Distinguishing Space Power from Air Power: Implications for the Space Force Debate

Distinguishing Space Power from Air Power: Implications for the Space Force Debate PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 65

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Book Description
Air Force General Charles Chuck Horner, former commander of U.S. Space Command, advocates the creation of an independent Space Force, separate from the Air Force. Justifications for such a change depend in large measure on whether space power can provide a way of fighting and winning wars distinct from that provided by the other services. An important aspect of this issue is whether differences between air power and space power suggest a rationale for a separate and independent Space Force. It has been said that space is at a crossroads. 2 We cannot afford to wait for the next war to show us if space power will, as air power did, revolutionize the conduct of warfare. We cannot make such a decision based on vague allegories to the air power debate. A more rigorous approach is required. This paper sheds light on this question from the perspective of doctrine and theory and seeks to suggest the next steps in keeping the U.S. approach to space from being too badly wrong. 3 This research project critically compares air and space power in order to discern whether the differences between air and space power suggest a paradigm shift in the way wars will be fought. As a foundation for comparison, air and space power are exposed in terms of features of the mediums, characteristics of the forces, and tenets of employing forces in each medium. The resulting expositions of air and space power are compared, extracting and evaluating the key differences. These differences are then explored to determine if a new paradigm of warfighting is emerging. Finally, the differences between air and space power and their implications for warfighting are examined with respect to the need for a separate and independent Space Force. The finding of this project was that air and space power are indeed different, but not so fundamentally so that the creation of a separate Space Force is mandated.

Distinguishing Space Power from Air Power: Implications for the Space Force Debate

Distinguishing Space Power from Air Power: Implications for the Space Force Debate PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 65

Get Book Here

Book Description
Air Force General Charles Chuck Horner, former commander of U.S. Space Command, advocates the creation of an independent Space Force, separate from the Air Force. Justifications for such a change depend in large measure on whether space power can provide a way of fighting and winning wars distinct from that provided by the other services. An important aspect of this issue is whether differences between air power and space power suggest a rationale for a separate and independent Space Force. It has been said that space is at a crossroads. 2 We cannot afford to wait for the next war to show us if space power will, as air power did, revolutionize the conduct of warfare. We cannot make such a decision based on vague allegories to the air power debate. A more rigorous approach is required. This paper sheds light on this question from the perspective of doctrine and theory and seeks to suggest the next steps in keeping the U.S. approach to space from being too badly wrong. 3 This research project critically compares air and space power in order to discern whether the differences between air and space power suggest a paradigm shift in the way wars will be fought. As a foundation for comparison, air and space power are exposed in terms of features of the mediums, characteristics of the forces, and tenets of employing forces in each medium. The resulting expositions of air and space power are compared, extracting and evaluating the key differences. These differences are then explored to determine if a new paradigm of warfighting is emerging. Finally, the differences between air and space power and their implications for warfighting are examined with respect to the need for a separate and independent Space Force. The finding of this project was that air and space power are indeed different, but not so fundamentally so that the creation of a separate Space Force is mandated.

Space Capstone Publication Spacepower

Space Capstone Publication Spacepower PDF Author: Us Government United States Space Force
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
This book, Space Capstone Publication Spacepower: Doctrine for Space Forces, is capstone doctrine for the United States Space Force and represents our Service's first articulation of an independent theory of spacepower. This publication answers why spacepower is vital for our Nation, how military spacepower is employed, who military space forces are, and what military space forces value. In short, this capstone document is the foundation of our professional body of knowledge as we forge an independent military Service committed to space operations. Like all doctrine, the SCP remains subject to the policies and strategies that govern its employment. Military spacepower has deterrent and coercive capacities - it provides independent options for National and Joint leadership but achieves its greatest potential when integrated with other forms of military power. As we grow spacepower theory and doctrine, we must do so in a way that fosters greater integration with the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. It is only by achieving true integration and interdependence that we can hope to unlock spacepower's full potential.

