfrom thetheaterandcom-ponentlevelstothetacticallevel ofoperations.loseai rsupportproducesthemostfocusedan dbriefestef -fectsofanyforceapplicationmission;onsequeny, closeirupportarelyreatesampaign-levelf- fects. lthough closeairsupportistheleastefficientapplication ofaerospaceforces,attimesitmay bethemostriticalby ensuringheuccessrsurvivalfsurfaceforces. irmenadvising surfacecommanders mustunderstandtheperationaldifficultiesincloseai rsupport,theimportanceofpromptexploitationby surfaceforces,andtherisksinvolvedfo rfriendlysur- faceand aerospace forces;al l ofwhich demandexact-ingcommandandcontrol.naircommandermustensureheseperationalimitationsreullyp- preciatedsothatcloseairsupportwil lbeperformedin ayha testupportsheombatantom -mander'sintentRefertov o l . n,essayQ . ) (1 )loseirupporthouldsuallyemassedopplyoncentratedombatower.Whenappliedinmass,closeairsupportha simmedi- atehysicalndsychologicalffectsnnemy capability.as salsocansaturateenemyaerospace defensesmakingheis korerospaceorceses sthanfthey eremployediecemealnermsftimeO rgeography. (Refertovol.II ,essayQ .) (2 )loseirupporthouldreateppor-tunities.loseai rsupportshouldpreparethecondi-tionsoruccessreinforceuccessfulttacksf

surfaceorces.loseirupportanelpreatebreakthroughs,overretreats,nduardlanks.neffect,loseirupportanrovidenothermaneuverlementormploymentnooperationwithsurfacecombatelements.loseai rsupportca nbemosteffectiveatdecisivepointsinabattle.R e f e rtovol.II ,essayQ.)(3 )Closeai rsupportshould be plannedan d controlledto reduceth eriskof friendlycasualties.Fratricideca n havea devastating impacton theability ofsurfaceforcestoexploitopportunitiesreatedby closeai rsupportinfutureaswellascurrentbattles.Fratricidealsoislikelytomakeaerospaceforcesex-cessively cautious,handicappingtheirability tocreateopportunitiesforsurfaceforces.Referov o l .,essayQ)

ROLE TYPICALMISSIONSFORCEENHANCEMENT(MultiplyCombatEffectiveness) AirliftAi rRefuelingSpaceliftElectronicCombatSurveillanceandReconnaissanceSpecialOperations

3-6.h eforceenhancement roleboth enablesan d improvesperat ionsferospacendurface forces.hemissionswithintheorceenhancementrolearevitaltoaerospaceandsurfacecampaigns.nsomesituations,forceenhancementmay be themajorcontributionerospaceorcesmakeo ampaign.(Refertovol.II ,essayS. )a.ufficientstrategicndheaterirliftmustbevailableoesponduicklyoorldwidethreats an d to sustaindeployed aerospacean dsur-faceforces.Whent imeisacriticalfactor,irliftis oftenhenlymeansftransportingorcesapidly enough tothepointofcrisis. irliftmay betheonly practicalmethodofsustaining thoseforceswithcriti-callyneeded suppliesan dequipment.naddition,air-liftmustbebleolandestinelynsertndxtractsmallnumbersofpersonnelindeniedterritory.Refertovol.II ,essayS. )(1 )irlift'seynhancementofth eam -paignisit sabilitytoplaceproperlyconcentrated combatforceswherean dwhenneeded.Aerospacepower'slexibilityllowstheommandertodeploy

