Organizing, Training, and Equipping the Air Force for Crises and Lesser Conflicts

Organizing, Training, and Equipping the Air Force for Crises and Lesser Conflicts PDF Author: Carl H. Builder
Publisher: RAND Corporation
ISBN: 9780833023209
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Operations short of war, one of three basic responsibilities of the U.S. armed services, are increasingly consuming the attention and resources of U.S. military forces around the world, in such places as Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti, Rwanda, and Kuwait. The most stressing of these operations are nonroutine international crises and conflicts, particularly those that might lead to U.S. combat operations short of war. These situations have, at times and for some specialized capabilities, stressed the forces to exhaustion or failure. More generally, they have encroached upon the training and readiness of the forces, leading to a public debate as to whether such assignments are a "proper" use of U.S. military power. This report explores where, why, and how operations short of war are stressing the forces, particularly the aerospace forces, and how those stresses upon USAF capabilities might be relieved by changes in Air Force organization, training, and equipment.

Organizing, Training, and Equipping the Air Force for Crises and Lesser Conflicts

Organizing, Training, and Equipping the Air Force for Crises and Lesser Conflicts PDF Author: Carl H. Builder
Publisher: RAND Corporation
ISBN: 9780833023209
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Operations short of war, one of three basic responsibilities of the U.S. armed services, are increasingly consuming the attention and resources of U.S. military forces around the world, in such places as Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti, Rwanda, and Kuwait. The most stressing of these operations are nonroutine international crises and conflicts, particularly those that might lead to U.S. combat operations short of war. These situations have, at times and for some specialized capabilities, stressed the forces to exhaustion or failure. More generally, they have encroached upon the training and readiness of the forces, leading to a public debate as to whether such assignments are a "proper" use of U.S. military power. This report explores where, why, and how operations short of war are stressing the forces, particularly the aerospace forces, and how those stresses upon USAF capabilities might be relieved by changes in Air Force organization, training, and equipment.

An Air Force for Crises and Lesser Conflicts

An Air Force for Crises and Lesser Conflicts PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Military policy
Languages : en
Pages : 2

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Book Description


European Approaches to Crisis Management

European Approaches to Crisis Management PDF Author: Knud Erik Jørgensen
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004639004
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
This book presents an up-to-date, scholarly analysis of European crisis management during the 1990s and is one of the first books to summarize European experiences in the field of peacekeeping and crisis management. With the help of eight case studies, the authors explore how European governments have responded to international crises. The book also contains in-depth studies on key concepts like humanitarian intervention, military doctrine and Petersberg tasks. The book describes Europe's increasing responsibility for the proper functioning of international society. It points to a pronounced move to collective action and highlights Europe's political and military adaptation to the post-Cold War strategic environment. The authors detect an ever stronger belief in the use of military power and thereby the contours of an emerging common European identity within the field of crisis management. The book establishes an agenda for future research on European crisis management and out-of-area operations. It will be of prime interest to students of international relations, European studies, foreign policy analysis, international organization, crisis management and conflict resolution, and will also be essential reading for all those who need a practical survey of the latest developments in the field of international crisis management.

The RAF and Tribal Control

The RAF and Tribal Control PDF Author: Richard D. Newton
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700628711
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
In light of technological advances and multiplying irregular conflicts, conventional wisdom suggests airpower as the ideal, low-cost means of conducting modern warfare—and the air control method adopted by the British between the two world wars seems to back this up. Swift and precise targeting from above was considered more humane, after all, sparing civilians as well as British soldiers during punitive expeditions in unruly colonial regions. But what conventional wisdom misses, and this book makes clear, is how the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) innovative approach actually worked—relying on British airmen on the ground at least as much as on airborne technology to control restive tribes and villages. The RAF and Tribal Control tells the story of these forgotten airmen, the RAF special service officers who, embedded among local populations and indigenous tribes, collected vital intelligence, developed targets, directed air strikes when necessary, and, perhaps most important, provided personal assessments of airpower’s qualitative effects against primarily guerrilla forces. Airpower is a highly technological endeavor. But in wars where the human dimension takes primacy, Richard Newton reminds us that measuring the effectiveness of air actions requires a qualitative approach that is nearly impossible via overhead sensors. And this is where the RAF special service officers came in—airmen who understood the local cultures and peoples, they served as conduits for information and communication between the colonial administration and the tribes and villages. It was their ground-level contributions that made the integration of airpower into the civilian administration of colonies and mandates possible. This first in-depth account of the RAF special service officers’ role brings to light previously unpublished insights. The RAF and Tribal Control fills a significant gap in the history of air warfare. In doing so, the book dispels the notion that airpower alone is effective in small wars and irregular conflicts—and reveals the importance of the “boots-on-the-ground” human component in waging unconventional air warfare, both in the days of the RAF’s vaunted air control and in our own time.