Australian Perspectives on Global Air and Space Power

Australian Perspectives on Global Air and Space Power PDF Author: Nicole Townsend
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000844803
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 229

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Book Description
This book surveys historical and emerging global air and space power issues and provides a multidisciplinary understanding of the application of air and space power in the past and present, while exploring potential future challenges that global air forces may face. Bringing together leading and emerging academics, professionals, and military personnel from Australia within the field of air and space power, this edited collection traces the evolution of technological innovations, as well as the ethical and cultural frameworks which have informed the development of air and space power in the 20th and 21st centuries, and contemplates the future. It covers topics such as the insurgents' use of drones, the ethics of air strikes, the privatisation of air power, the historical trajectory of air power strategy, and the sociological implications of an ‘air force’ identity. While many of the chapters use Australian-based case studies for their analysis, they have broader applicability to a global readership, and several chapters examine other nations’ experiences, including those of the United States and the United Kingdom. This accessible, illuminating book is an important addition to contemporary air and space power literature, and will be of great interest to students and scholars of air and space power, air warfare, military and international history, defence studies, and contemporary strategic studies, as well as military professionals.

Toward an Air and Space Force: Can We Get There From Here? Naval Aviation and the Implications for Space Power

Toward an Air and Space Force: Can We Get There From Here? Naval Aviation and the Implications for Space Power PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 107

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Book Description
The Air Force and Air Force Space Command need an official implementation plan to integrate space into air operations or it might founder in this third attempt to transition to an air and space force. The historical precedent established during the integration of aviation into the U.S. Navy from 1921 to 1941 suggests five policy areas essential to successful integration. The Air Force has initiated several excellent programs to increase the knowledge and understanding of space operations in the flying community by incorporating space capabilities and products into air operations, Professional Military Education, and field exercises. Including space power in war games is also promoting understanding and creating an environment for innovation. The Air Force is on the verge of a bitter debate over the funding priorities between combat aircraft; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft; unmanned aerial vehicles; and space systems. From this debate, the Air Force must establish priorities. While space operations officers have earned the highest ranks in the Air Force, but they are under-represented in command positions. Providing opportunities for space operators to experience air operations will cultivate air and space officers to employ the air and space force. The Air Force can benefit from this historical analogy by recognizing integration is more than the acquisition of weapons and combat capabilities. Integration relies on a powerful human component which will ultimately determine the success or failure of the endeavor.

A Separate Space Force: an 80-Year-Old Argument

A Separate Space Force: an 80-Year-Old Argument PDF Author: Chaplain Colonel Usaf Mi Whittington
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781479381821
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 26

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Book Description
Since the end of the Gulf War, the debate over whether there should be a separate space service, equal with the Air Force, Army, and Navy, has grown in proportion to the indispensable value of space operations to our nation's defense. Increasing dependency on space-systems is a fact of military life. In this we-documented essay, Col. Michael C. Whittington compares the leading arguments for a separate space force to the cogent arguments for an independent air force made by airpower advocates during the interwar years of 1920-1940. The airpower issues in 1920 and the space power issues of today are strikingly similar, revolving around four key issues: leadership, doctrine, technology, and funding. The irony, or course, it that these arguments, which helped created an independent air force in 1947, are challenged by many within today's Air Force leadership, which leads Colonel Whittington to ask, "if there were cogent in 1920, would they not be relevant today?" Interestingly, the author, though a professional Air Force officer, is neither a space operators nor a pilot. Colonel Whittington's purpose is not to propose a separate space force but rather to provide the reader with an unbiased perspective of the arguments for and against. Though all agree that aerospace power is at a critical juncture, senior leaders are divided as to which direction the Air Force should pursue regarding space. Space separatists want space warfare freed from control of "air" commanders, argue that space power doctrine cannot be built upon airpower doctrine, contend that space is a wholly different technological medium, and want to free space funding from competition with Air Force fighter and bomber programs. Whichever road is taken - whether a separate space force or an Air Force with a greater emphasis in space - the shift from an airpower to a space power culture is inevitable. And, when this shift occurs, the author argues, the Air Force "would do well to remember its own history."