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forceswithintheaterorromheUnited tatesnd Othertheaters.Refer to v o l .n, essayS . ) (2 )ecausetrategicndheaterirliftcapacitiesreinite,h eiromponentom -mandermustrecommendprioritiesfo rtheiruse.Strategicndheaterirliftmusteystematicallycoordinatedwitheachotherandwithothertranspor-tationmeansoachievetheproperconcentrationofaerospaceandsurfaceforcesatthe propertime.R e f e rtovol.II ,essayS. )

b.ufficientirefuelingapabilitymusteavailableoxploiterospaceower'sniqueflexibility.hebilityfaerospacepowertoon -centrateorcenywheregainstnyacetfhe enemy may epend on sufficient ir refueling capability. (Referto vol.II ,essayS. )

c.apid-responsespaceliftmustbe availableto emplaceand replacecriticalspaceassets.he US militaryreliesextensivelyonspacessetsformany criticalmissions.nacrisis,itmay benecessaryto concentrateassetsquickly.ailureoftheseassetsor theirdestructionbyenemyactioncouldleadtodis- astrousonsequencesnlessheyaneuickly replaced. (Refertovol.H,essayS. )

d.lectroniccombatmustbeintegratedwith othermissionsoeduceheangerserospaceandurfaceorcesacehilencreasingheir ability to accomplish campaign objectives.Aerospaceelectroniccombatassetshavea widerfieldofnfluencehanurface-basedssets.hus,aerospaceassetsarebestsuitedtocoordinate an dcon-troljointorcombinedelectroniccombatresources inamutallysupporting campaign.Refertov o l . n,essays.)

(1 )lectronicombat ,ik eerospaceon -trol,shouldbeemployedtogainaneededdegreeoffreedomofaction.ainingcontrolmayno tre-quirehysicalamage.lectronicombatsftenmostusefulwhenitiselective,ubtle,ndhardto detect. (Refertovol.U,essayS. )

(2 )lectronicombatmustespondoh echangingcombatenvironment .lectroniccombatmeasuresndountermeasuresanexpectedocausennemyesponse;ontinuedffectiveness dependsoninterweavingelectroniccombatactivitieswithappropriatesurveillance, reconnaissance, an din-telligenceefforts.Refertovol.II,essayS . )

e.urveillancendeconnaissanceus toperateogether,nablingommandersopreserve forces, achieve economies, an d ac -

complishcampaignobjectives.henproperlyin-tegrated,urveillancendeconnaissanceroducegreaterresultsthanthesumoftheirseparateefforts. Theituationalawarenessthatcomesromeffectivesurveillancendeconnaissancenablesheom -mandertoexploithepotentialfaerospaceorces.(Refertovol.H, essayS. )

(1 )urveillancemustbe designed to providewarningofenemynitiativesndhreatsndodetectchangesin enemyactivities. ir-an dspace- basedsurveillance assetsca n exploittheirelevation to detectenemyinitiativestlongrange,makingthem essentialoheecurityferospacendurfaceforces.Refertovol.II, essayS. )

(2 ) econnaissance mustrespondtosurveil- lancean d intelligencecuesto obtain detailedinfor-mation on mattersofparticular importance. initereconnaissancecapabilitiesmustbeusedcarefullyto gainanoptimumratherthanamaximumamountOf usefulinformation.Referto v o l .H ,essays. )

f.ftenAirForcespecialoperationsisan integralpart ofany unconventionalwarfare, directaction,spe-cialreconnaissance,rcounterterrorismmission.tmayehenlypracticalmethodfpenetratingrextractingaforcedeepinhostileor politicallysensi-tiveareas without detection.

(1 ) specialoperationsinfiltration/exfiltrationmissionisan integralpartof theoperationalplanandmusteailoredopecificallyupportroundrmaritimeorcectionsnthebjective,heroundreconnaissance planofaction,or unconventionalwar- faremovementsor resupply.he infiltration/exfiltra-tion missionplanis critically dependentupon detailedreal-time intelligenceandmusthavetheflexibility to adjusttohangesnheenemy'sirdefenserhi sdispositionin theobjectivearea.

(2 )ftenimesthermissionsmusten- tegratedtosupportaspecialoperationan dviceversa.Supportmay comefrom otherservices,aswellastheAirForce.hesemissionsmustbecoordinatedwithornderthecontrolofthejointspecialoperationsai rcomponentommanderJSOACC).fhepecialoperationis partofalargercontingencyoperationor conventionalaction,theJSOACC mustcoordinate hi sactionswithheighereveljointorcesirom -ponentcommander.hi scoordinationis particularly importantorpecialperationsnfiltrationrx- filtrationmissionshereailureoeconflictan causethelossofsurprisendmissionfailureintheobjectivearea.

