AS502 – Flashcard
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Airpower
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Rather than pursuing tactical objectives in a sequential manner to enable decisive strategic effects, airpower provides the capability to achieve strategic effects that directly address campaign objectives.
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Strategic Bombardment
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Introduction of the aircraft as an offensive military tool plus technological advances in aircraft design are key factors which contributed to strategic bombardment's emergence as centerpiece of airpower theory. It was a tool to bypass suffering and carnage of trench warfare.
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Summarize Douhet's thoughts regarding use of airpower
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Once air superiority was achieved airpower should be used to punish civilian population. Doing so would crush morale cause them to pressure their government to take action to end the suffering.
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Billy Mitchell's theory of airpower
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Foundational background in the development of airpower principles: air superiority and interdiction over close air support
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FM 100-20
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Army and Air Corp's declaration of independence. Land power and air power are co-equal. Gaining air superiority is first requirement for success of any land operation. Air CC must centrally control airpower in the theatre. Air units would not be tied to ground force units. Summarized combat-proven principles for organizing and employing airpower. Emphasized flexibility and versatility of airpower. Doctrinal concepts retained today.
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3 Visionary's of Airpower
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Douhet, Trenchard and Mitchell
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AF Evolution
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1907 part of Army Signal Corp 1920 Army Air Service 1926 Army Air Corp 1935 GHQ Air Force 1942 AAF 1 of 3 Army Major Commands 1947 Nat'l Security Act est DoD and USAF
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Doctrinal Evolution
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Primacy of strategic bombardment Air Superiority is priority Centralized Control airpower best used as integrated whole
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Factors influencing strategic bombardment
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WWII strategic bombing campaign was influenced by Roosevelt's request for a list of resources needed for waging war against Axis powers. LtCol George saw this as an opportunity to incorporate Air Corps Tactical School doctrine into a major War Dept doc AWPD-1
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FM 100-20
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Outlined a series of doctrinal principles for the employment of air force. The manual hailed the necessity of air superiority and declared that an air commander must centrally control airpower in theater
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Air Corp Tactical School foundations
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1-Independent operations for AFs 2- Centralized control of air power 3-Efficacy of strategic bombing
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AF Manual 1-2
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Refelcted lessons of WWII; emphasized strategic bombing of enemy heartland; advocated future wars would be nuclear
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Cold War Era Doctrine
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Nuclear deterrance; deviated away from original air power doctrine; Eisenhower's policy of Massive Retaliation; funding and expansion in dev of nuclear technology and weapons
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SIOP Single INtegrated Operations Plan
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Targeted nuclear weapons against Soviet military targets; counterforce; targeted installations and military instead of urban areas; no operational art ; doctrinal shortfall causing impact in later years in crisis response
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Korean Command Structure
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Failure to create joint theater command reaffirmed lessons learned from WWII that air power is best executed by centralized commander; the parcelled out air power caused major problems. Nature of limited war precluded use of airpower to achieve success
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How did WWI influence the thinking of early airpower theorists?
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•Total war •Citizen soldiers and ordinary citizens •Casualty rate as high as 25% •>8M combatants killed; >10M noncombatants killed •Massive horror and suffering •SHAPED INFLUENCE OF AIRPOWER to avoid consequences of trench warfare by affecting the industrial machine •Independent operations; Strategic offensive by striking enemies vital sources - key to success
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How were aircraft originally viewed/used as a military tool?
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•Supplement traditional forms of warfare •Recon and observation •Aiming of artillery •Support of ground forces
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Summarize the theories of Douhet
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Douhet- quick victory could be won by early attack of enemy's vital center while surface forces worked to contain the ground. Civilian populations should be directly targeted to break enemy will. Only need one type aircraft...battle plane
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Summarize the theories of Trenchard
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Trenchard- strategic bombing •victory can be achieved by bombing enemies vital centers and breaking will to fight •Civilian morale would be destroyed by targeting industrial and comm. Targets thus the people would pressure the gov to give up the fight •Light air attacks supported by armored ground Army could get job done with less carnage and cheaper •The bomber will always get through it does not need an escort •AIR SUPERIORITY #1 priority •Night navigation and target acquisition are do-able •Offensive is stronger form of war
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Summarize Mitchell AP theory
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Mitchell - Airpower organized under a separate, equal autonomous AF under a unified DoD is most effective economical way to defend US •Command of air is prime requirement •Airpower is primarily offensive: the bomber will always get thru •Naval warfare is obsolete •Future wars will be total •Civilian morale is fragile (destruction of vital centers) •Advocated a national system of aviation
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What was the purpose of the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS)?
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Produce the airpower architects of the strategic bombing campaign WWII
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Who wrote AWPD-1?
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The Air War Plans Division from Air Core doctrines accumulated over past decade. Submitted as War Dept Document. Made possible by years of preparation of air doctrine at ACTS
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Briefly describe how AWPD 1 was designed to defeat Germany
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Submitted 12 Aug 1941, 33 days after President asked Secretary of War and Secretary of Navy to draft requirements to defeat the potential enemy. 30 day suspense on this tasking •Global air offensive initially against Europe, subsequently against the Far East
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. Describe how AWPD-1 impacted US air power development prior to the Combined Bomber Offensive.
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Set the entire stage for the development of the Army Air Forces and the conduct of air warfare •Modern nations cannot wage war if their industries are destroyed •Aircraft can penetrate any known air defenses and destroy any known targets with bombs •Air warfare is a method of destroying the enemies ability to wage war •Striking a major blow toward winning a war rather than a direct auxillary surface warfare
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What were some of the major technological developments that occurred during WWII?
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Airpower drove the naval priority to be the aircraft carrier Electronic warfare- radar Counter radar devices Eavesdropping devices Electronic intel collection and message interception Radio transmission interception; decoding messages Japan/Midway Atomic bomb
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. How did the advent of nuclear weapons influence airpower thought following WWII?
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Creation of a long term nuclear detterent ready to respond as principal military arm on foreign policy and defense.
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Summarize air operations during the Berlin Airlift.
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• Massive resupply operation • Eliminated the stacking of aircraft over Berlin • Demonstrated potency of round the clock air transport • Professionalism of air, ground crew and ATC
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Why did the USAF label the Korean War the "First Jet War?"
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First US Jet kills were made by F-80 shooting stars
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What were the strengths and weaknesses of the F-80 and F-51 in the Korean War?
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F-80 high fuel consumptions loiter time 30 min over Korea;fragile aircraft Added wing tanks and improved strike capability F-51- liquid cooled engine; fragile; high losses
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Summarize the effectiveness of ROLLING THUNDER in the Vietnam War.
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Ineffective due to the restrictive ROE's imposed by Washington
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What political and technological changes allowed air power to achieve its objectives during LINEBACKER I and II?
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Change in Presidency; change in strategy to use parallel tactic of simultaneously hitting 4 vital centers; availability of LGB's
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Discuss the significance of airpower support to Khe Sanh in 1968, including Westmoreland's and Momyer's roles.
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3 of classic missions of AP demonstrated by Close Air Support, Interdiction and Airlift provided with specific functions by all services Navy, Marine, AF. Westmoreland appointed Momyer as the manager of all of these operations as well as tactical ops for South Vietnam
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Describe the route package system used in Vietnam.
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North Vietnam was divided into geographical areas beginning with the DMZ. Six areas were split between AF and Navy with a total of 7 areas as area 6 was split into A/B. The 4 packages on coast going to Navy and 3 others going to AF. No joint effort in area 6 to coordinate btwn Navy and AF demonstrated failure of efforts, resources and outcomes.
