AIR POWER

Centennial of Air Power

 Use of Mil Aircraft
The mil use of aircraft was made even
before World War I when the concept of
air power was in the incipient stage….
 During the war between Turkey and
Italy in Libya in 1911, airplane was used
for the first time in combat:
Observation, Air Defence, Air
Superiority, Transport, Ground
Attack,Bombing.
The concept of Air Power was in
incipient stage because of two
reasons:
(1) The effects of Technology.
(2) The actions of Pilots.
 British Army’s Book of Doctrine

“Air Power has a vital role to play in

modern warfare and will have a decisive
influence on the outcome of any conflict.
The principles of air power and the
various tasks of the Air Forces must,
therefore, be understood by all Ground
Force Commanders.”
 Sequence of Presentation

 Definition of Air Power.

 Concept of Air Power.
 Strategic Nature of Air Power.
 Air Power and Surface Forces.
 The Future of Air Power.
 Ten Propositions regarding Air Power.
What Air Power Means….

 70% of the earth is sea;

 30% of it is land;

 100% is sky.
 H.G. Wells

“In the air there are no streets, no

channels, no point where one can say an
antagonist; If he wants to reach my
capital he must come by here. In the air,
all directions lead everywhere.”

- Novelist H.G.Wells
Contemporary definition of Air Power

Air Power is the ability to project

military force in air or space by
or from a platform or missile
operating above the surface of
the earth.
 The element, which distinguishes Air
Power from Land or Sea Power….

The air or space

above the earth is
Elevation
exploited to
Perspective advantage, that is
for:
 Manoeuvre
Range
 Deployment
 Concealment
Speed  Surprise
The Definition of Air Power recognizes
two additional Qualities

• First: it has a latent impact.

• Second:
It may apply force directly or,
It may distribute force or,
It may amplify force.

Elevation
Perspective
Range
The Concept of Air Superiority

 Pre-supposes the
Concept of Con of
the Air.
 Julian Corbett

 Theoretically, the expression “The Control

of the Air” relates to a kind of borrowing
from Sir Julian Corbett, the naval theorist’s
assertion of “Control of the Sea Lines of
Communication.
 Air Superiority is a Necessity….….

 No country has won a war in

the face of en air superiority.
 No maj offensive has
succeeded against the en
who con the air.
 No def has sustained against
an en who had air superiority.

 Attainment of air superiority is a prelude

to mil victory.
To be Superior in the Air, means….

 Having sufficient con of

the air.
 Free from danger of
serious en incursions.
 Within this cat of air
superiority, there are
variations.
The Terminologies in current use...

 Air Parity.

 Favourable Air Sit.

 Air Superiority.

 Air Supremacy.

 Comd of the Air.

The Terminologies in current use...

 Air Parity : It means that neither

side has won sufficient con of the
air to op without great danger.

 Favourable Air Sit : That condition

in which the en is unable to interfere
eff with friendly land, sea or air op.
 The Terminologies in current use...

 Air Superiority : That degree of dominance

in the air battle of one force over another
which permits the conduct of op by the
former and its related land , sea and air
forces at a given time and place without
prohibitive interference by the opposing
force.
The Terminologies in current use...

 Air Supremacy : That degree of air

superiority wherein opposing forces
are incapable of eff interference.

 Comd of the Air : Absolute con of

the air in a specific theater of ops.
 Alfred Thayer Mahan

 In a way, Air Power Theorists are greatly indebted to

this naval officer for intruding upon their imagination.
Control of the Air

 Air Parity.

 Favourable Air Sit.

 Air Superiority.

 Air Supremacy.

 Comd of the Air.

Air Superiority Missions……..

Air Superiority

Counter Air Ops

Offensive Defensive
Counter Air Ops Counter Air Ops
 Gaining of Con of the Air

It is only the Air Force of a country

that can gain Air Superiority by
fighting the en Air Force.

TRUE FALSE
 Lessons from History….

 Air superiority has to be fought for, and a

specific campaign waged to ensure its success.

 Air Forces can’t sp the land battle eff

without first achieving air superiority.
 Lessons from History
 The eff of grd forces is markedly enhanced when sp by air
power.

 In a gen hostile sit, it is nevertheless,

poss to achieve a local favourable air
sit, and local air superiority.
The Strategic Nature of Air Power…

 Air war reqr broad, strat thinking.

The mil comd must view war in
totality.
 Air power has great strat
capabilities as a non-lethal
force.
 Greater reliance on airlift, both
for force projection and
humanitarian assistance.
 The imp of strat air power to our
international sy is increasing.
 Omar Bradley

“Air Power has become predominant,

both as deterrent to war, and - in the
eventuality of war - as the devastating
force to destroy an en’s potential and
fatally undermine his will
to wage war.”