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ROLE TYPICALMISSIONSFORCESUPPORT(SustainForces) BaseOperabil ityandDefenseLogisticsCombatSupportOn-OrbitSupport

3-7.h eforcesupportroleprovidesth eabilityto mount an d sustain aerospace operations.Aerospaceorcesependnurfaceases,equirelargemountsfonsumabletoresfood,ater,fuel,munitions),ndparticularlyependnighly technicalmaintenance,includingspares.naddition, airmenrequireat leastrudimentary humanservicesifthey areto function effectively.Referto v o l . n,essayT . ) a. iran dlaunchbaseoperabilityan ddefensemust emajorconsiderationsincampaignplan-ningan d execution.Basesar enaturaltargetsforany enemyse epara.-4c(2)).hebilitiesoprovideandefendheseasesndoesumeperations

quicklyafteranenemy attackar ecrucialtoaerospace operations.as edesign,operatingprocedures,man-ning,ndupplymusteccomplishedwithon -structioneasibilityndostattackperabilitysleading considerations.Referto v o l .n,essayT . ) b.ogisticalapabilitiesmust e esignedo

survivendperatenderttack;h ats,hey musteesignedorombatffectiveness,ot peacet ime efficiency. incethedawnofmilitary his-tory,ogisticalapabilitiesav eontrolledtheize,scope,pace,andeffectivenessofmilitaryoperations.Aerospaceogisticalapabilitiesrequallympor-tantan dequallylikelytobeprimetargetsfo rhostileattack. (Refertovol.II,essayT. )c.erospaceforcesmusthavecombatsupportto remain effectivefor extendedperiods.helack ofufficientombatupportanimitrreventoperationsentirely.etermining thenecessary mini- mumfcombatsupportis key employmentplan- ningconcern.Referto v o l .I I , essayT.)d. n-orbitsupportfo rspaceassetscan be cru-cialtocampaignsuccess.hegrowingimportanceofspacessetsnmilitaryperationsemandshe abilitytocontrol,repair,andotherwisesupporttheseassetsin a timely manner.Refertov o l . n,essayT . )

SectionD AIRMINDEDNESS

v_^hapteronediscussed warfareinbroad,traditionalterms.hapterstw oandthreepresented whatairmenhavelearnedaboutaerialwarfareduringitsshorthistory.ecausethathistorycomprisesonlyeightyyears,itisno tsurprising thattraditional,tw odimensionalsurfacewarfareconceptsdominatemilitary thinking.et, ifmilitary power(includingaerospacepower)istoreachitsfullpotential,al laspectsofwarfaremustbereexaminedfrom theaerialor threedimensionalperspective.hu sair leadershavestressed theimportanceofdeveloping an aerialmindset"airmindedness."

Figure3-1presentsan airman's reassessmentof theprinciplesofwar .hisviewpointisnot presented hereasdoctrine,althoughthereaderwil lfindai rdoctrinalprincipleslacedthroughout.atheritillustratesthemindsetairmenshoulddevelopastheythinkthroughtheirformofmilitary powerandthenapplytotheirprofessionofarms.

AnAirman'sView(Refertovol.II ,essayU.)

Object ive-Theobjectiveisawaysimportant,bu titisespeciallysoinaerospacewarfarebecauseoftherangeof optionsavailable.-Airmenarenotconstrainedtoachievingtacticalobjectivesasaprerequisitetoobtainingstrategic objectives.-Aerospaceforcescanpursuetactical,operational,orstrategicobjectivesorallthreeat the same time.

