Download or read book America s First Air Battles written by U. S. Military and published by . This book was released on 2017-04-19 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This excellent report examines several important airpower factors to include familiarity with the nature and geography of the conflict; parity with the adversary, especially in terms of air superiority; command and control of air assets, especially in interdiction and close air support missions; and the confluence of airpower weapons with doctrine and training.Colonel Purdham filters these airpower factors through three conflicts of the last half-century--Korean War, Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm--looking as much as possible at the early air operational stages of the conflict. He concludes that Professor Howard's construct has some validity, but the real world offers alternative conclusions. The reasons the military doctrine seems out of alignment in the early stages of conflict is not because of poorly developed doctrine, but rather quick changes made in national strategy that cannot be perfectly anticipated in doctrinal writing and conferred in training regimes. Ultimately, the greatest lesson seems to be that airpower leadership and doctrinal focus need to have the flexibility to adapt to changing national direction. It helps immensely that our air forces go to war well trained in the way they will fight. The effectiveness of Desert Storm validates this concept. Perhaps the lessons of Operation Iraqi Freedom provide even greater proof.
Download or read book America s First Air Battles Lessons Learned Or Lessons Lost written by Jr Lieutenant Colonel Usaf Purdham and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2012-08-25 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "America's First Air Battles: Lessons Learned or Lessons Lost?" provides a successful evaluation of Michael Howard's construct that current doctrine is probably wrong, but what matters is the capability of the military to get it right when a particular conflict begins. In the course of this evaluation, Lt. Col. Aldon E. Purdham, Jr. examines several important airpower factors to include familiarity with the nature and geography of the conflict; parity with the adversary, especially in terms of air superiority; command and control of air assets, especially in interdiction and close air support missions; and the confluence of airpower weapons with doctrine and training. Colonel Purdham filters these airpower factors through three conflicts of the last half-century - Korean War, Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm - looking as much as possible at the early air operations stages of the conflict. HE concludes that Professor Howard's construct has some validity, but the real world offers alternative conclusions. The reasons the military doctrine seems out of alignment in the early stages of conflict is not because of poorly developed doctrine, but rather quick changes made in national strategy that cannot be perfectly anticipated in doctrinal writing and conferred in training regimes. Ultimately, the greatest lesson seems to be that airpower leadership and doctrinal focus need to have the flexibility to adapt to changing national direction. It helps immensely that our air forces go to war well trained in the way they will fight. The effectiveness of Desert Storm validates this concept. Perhaps the lessons of Operation Iraqi Freedom provide even greater proof.
Download or read book A Concise History of the U S Air Force written by Stephen Lee McFarland and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 1997 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Except in a few instances, since World War II no American soldier or sailor has been attacked by enemy air power. Conversely, no enemy soldier orsailor has acted in combat without being attacked or at least threatened by American air power. Aviators have brought the air weapon to bear against enemies while denying them the same prerogative. This is the legacy of the U.S. AirForce, purchased at great cost in both human and material resources.More often than not, aerial pioneers had to fight technological ignorance, bureaucratic opposition, public apathy, and disagreement over purpose.Every step in the evolution of air power led into new and untrodden territory, driven by humanitarian impulses; by the search for higher, faster, and farther flight; or by the conviction that the air way was the best way. Warriors have always coveted the high ground. If technology permitted them to reach it, men, women andan air force held and exploited it-from Thomas Selfridge, first among so many who gave that "last full measure of devotion"; to Women's Airforce Service Pilot Ann Baumgartner, who broke social barriers to become the first Americanwoman to pilot a jet; to Benjamin Davis, who broke racial barriers to become the first African American to command a flying group; to Chuck Yeager, a one-time non-commissioned flight officer who was the first to exceed the speed of sound; to John Levitow, who earned the Medal of Honor by throwing himself over a live flare to save his gunship crew; to John Warden, who began a revolution in air power thought and strategy that was put to spectacular use in the Gulf War.Industrialization has brought total war and air power has brought the means to overfly an enemy's defenses and attack its sources of power directly. Americans have perceived air power from the start as a more efficient means of waging war and as a symbol of the nation's commitment to technology to master challenges, minimize casualties, and defeat adversaries.