Air University Library Index to Military Periodicals

Air University Library Index to Military Periodicals PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 502

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Book Description


Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict

Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict PDF Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0123739853
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2767

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Book Description
The 2nd edition of Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict provides timely and useful information about antagonism and reconciliation in all contexts of public and personal life. Building on the highly-regarded 1st edition (1999), and publishing at a time of seemingly inexorably increasing conflict and violent behaviour the world over, the Encyclopedia is an essential reference for students and scholars working in the field of peace and conflict resolution studies, and for those seeking to explore alternatives to violence and share visions and strategies for social justice and social change. Covering topics as diverse as Arms Control, Peace Movements, Child Abuse, Folklore, Terrorism and Political Assassinations, the Encyclopedia comprehensively addresses an extensive information area in 225 multi-disciplinary, cross-referenced and authoritatively authored articles. In his Preface to the 1st edition, Editor-in-Chief Lester Kurtz wrote: "The problem of violence poses such a monumental challenge at the end of the 20th century that it is surprising we have addressed it so inadequately. We have not made much progress in learning how to cooperate with one another more effectively or how to conduct our conflicts more peacefully. Instead, we have increased the lethality of our combat through revolutions in weapons technology and military training. The Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict is designed to help us to take stock of our knowledge concerning these crucial phenomena." Ten years on, the need for an authoritative and cross-disciplinary approach to the great issues of violence and peace seems greater than ever. More than 200 authoritative multidisciplinary articles in a 3-volume set Many brand-new articles alongside revised and updated content from the First Edition Article outline and glossary of key terms at the beginning of each article Entries arranged alphabetically for easy access Articles written by more than 200 eminent contributors from around the world

Strategies to Enhance Air Force Communication with Internal and External Audiences

Strategies to Enhance Air Force Communication with Internal and External Audiences PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309389046
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) helps defend the United States and its interests by organizing, training, and equipping forces for operations in and through three distinct domains-air, space, and cyberspace. The Air Force concisely expresses its vision as "Global Vigilance, Global Reach, and Global Power for America." Operations within each of these domains are dynamic, take place over large distances, occur over different operational timelines, and cannot be routinely seen or recorded, making it difficult for Airmen, national decision makers, and the American People to visualize and comprehend the full scope of Air Force operations. As a result, the Air Force faces increasing difficulty in succinctly and effectively communicating the complexity, dynamic range, and strategic importance of its mission to Airmen and to the American people. To address this concern, the Chief of Staff of the USAF requested that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convene a workshop to explore options on how the Air Force can effectively communicate the strategic importance of the Service, its mission, and the role it plays in the defense of the United States. Participants worked to address the issues that a diverse workforce encompassing a myriad of backgrounds, education, and increasingly diverse current mission sets drives the requirement for a new communication strategy. The demographics of today's Air Force creates both a unique opportunity and a distinct challenge to Air Force leadership as it struggles to communicate its vision and strategy effectively across several micro-cultures within the organization and to the general public. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

The Russian Armed Forces at the Dawn of the Millennium

The Russian Armed Forces at the Dawn of the Millennium PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Information warfare
Languages : en
Pages : 424

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Book Description
"This anthology is an outgrowth of a conference titled "The Russian Armed Forces at the Dawn of the Millennium," held at the Collins Center of the Army War College's Center for Strategic Leadership from 7 through 9 February 2000. The genesis for the conference was the realization by several members of the staff of the Collins Center and Army War College faculty that the U.S.-led NATO operation in Kosovo resulted in a significant shift of Russian views on the United States and NATO. The conference also complemented our general objective of examining the changing environment in which the United States-including its armed forces-finds itself. The conference brought together over 50 individuals from academia and the policy and intelligence communities to examine the current state of the Russian military. Focusing primarily on the socio-political dimension of the military but not ignoring the military-technical dimension, the presentations delivered during the conference looked at Russia's domestic environment, the state of the military, perceived threats, and Russia's capacity to generate responses to those threats."--DTIC web site.