(Cont inuedon nex tpage)

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Offensive -Aerospaceforcesare inherentlyoffensiveevenwhendefending,theyattack.-Aggressivedefeatoftheenemy'saerospaceforcesstheairman'sfirstpriorityinwar-fareitmakesal lotheroperationspossible.Unityof Command -Unityofcommandsmportantforallforces,bu ttis riticaltoprudentemploymentof aerospace forces.-Aerospacepoweristheproductofmultipleaerospacecapabilities.entralizedcommandand controlis theke ytofusingthesecapabilities.-Themomentarymisapplicationofaerospaceforcesismuchmorelikelytohaveimmediatestrategic consequencesthanis thecase withsurface forces.Security-Theethalityofaerospaceforcesmakestheecurityoffriendlyforcesromenemyai rpower aparamount concern.-Securitymayrequiretheeliminationoftheenemy'saerospacecapabilities.Surprise-Surprisedependsoninitiativeandismademoreattainablebytheversatilityofaerospacepower.-Where,when,orhowanenemys truckselativelyndependentofwhereandhow aerospaceforcesarepostured.hoiceoftimeandplacealwaysrestswiththecommanderof superioraerospaceforces.-Comparedoandandeaorces,errainanddistanceareno tnhibitingactorsor aerospaceforces.-Surpriseisaerospacepower'sstrongestadvantage.Simplicity-Planning,ogistics,andadministrativeupportareomplexoral lypesofforcesbut,

generally,reessoorerospaceorcesomparedourfaceorcesossessingequivalentcombatpower.-Thefluid,featureless,boundlessnatureoftheaerospaceenvironmentmakestheexecu-tionof aerospaceoperationselegantlysimple compared to thatofsurface forces.Mass and Maneuver -Thepeedwithwhichaerospaceforcesmaneuverinhreedimensionsallowsthemtoachievemass faster thansurfaceforces.-Theommanderoforcesoperatingnhreedimensionsdoesno tacrificemaneuverwhenmassisachievedmassandmaneuvercanbe employedsimultaneously. -Theimultaneousmploymentofmassndaneuverbyaerospaceorces reates tremendousleverage whenappliedagainstsurface forces.EconomyofForce-tisronicthatthisprinciplewasowelldevelopedbeforetheadventofai rpower.tdescribesprecisely thegreatestvulnerabilityofaerospacepower.-Themisuseofaerospacepowerca nreduceits contributionmorethanenemyaction.-Becauseaerospacepowerisprecious,itmustbe conservedby caringandcompetentair-men.

Figure3- 1(cont'd) .16

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Chapter 4

PreparingtheAirForceforW arToereparedforwarsneofhemostffectualmeansofpreserving peace.

GeorgeWashington1heepartmentfheAirorcesssignedvarietyfrimaryndollateralunctionsnd responsibilities.hischapter,buildingupontheideaspresentedinthepreviouschapters,providesguidance on how theAir Forcemustorganize,train,an dequip its aerospace forces so thatit can carry ou tthesefunc- tionsand responsibilities.

SectionA Air ForceAerospacePower

4-1.h eA irForceshouldbeinth eforefrontofdeveloping an d exploiting aerospace power .Aerospaceorcesdirectlyassignedtosurfaceforceshavesurfacesupportmission prioritiesthat l imittheirabilityoexploittheul lcopefaerospacepera- tions.orxample, rm yndMarineerospace forcesar eorganizedan d designedtogivefirstpriority tommediatendloseupportfroundorces.Likewise,navalaerospaceorces,sapriority,sup- portfleetoperations.ncontrast,onlytheAirForceis charged withpreparing aerospaceforcesthatareor-ganized,rained,ndquippedoxploitully aerospacepower'slexibility andpotentialdecisive- ness.Referto v o l .U ,essayV.) a.h eA ir Forceshould be preparedto f ightas amemberfnnterdependentea mfand,naval,an daerospaceforces.hi sinterdependencedemandsttentionoointndombinedequire-mentswhenorganizing,training,ndequippingtheAirForce.Refertovol.II,essayV. )

b.ttainingh eullotentialferospace powerequires ontinuousearchoretterwaystoorganize,train,an dequipth eAirForce.Thesuccessofthissearchdependsonakeenaware-

nessofhowchangesinonearea(organization, train-ing,requipment)ftenequirehangesnnerbothofth eother areas.Refertovol.n, essayv.)

