airpower

Irregular Warfare Initiative: Armed Overwatch: Airpower in Irregular Warfare - Past, Present, and Future

Riley.C.Murray — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 12:14:25 +0000

Irregular Warfare Initiative: Armed Overwatch: Airpower in Irregular Warfare - Past, Present, and Future

An interview with Lt Gen (Ret.) Thomas Trask and Dr. James Kiras on the looming cultural changes facing airpower in irregular warfare

https://mwi.usma.edu/armed-overwatch-airpower-in-irregular-warfare-past-present-and-future/

Retired Lieutenant General Thomas Trask transitioned from the Air Force in 2017 after thirty-three years of service, retiring as the vice commander of United States Special Operations Command. During his career Tom flew rescue and special operations helicopters, accumulating more than 3,200 hours and over fifty combat missions.

Dr. James Kiras teaches at the US Air Force’s School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. In addition to his knowledge of aviation history, his other areas of expertise include irregular warfare, international terrorism, and special operations, He is the author of Special Operations and Strategy: From World War II to the War on Terrorism.

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Oryx: Fighting The Tide: The Islamic State’s Desperate Attempts to Combat Coalition Airpower

Riley.C.Murray — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 08:33:36 +0000

Oryx: Fighting The Tide: The Islamic State’s Desperate Attempts to Combat Coalition Airpower

An open source look at a non-state actor's attempts to counter the advantages of modern air forces

https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2020/09/the-islamic-states-desperate-attempts.html

Riley.C.Murray Fri, 04/09/2021 - 4:33am

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RAND: The Air War Against The Islamic State

Riley.C.Murray — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 02:55:32 +0000

RAND: The Air War Against The Islamic State

Full Report: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA388-1.html

Airpower played a pivotal role in the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from 2014 to 2019 and contributed to the success of Operation Inherent Resolve. This report sheds light on the impact of the air operations in Operation Inherent Resolve and whether airpower could have been applied differently to achieve faster, more-sustainable outcomes. The authors incorporate interviews with U.S. and coalition personnel, primary-source documents, and U.S. and coalition strike and sortie data to document the operational history of the air war, assess the relationship between airpower effects, and analyze the strategic and operational impact of airpower in Operation Inherent Resolve.

The authors find that, although airpower played an essential role in combating ISIS, airpower alone would not have been likely to defeat the militant organization. Instead, the combination of airpower and ground forces—led by Iraqi and Syrian partners—was needed to destroy the Islamic State as a territorial entity. The overarching strategy of Operation Inherent Resolve, which put ground-force partners in the lead, created several challenges and innovations in the application of airpower, which have implications for future air wars. To be prepared to meet future demands against nonstate and near-peer adversaries, the U.S. Air Force and the joint force should apply lessons learned from Operation Inherent Resolve.

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Doomed from the Skies, Damned on the Ground

SWJED — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 17:55:15 +0000

Doomed from the Skies, Damned on the Ground SWJED Wed, 11/13/2019 - 12:55pm

Every U.S. airstrike resulting in civilian casualties nullifies the eighteen-year long endeavors of reconstruction and nation building aimed at winning the hearts and minds of Afghans in the perpetual War on Terror. The airstrikes have alarmingly augmented the xenophobia of Afghans towards the foreign troops and especially those of the United States.

Learning the Wrong Lessons: Where Does the Air Force Go From Here?

Peter J. Munson — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:30:00 +0000

Learning the Wrong Lessons: Where Does the Air Force Go From Here? Peter J. Munson Tue, 10/02/2012 - 5:30am

In assessing our “lessons learned” it is vital that the service look forward and not just retrospectively so it does not learn the wrong lessons.

The 2006 Lebanon War: A Short History Part II

Peter J. Munson — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:30:00 +0000

The 2006 Lebanon War: A Short History Part II Peter J. Munson Wed, 09/12/2012 - 5:30am

“We’ve won the war,” General Dan Halutz boasted.

Thoughts from Khobar: Where Do We Go from Here?

Peter J. Munson — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:45:15 +0000

Thoughts from Khobar: Where Do We Go from Here? Peter J. Munson Tue, 05/08/2012 - 5:45am

Some disruptive thoughts on future defense initiatives from Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.