Space Warfare and Defense

Space Warfare and Defense PDF Author: Bert Chapman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 159884007X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description
This timely resource provides a history of the development of space weapons and warfare strategies and a comprehensive reference guide to the growing literature on the subject. Space Warfare and Defense: A Historical Encyclopedia and Research Guide provides comprehensive coverage of the development of space as a possible arena for warfare, exploring the military uses of space—past, present, and future—and specific details of actual space weapons systems. The encyclopedia spans the breadth of U.S. military space policy; comparable programs in the Soviet Union, China, and the European Union; and the full array of international agreements designed to regulate the military uses of space. In addition, the encyclopedia includes an extensive reference guide (nearly 40 percent of the book) directing readers to the essential literature on space weapons and defense systems produced by the United States, other governments, research institutions, and additional sources. At a time when space is becoming an increasingly important place of military competition and potential conflict, Space Warfare and Defense dispels the myths and examines the realities of what may become humanity's ultimate battlefield.

Whither Space Power?

Whither Space Power? PDF Author: Simon P. Worden
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781410219800
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
The influence of space power pervades almost every sphere and level of human existence, from politics to military affairs to commercial activities to cultural mind-sets. Yet there is little to be found today in the way of coherent space power doctrine and strategy, particularly in national security circles. To what extent do our national interests rely on space? How shall we defend our interests in space and how shall we deny our adversaries the benefits of space power in time of conflict? How can we control and exploit the space environment? How can we effectively wield space power against the full spectrum of threats -- from the lone terrorist to global peer competitors? What should be our long-range strategy and objectives if our goal is to achieve and maintain long-term space superiority? The purpose of this paper is two fold: first, to illuminate the historical and ever-increasing importance of space in modern society; and second, to prescribe, in view of this importance, the foundations of a strategy for achieving lasting space superiority and ensuring national and world security.

Toward an Air and Space Force

Toward an Air and Space Force PDF Author: Mark P. Jelonek
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
"CADRE Papers are occasional publications sponsored by the Airpower Research Institute of Air University's College of Air Research Doctrine and Education (CADRE). Dedicated to promoting understanding of air and space power theory and application, these studies are published by the Air University Press and are broadly distributed to the US Air Force, the Department of Defense and other governmental organizations, leading scholars, selected institutions of higher learning, public policy institutes and the media."--p.iii.

Understanding Contemporary Air Power

Understanding Contemporary Air Power PDF Author: Viktoriya Fedorchak
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429686153
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
This book aims to explain air power to both military and civilian audiences in an accessible manner, approaching the topic in a balanced and systematic way. The past 100 years illustrates that air power is an inevitable feature of any type of modern warfare. It has a key role to play in any of the three main operational environments: conventional (inter-state) wars, peace-support operations, and counterinsurgencies. This book examines the strengths and challenges of using air power in these situations, and each type of operation is explained using modern and historical examples, with an emphasis on the relevant lessons for the contemporary and future use of air power. The book also looks into the complexity of media coverage of air warfare and changes in the public perception of air power in recent years. The specifics of structuring national air forces is also discussed, along with the future of air power based on current trends. One of the enduring themes in the book is the necessity of inter-service and cross-domain integration, emphasizing the increasingly important role of cyber and space domains in the future of network-centric warfare. This book will be essential reading for students of air power and air warfare, and recommended reading for students of international security, strategic studies, defence studies, and foreign policy.

A Separate Space Force

A Separate Space Force PDF Author: Michael C. Whittington
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 19

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Book Description
The end of the Gulf War, the debate over whether there should be a separate space service, equal with the Air Force, Army, and Navy, has grown in proportion to the indispensable value of space operations to our nation2s defense. Increasing dependency on space-systems is a fact of military life. In this well-documented essay, Col Michael C. Whittington compares the leading arguments for a separate space force to the cogent arguments for an independent air force made by airpower advocates during the interwar years of 192061940. The airpower issues in 1920 and the space power issues of today are strikingly similar, revolving around four key issues: leadership, doc-trine, technology, and funding. The irony, of course, is that these arguments, which helped create an independent air force in 1947, are challenged by many within today2s Air Force leadership, which leads Colonel Whittington to ask, 3If they were cogent in 1920, would they not be relevant today?4.