SectionB Organiz ing AirForce Aerospace Power

4-2.irForceelementshould eorganizedfo rwart imeffectivenessatherh aneacetimef- ficiency.Althoughpeacetimeefficienciesar ein con-stantemand,heyaneelf-defeatingfhe y hinderapidndffectiveransitionromeaceowar.Refertovol.II,essayW.)a.h eA irForceshouldorganizetomakefull,effective,ndoordinated seoftsotalorce.Reservean dNationalGuardforcescompriseamajorportionofAirForceaerospacepower .heeffectiveintegration of thetotalforcemusthavea high priority inAir Forceorganizationaldecisions.Referov o l . I ,essayW.)

b.rganizationaltructureshouldee- signedto exploitaerospacepower'sversatility an d tomakeaerospaceforcesresponsive,flexible,sur-vivable,ndustainable.hebilityose aerospaceorcesgainstnyevelfbjective,whether independently, insupportof,or supported by othercomponents,requiresorganizationsthatdono tconstrainmploymentoncepts.peednd flexibilityar erequiredif forcesaretocopewiththeunexpectednmodern,ast-pacedwarfare.urviv-ableforcesmustbeabletosustainthefightwiththeproperbalancefpeople,oncepts,ndequipment.Successinwardemandsaerospaceorganizations that

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effectivelyntegrateersonnelolicies,perationalan dlogisticalconcepts,an dequipmentrequirements. (Refertovol.I I ,essayW.)

(1 )irForceunitshould eorganizedobestarness eople,quipment ,ndperationalmethodsneffectivearrangementstoccomplishassignedmissions.issionuccess,speciallyoraerospaceorces,dependsonorganizationspossess- in glexibilityodaptoapidlyhangingir- cumstancesandtoexploitnew technicalcapabilities.Operationalffectivenessndurvivabihtyreey considerations.Refertov o l . I I , essayW.)(2 ) irForce nitshould erganizedoenhanceself-defense capabilitiesand self-sufficientoperations.Allunitsshouldprovideatleastlimitedprotectionfortheirpersonnelandresources.Withinabase,nitshoulderganizedorovidemutualsupport.Withinatheater,basesshouldbeorganizedfo rmutualsupport.othunitsandbasesshouldbe organizedoheyanperateutonomouslyor limitedperiods. (Refertovol.n, essayw.)(3 ) irForceforcesshouldbeorganizedto enhancecentralizedcontrolan ddecentralizedex -ecution.oxploithepeed,ange,lexibility,precision,an dlethalitythatmakeaerospaceforcesso versatile,theirorganizationmustmakeitpossible fo rmissionsoeentrallyontrolled.heeedorespondtoan dexploitunforeseeableeventsrequires thesesameforcestobecapableofdecentralized mis- sion execution.Refertov o l . n, essayW.)

SectionCTraining AirForce Aerospace Forces

4-3.eoplereh eecisiveactornwar.l- thoughairmentendtomphasizetheimportanceftheirquipment,owha tquipmentsse dthehumanfactor)isfarmoreimportant.AirForceper-sonnelmustbe encouragedtodevelopprofessionally to thefullextentof theircapabilitiesandallowed suf-ficientt imetopursuethatdevelopment.ul lprofes-sionalevelopmentequires alancefraining,education,xperience,ndpersonalffort. ( R e f e rovol.n,essayX.) a. rainingshould prepare aerospaceforcesforcombat .Trainingha slittlevalueunlessitisfocusedon theultimate purposeofaerospaceforcestofightan dwin.Refertovol.n, essayX.)