Command Of The Air

Command Of The Air PDF Author: General Giulio Douhet
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN: 1782898522
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 620

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Book Description
In the pantheon of air power spokesmen, Giulio Douhet holds center stage. His writings, more often cited than perhaps actually read, appear as excerpts and aphorisms in the writings of numerous other air power spokesmen, advocates-and critics. Though a highly controversial figure, the very controversy that surrounds him offers to us a testimonial of the value and depth of his work, and the need for airmen today to become familiar with his thought. The progressive development of air power to the point where, today, it is more correct to refer to aerospace power has not outdated the notions of Douhet in the slightest In fact, in many ways, the kinds of technological capabilities that we enjoy as a global air power provider attest to the breadth of his vision. Douhet, together with Hugh “Boom” Trenchard of Great Britain and William “Billy” Mitchell of the United States, is justly recognized as one of the three great spokesmen of the early air power era. This reprint is offered in the spirit of continuing the dialogue that Douhet himself so perceptively began with the first edition of this book, published in 1921. Readers may well find much that they disagree with in this book, but also much that is of enduring value. The vital necessity of Douhet’s central vision-that command of the air is all important in modern warfare-has been proven throughout the history of wars in this century, from the fighting over the Somme to the air war over Kuwait and Iraq.

The Air Force Role in Low-Intensity Conflict

The Air Force Role in Low-Intensity Conflict PDF Author: Lieutenant Colonel Usaf David J Dean
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781478379393
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
This book grew from an opportunity to study a third world air force fighting an externally supported insurgency. The players were the Royal Moroccan Air Force and the Polisario, the latter trying to wrest control of the Western Sahara from the Kingdom of Morocco. The United States has also been a player in the Morocco-Polisario war as the source of much of Morocco's war material, especially the weapons used by the Royal Moroccan Air Force. Help from the United States was especially important when the Polisario deployed Soviet-built SA-6 surface-to-air missiles to counter the growing effectiveness of the Royal Moroccan Air Force. For many reasons, the United States and the US Air Force were not able to assist the Moroccans effectively. The Morocco-Polisario-US scenario that provides the basis for this study was a tiny aspect of the US foreign and military policy in the early 1980s. But it shows a political-military problem that deserves a good deal of thought now. That problem simply stated is: How is the United States going to exert political-military influence in the third world during the next twenty years? Clearly, overall US influence in the third world will be a combination of political, military, economic, and social activity. But the military, in many cases, will be the most visible form of assistance, and one upon which the recipient nation will depend for immediate results. Are the military components as instruments of national policy able to act effectively in the third world? If not, what needs to be done? The US Air Force (and the other services) needs to consider the question of effective assistance to third world countries as part of a basic shift in strategic thinking. Our primary strategic planning effort has been to insert large numbers of US ground and air forces into an area such as the Persian Gulf to accomplish our policy objectives. That planning effort must continue, but with the understanding that inserting a major US force in any third world region is extremely unlikely, both for domestic political reasons and because potential host nations are reluctant to support large US forces. Our primary strategic focus for planning needs to shift to providing effective leverage for third world friends and allies. That leverage can be in the form of arms sales, training, doctrine, or even small specialized forces. But providing leverage depends on effective planning that builds the data base which allows us to pinpoint the host country's needs and capabilities. Developing that kind of expertise in the USAF, and in the other services, will be a difficult and frustrating long-term proposition. The Air Force must recognize the need for a change and must act upon it. Planning to exert effective political-military influence in the third world may not be a glamorous task, but it will be the name of the game for the next twenty years and beyond. This book offers some ideas in that regard.