Download or read book America s First Air Battles written by Aldon E. Purdham and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 85 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Colonel Purdham provides a successful evaluation of Michael Howard's construct that current doctrine is probably wrong, but what matters is the capability of the military to get it right when a particular conflict begins. He uses a simple but effective test, an evaluation of important airpower factors to include familiarity with the nature and geography of the conflict; parity with the adversary, especially in terms of air superiority; command and control of air assets, especially in interdiction and close air support missions; and the confluence of airpower weapons with doctrine and training. Colonel Purdham filters these airpower factors through three conflicts of the last half-century-- Korean War, Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm-- looking as much as possible at the early air operational stages of the conflict. Colonel Purdham concludes that Professor Howard's construct has some validity, but the real world offers alternative conclusions. Because of the effectiveness of Desert Storm and the lessons of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Purdham recommends that our air forces go to war well trained in the way they will fight."--AU Press web site.
Download or read book America s First Air Battles Lessons Learned Or Lessons Lost written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his 1973 Chesney Memorial Gold Medal acceptance lecture, Professor Michael Howard made the following statement about military doctrine: "I am tempted indeed to declare dogmatically that whatever doctrine the armed forces are working on now, they have got it wrong I am also tempted to declare that it does not matter that they have got it wrong What does matter is their capacity to get it right quickly when the moment arrives," There are two key assertions in Howard's observation. First, in times of peace, armed forces imperfectly prepare for their next conflict, Second, their ability to make adjustments to overcome this shortcoming is critical to their combat success. This thesis examines the validity of these two assertions in U.S. Air Force (USAF) experiences during the initial period of operations in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm%, The analysis of the USAF's preparation for and adjustment during each of these conflicts' initial period of operations consists of a four-step process, In the first step, the thesis assesses the readiness of the USAF to engage in combat operations both in general and in the specific theater on the eve of war, This includes an assessment of the USAF's pre-war strategy, doctrine, command and control (C2), aircrew training, and equipment, It also addresses the degree to which these five factors - and the previous war's influence on them - resulted in success during the initial period of operations, The second step is an analysis of the effectiveness with which the USAF performed% its primary missions of air superiority, CAS, and interdiction, In the third step, the thesis examines the USAF adjustments to its pre-war strategy, doctrine, C2 system, crew training, and equipment, The fourth step is an assessment of the degree to which these adjustments enhanced the USAF's air superiority, CAS, and interdiction missions.
Download or read book America s First Air Battles written by Aldon E Purdham Jr. and published by . This book was released on 2004-11-01 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colonel Purdham provides a successful evaluation of Michael Howard's construct that current doctrine is probably wrong, but what matters is the capability of the military to get it right when a particular conflict begins. He uses a simple but effective test, an evaluation of important airpower factors to include familiarity with the nature and geography of the conflict; parity with the adversary, especially in terms of air superiority; command and control of air assets, especially in interdiction and close air support missions; and the confluence of airpower weapons with doctrine and training. Colonel Purdham filters these airpower factors through three conflicts of the last half-century --- Korean War, Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm --- looking as much as possible at the early air operational stages of the conflict. Colonel Purdham concludes that Professor Howard's construct has some validity, but the real world offers alternative conclusions. Because of the effectiveness of Desert Storm and the lessons of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Purdham recommends that our air forces go to war well trained in the way they will fight.