(1 )raininghouldbesealisticsos -sible.erospaceorcesmustrainsheylanofight.xercisesmustreplicatetotheextentpossible thehaos,tress,ntensity,empo,npredictability, andviolenceof war .urther,exercisesmustinclude"free-play"scenarios thatemphasize innovativeprob-lemolving,apidlyhangingituations,nd degradedcapabilities.xercisesthatfollowscriptedscenariostendtogivenimpressionofcompetencewhichmay wellmaskan inabilityto meettheexigen-ciesOf battle.Refertov o l . I I ,essayX.)(2 )ombaterformancearelyquals training performance.ven themostrealistictrain-in gcannotccuratelysimulateherigorsofcombat.Performancelmosturelywil luffer,teastni -tially,in Combat.Refer to v o l . I I , essayX . ) (3 )Trainingshouldbe rigorouslyevaluated.After-actionreportsromrainingexercisesmustbe completendccurate.ppropriaterganizations andproperly trainedstaffsmustanalyzean devaluatetheseeportsomproverganization,raining,nd equipment (Refertovol.n, essayX .)(4 )raininghouldeonductedorllformsndevelsfwar .rainingmustrepareforcestooperateeffectivelyinwar,regardlessofits form.hedemandsandcomplexitiesofthetactical,operational,ndstrategiclevelsofwarrequirecom-prehensivereparation.hisreparationmustn- cluderealisticand rigoroustrainingandfullanalysis. Aerospaceorcesmusteroficienttllevelsftheyreoesponduccessfullyomilitaryhal- lenges.Refert o v o l .n,essayX.)(5 )raininghouldalancelexibilitynd cost.lexibilityncreasessheumberfwell-trainedersonnelncreases.rovidinghorough training,speciallyoargeumbersfpersonnel,usuallyrequireslongperiodsoftimean dsignificant amountsofmoney.ufficientt imean dmoneymustberovidedferospaceorcesreoeruly flexible. (Refertovol.I I ,essayX.)(6 )pecialttentionhouldeivenotrainingforjoint an d combinedemployment .uc -cessinmodernwaroftendependsnheynergiesresultingromAirorceerospaceorcesworking closely withforces providedby theotherservices andby allies.heamountofemphasisgivento jointandcombinedrainingftenependsnhepecificcapabilitiesfaparticularerospacelatform.or example,AirForceunitspossessing assetswithsig-nificantrangendendurancereoftenthemostp-

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propriatefo rmaritimeoperations.Referto v o l .n,essayX . ) (7 ) irForcepersonnelprovidingtraining,advice,rtherormsfupportotherir forcesshouldfullynderstandth econtextwithinwhich th esupportis supplied.Toprovideeffective supportoriendsndllies,Aiiorceersonnelshouldnotonlyunderstandtheprecisenatureofthethreatbu talsoshould be abletoblend support intotheneedsndapabilitiesfheos tation.hesecapabilitiesequireha tAirForceersonnelnder-standheffectedocialndulturalnvironment(especiallylanguagerequirements),thetechnicalandprocedurallimitsofUSmilitarysystemswithinthatenvironment,andthepoliticalnatureof theobjective.(Refertovol.II ,essayG.)

b.rofessionalmilitaryducationhouldn- courageriticalnalyticalhought ,nnovative problemolving,ndoundrofessionaludg-ment.Anobjectiveapproachtotheproblemsofw arandpecializedompetencenheperationalnd strategicemploymentofaerospacepowershouldbe theproductofAirForceprofessionalmilitary educa-tion.uchanapproachisessentialtoexcellencein themilitaryart,totheabilitytoexploitfullythever-satilityofaerospacepower ,ndtothederivationofeffectiveoctrineromxperience.rofessionalmilitaryducationmuste areer-longrocess.(Refertovol.n,essayX.)

c.ommandersataUlevelsshould provideex -periencein bothdepthan dbreadthfo rtheirsub- ordinates.xperienceut srainingndducation intopractice,enhances judgment,and providesabaseofpracticalknowledgefo rlaterassumptionofseniorcommandndtaffresponsibilities. (Referoo l.,essayX.)d.veryirman,ofwhateverrank,should epersonallycommittedtomakingmaximumuseoftraining,educat ion,and experienceopportunities. Eachindividualmusttaketheinitiativetolearnan dunderstandsuchsossibleboutheom -plexitiesofwarfare.uc hpersonaleffortisthemarieoftheprofessionalndishekeytoheuccessfany irorcerofessionalevelopmentrogram.(Refertovol. ~ ,essay X.)e.veryfficercommissionedndoncom- missioned)houldmaketh eprofessionaldevelop- ment of subordinates a high-priority task.Painstakingreparationsequiredoustainhe quality ofAirForceleadershipin peacean dwar . ll officershouldeccountableorherofessional