- General Omar Bradley

Air Power and Surface Forces

 Sp to the Land Forces by

Air Power, is called Air Land

Battle.

 Characterised by the use of

manoeuvre to fight rather
than Positional Defence.
 What the Army Comd needs in an intense war….

 Fire Power to stop the en advance of armr and inf.

 Elimination of the en’s fire power directed at his force.
 Fire power to regain territory lost.
 Reserve of fire power to compensate for losses, reversals and surprise
attks.

 Air power can provide all of these.

 Mikhail Tukhachevski

“Air Power should be emp against the

tgts beyond the range of inf, arty, and
other arms. For maximum tac eff aircraft
should be emp in mass, concentrated in
time and space, against the tgts of
highest tac imp.”

- Soviet Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevski

 Deep Battle
Interdict
Air Superiority Delay
Disrupt
Attk to Strip Divert
En of Initiative DEEP
DEEP Halt

X XX
X X
XX

Decisive
Engagement CLOSE
CLOSE

REAR
REAR
 Deep battle is best conducted….

Air Land Battle

Interdiction Close Air Sp

• Aims at en’s rear • Attk en troops
echelon forces and lines directly in the front.
of comm.

• Both are augmentative to land battle

Maritime Air Operations

 Sp of Naval Forces from

the air.

 Neutralisation of en’s

air capability.

 Maint of Air Superiority.

 Lord Tedder

“Despite her inferior naval strength,

Germany was now able to contest
seriously our exercise of sea power;
given her air superiority, air forces were
now clearly able to take an eff hand in
securing command at sea.”

- Marshal of RAF Lord Tedder

The Future of Air Power

 Information.
 Command and
Control.
 Command and Control
UAV
SATELLITE Shooters
RIVET JOINT Sensors
CA/INT
JSTARS AWACS
U2-R
CAS
ABCCC

JTF AFAC
ARFOR
Taskers
TACP
HQ
DISN
CRE
Reachback
IN, WX
AOC
Support CRC

MARFOR WING
ASOC ALCC
NCTS-A
Air Component NAVY
CORPS Headquarters NAVFOR
TOC Planners
The Future of Air Power

 Information.
 Command and
Control.
 Stealth.
The Future of Air Power

 Information.
 Command and
Control.
 Stealth.
 Precision.
 Shaun Clarke’s Book

“In the past decade, the emergence of highly eff

and inexpensive Precision Guided Munitions has
demolished the barrier of mass. Precision weapons
make ac exponentially more eff than they used to
be. Small nations now can ‘Punch above their
weight’. As a consequence, these air forces,
despite their size, can now play a far greater role
and thus obtain better status at the defence
table.”

- Shaun Clarke
 Stealth

 Stealth has reinstated surprise to Air War.

 Precision has Lowered the no of Sorties

Doumer
Vietnam: 5 bridges
11 years

Kakhu

Desert Storm:
72 bridges
6 weeks
Penetration has made all Tgt Vulnerable

Germany, 1945 Desert Storm, 1991

Ten Propositions regarding Air Power

 Whoever con the air gen con the surface.

 Air power is an inherently strat force.
 Air power is primarily an offensive wpn.
 Air power is tgt; tgt is int; and int is analysing the
centers of gravity.
 Air power produces physical and psychological
shock by dominating the fourth dimension.
 Ten Propositions regarding Air Power

 Air power can simultaneously conduct parallel op at

all lvl of war.
 Precision wpns have redefined the meaning of mass.
 Air power’s unique characteristics reqr centrallised
con by airmen.
 Tech and air power are synergistically related.
 Air power incl not only mil assets, but also aerospace
industry and commercial aviation.
 When
the enemy
arrives with a
stronger
Air Power
at our doorsteps,
at the end,
we are all
dead.
 Joint
Joint Aspects
Aspects of
of Air
Air
Power
Power Module
Module

 Defense Org.
 Principles of Air Power
and Strat.
 Air Power Roles.
 Air Warfare Centre Team
Presentations.
Air Power Roles

 Air
Air Defence
Defence
 Air
Air Recce
Recce
 OAS
OAS to
to Land
Land Battle
Battle
 Maritime
Maritime Air
Air Ops
Ops
 Helicopter
Helicopter Ops
Ops
 Air
Air Transport
Transport Ops
Ops
 Air
Air Sp
Sp in
in CI
CI Ops
Ops
 Joint
Joint Aspects
Aspects of
of Air
Air
Power
Power Module
Module

 Defense Organization.
 Principles of Air Power
and Strat.
 Air Power Roles.
 Air Warfare Centre Team
Presentations.