Download or read book Air Power s Lost Cause written by Brian D. Laslie and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-05-14 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first comprehensive treatment of the air wars in Vietnam. Filling a substantial void in our understanding of the history of airpower in Vietnam, this book provides the first comprehensive treatment of the air wars in Vietnam. Brian Laslie traces the complete history of these air wars from the beginning of American involvement until final withdrawal. Detailing the competing roles and actions of the air elements of the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force, the author considers the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war. He also looks at the air war from the perspective of the North Vietnamese Air Force. Most important for understanding the US defeat, Laslie illustrates the perils of a nation building a one-dimensional fighting force capable of supporting only one type of war. ,
Download or read book America s First Air Battles written by Aldon E. Purdham and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Colonel Purdham provides a successful evaluation of Michael Howard's construct that current doctrine is probably wrong, but what matters is the capability of the military to get it right when a particular conflict begins. He uses a simple but effective test, an evaluation of important airpower factors to include familiarity with the nature and geography of the conflict; parity with the adversary, especially in terms of air superiority; command and control of air assets, especially in interdiction and close air support missions; and the confluence of airpower weapons with doctrine and training. Colonel Purdham filters these airpower factors through three conflicts of the last half-century-- Korean War, Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm-- looking as much as possible at the early air operational stages of the conflict. Colonel Purdham concludes that Professor Howard's construct has some validity, but the real world offers alternative conclusions. Because of the effectiveness of Desert Storm and the lessons of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Purdham recommends that our air forces go to war well trained in the way they will fight."--AU Press web site
Download or read book Air Force Combat Units of World War II written by Maurer Maurer and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1961 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Limits of Air Power written by Mark Clodfelter and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tracing the use of air power in World War II and the Korean War, Mark Clodfelter explains how U. S. Air Force doctrine evolved through the American experience in these conventional wars only to be thwarted in the context of a limited guerrilla struggle in Vietnam. Although a faith in bombing's sheer destructive power led air commanders to believe that extensive air assaults could win the war at any time, the Vietnam experience instead showed how even intense aerial attacks may not achieve military or political objectives in a limited war. Based on findings from previously classified documents in presidential libraries and air force archives as well as on interviews with civilian and military decision makers, The Limits of Air Power argues that reliance on air campaigns as a primary instrument of warfare could not have produced lasting victory in Vietnam. This Bison Books edition includes a new chapter that provides a framework for evaluating air power effectiveness in future conflicts.
Download or read book The Rise of American Air Power written by Michael S. Sherry and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1987-01-01 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This prizewinning book is the first in-depth history of American strategic bombing. Michael S. Sherry explores the growing appeal of air power in America before World War II, the ideas, techniques, personalities, and organizations that guided air attacks during the war, and the devastating effects of American and British "conventional" bombing. He also traces the origins of the dangerous illusion that the bombing of cities would be so horrific that nations would not dare let it occur - an illusion that has sanctioned the growth of nuclear arsenals.
Download or read book First Fighter written by Charles F. O'Connell and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book America s First Air War written by Terry C. Treadwell and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work is about the part played by US aviators and aircraft in World War I. It explains the reasons why the US entered the war and the violations by Germany that exacerbated the situation. It also covers the development of the USAS (United States Air Service) and USNAS (United States Naval Air Force).
Download or read book Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare written by Tami Biddle and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2009-01-10 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major revision of our understanding of long-range bombing, this book examines how Anglo-American ideas about "strategic" bombing were formed and implemented. It argues that ideas about bombing civilian targets rested on--and gained validity from--widespread but substantially erroneous assumptions about the nature of modern industrial societies and their vulnerability to aerial bombardment. These assumptions were derived from the social and political context of the day and were maintained largely through cognitive error and bias. Tami Davis Biddle explains how air theorists, and those influenced by them, came to believe that strategic bombing would be an especially effective coercive tool and how they responded when their assumptions were challenged. Biddle analyzes how a particular interpretation of the World War I experience, together with airmen's organizational interests, shaped interwar debates about strategic bombing and preserved conceptions of its potentially revolutionary character. This flawed interpretation as well as a failure to anticipate implementation problems were revealed as World War II commenced. By then, the British and Americans had invested heavily in strategic bombing. They saw little choice but to try to solve the problems in real time and make long-range bombing as effective as possible. Combining narrative with analysis, this book presents the first-ever comparative history of British and American strategic bombing from its origins through 1945. In examining the ideas and rhetoric on which strategic bombing depended, it offers critical insights into the validity and robustness of those ideas--not only as they applied to World War II but as they apply to contemporary warfare.
Download or read book America s First Eagles written by Lucien H. Thayer and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bogen er en omfattende og detaljeret fremstilling om de mænd, luftfartøjer, våben og enheder, som den gang udgjorde det senere så enorme U.S. Air-force.
Download or read book Within Limits written by Wayne Thompson and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1997-07 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite American success in preventing the conquest of South Korea by communist North Korea, the Korean War of 1950-1953 did not satisfy Americans who expected the kind of total victory they had experienced in WW II. In Korea, the U.S. limited itself to conventional weapons. Even after communist China entered the war, Americans put China off-limits to conventional bombing as well as nuclear bombing. Operating within these limits, the U.S. Air Force helped to repel 2 invasions of South Korea while securing control of the skies so decisively that other U.N. forces could fight without fear of air attack.
Download or read book Command Of The Air written by General Giulio Douhet and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