development oftheirsubordinates.Refertovol.n,essayx. )SectionD

Equipping th e AirForce 4-4heA irForcehould lacearticularm -phasisnpower rojectionapabilitiesnquip-pingh eorce.heapabilitiesfbeingbleoconcentraterapidlyat any pointon or abovetheglobeandfeingbl eottacknyegmentfhe enemy'swar-makingapabilitymustereservedandexploitedthroughtheprocurementofappropriateequipment. (Refertovol.II ,essayY.) a.h eange,ndurance,ayload,recision,an durvivabilityofA irForceplatformsreke yfactorsinth eabilitytoprojectpowereffectively.Thenherenterformanceharacteristicsfero-spaceplatformsareenhancedby such measuresas ai rrefueling, precise weaponry, and self-protection.(Refertovol.II ,essayY. )b.quipmentshouldbe designedan dprocuredto minimize th e vulnerabilities ofaerospacepower.Designndrocurementecisionmakersmustay greatattention to thevulnerability ofplatformson thegroundsel lsnheerospacenvironment.Groundim eequiredor aintenance,efueling,rearming,rtherupportunctionsncreasesul -nerability.ngeneral,themoredependentaerospace platformsrepo nmainperatingasesrlaunchfacilities,hemorelucrativeargetshoseasesnd launchfacilitiesbecome. (Refertovol.II ,essayY. )

c. eliabilityan dmaintainabilityshouldplayacentralroleinequipmentprocurement ecisions. Theseconsiderationsarecrucialtocombatcapability andperationalupportability.mprovedreliability andmaintainabilityreducesmanpowerandoperatingandsupportcosts.ogisticrequirementsmustbemajorpartoftheprocurementprocessfrom its begin-ning. (Refer t o v o l .I I , essayY.)d.nteroperabilityhoulde ajoron -siderationnquipmentixndtructure decisions.ffectivejointndombinedperationsrequireunctionalndechnicalnteroperability amonghe ilitaryranchesndllies.nter-operabilitysspeciallymportantoheuccessfcloseirsupportndthermissionsha trenher-ently joint.Referto v o l .I I ,essayY.)

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e. Equipmentrocurementecisionshouldloiting the flexibility of aerospace power.balanceost and capability against numbers.apabilitiesandnumbers(qualityan dquantity)mustSophisticatedcapabilitiesusually havehighcostsandeppropriatelyalanced,asednurrentnd suchexpenselimitsthenumberofassetsthatca nberojected threats, employment concepts, andbought.umbersdocount,andthelackofadequaterojectedattrition.Refert o v o l .n,essayY . ) forceiz eanpreventheAirForceromullyx- B Y ORDER OFTHESECRETARYOFTHEAIR FORCE OFFICIAL ERRILL A. McPEAK ,General, USAF

ChiefofStaff

EDWARD A.PARDINI ,Colonel,USAFDirector ofInformationManagement SUMMARYOFCHANGESThismanualprovidesupdatedguidancetotheAirForcefo rpreparingandemployingaerospaceforces.tha sbeencompletelyreorganizedin tw ovolumes.olumeIisa quick-referenceguidecontaining only theoutlineofourbasicdoctrine.olumeII expandsuponthedoctrinalstatementsin volumeI,providingevidencein theform of documented essays.hus,understanding ofAir Forcedoctrinerequires thoroughstudyofvolumen.Withinolume,heoctrinesrganizednhapterssing uilding-blockpproachunderstandinghe doctrinerequiresthatthechaptersbereadin orderbecauseeachchapterlaysthefoundation fo rsucceedingchap-ters.hapter providesthecontextfo raerospacepowerby addressingthenatureofwarfare.hapters2and3representtheAirForce'sunderstandingofthenaturean duseofal lformsofaerospacepower .hapter4 con-cernsonly theAirForcean dfocuseson its assigned roleoforganizing,training,and equippingaerospaceforces.

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