Air and Space Functions < < L18 > >

1. Air and Space Functions< < L18 > >

2. If you are an AIRMAN then you believe that airpower, if used in certain ways, will achieve victory more quickly than if used in other ways.

3. Overview • Functions of Air & Space Power • Airlift • Air Refueling • Spacelift • Special Operations • Surveillance and Reconnaissance • Intelligence • Combat Search and Rescue • Levels of Air & Space Doctrine • Functions of Air & Space Power • Strategic Attack • Counterair • Counterspace • Counterland • Countersea • Information Operations • Combat Support • Command and Control

4. Levels of Air & Space Doctrine • Levels of Air & Space Doctrine • Basic • Operational • Tactical

5. 3 Levels of Doctrine • Basic Doctrine (AFDD 1) • Most fundamental and enduring beliefs that guide proper use of air & space forces • NOT a checklist or scientific formula • Operational Doctrine (AFDD 2) • More detailed organization of air & space forces • Tactical Doctrine • Most detailed • Codified in AFTTP 3-series (Air Force Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures)

6. Strategic Attack “…strategic attack…generating effects that most directly achieve our national security objectives by affecting the adversary’s leadership, conflict sustaining resources and strategy.” • Points where: • the enemy is most vulnerable • an attack will have the best chance of being decisive

7. Strategic Attack • Possible strategic attack targets • National leadership • Command & Control (C2) • War production facilities • Infrastructure • Striking enemy in the core • Bring enemy to their knees • Stop enemy’s will to fight

8. Counterair “... attain and maintain...air superiority by the destruction, degradation or disruption of enemy forces”

9. Counterair • Offensive Counterair (OCA) • Take the fight to the enemy • Engage over or near their territory • Defensive Counterair (DCA) • Enemy brings the fight to you • Engage over or near our territory * * DCA has not been very effective, historically…

10. Impact of Counterair • Traditional ground war: defense >>> offense • Air war: offense > defense Ability to mass quickly and decisively +Speed prevents effective enemy defensive response + Range (Air can strike at enemy’s core) = SURPRISE

11. Potential Counterair Targets • Aircraft • Aircrews • Airbases and launch facilities • Warning and control facilities • Surface based air defense

12. Counterair Targets(Airbases or Launch Facilities) Airbases or Launch Facilities • If the aircraft can’t be flown, they’re not a threat… they’re a static display • Very efficient way to destroy aircraft • Lower threat on the ground • 1967 Arab/Israeli war…85% • Hickam Field (7 Dec 41) • Can also attack logistics • POL, munitions, runways air traffic control tower, etc

13. Counterair Targets(Aircraft) AIRCRAFT • Traditional role most people think about • Using aircraft to hunt down other aircraft on the ground to destroy them before they launch • Air-to-Air Combat (Dog fighting) • Good opportunity to destroy both crews and airframes • Can be extremely dangerous for aircrews and air frames

14. Counterair Targets(Aircrews) AIRCREWS • You need someone to fly the plane! • Cost & time to train a pilot are very significant • Attack in the air • Attack on the ground

15. Counterair Targets (Airbases or Launch Facilities) • If the aircraft can’t be flown, they’re not a threat • Very efficient way to destroy aircraft (on the ground) • Can attack logistics • POL, munitions, etc

16. Counterair Targets(Warning And Control Facilities) • Effectively eliminate the enemy’s ability to think, communicate, or gather intelligence • Render enemy deaf, dumb, and blind... • Information Warfare • Disrupt enemy information capabilities • Enemy incapable of mounting coordinated defense effort

17. Counterair Targets(Surface Based Air Defenses) SURFACE BASED AIR DEFENSES • Surface to air missiles (SAMs) • Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) • Extremely lethal to aircraft

18. Counterspace “... kinetic and non-kinetic operations conducted to attain and maintain... space superiority by the destruction, degradation or disruption of enemy space capability”

19. Counterspace • Offensive Counterspace (OCS) • Deny, degrade, disrupt, destroy or deceive an adversary’s space capability. • Destroy or neutralize enemy’s space systems or information they provide. • Defensive Counterspace (DCS) • Active & passive actions which protect our space-related capabilities from enemy attack or interference.

20. Counterspace • Offensive Counterspace • Deception • Disruption • Denial • Degradation • Destruction

21. Counterspace • Defensive Counterspace • Active & passive actions which protect our space-related capabilities from enemy attack or interference

22. Counterland “air and space operations against enemy land force capabilities to create effects that achieve JFC objectives.”

23. Counterland • Interdiction • Close Air Support (CAS)

24. Counterland(Interdiction) “Divert, disrupt, delay or destroy the enemy’s surface military potential before it can be used effectively against friendly forces.” • Two types of targets for interdiction attacks: • Military weapon systems (tanks/artillery/infantry) • Military supplies (POL)

25. Counterland(Interdiction) • One of airpower’s most flexible and powerful uses • Strike at enemy forces w/o having to fight them • Disrupts enemy’s offensive operations • Very powerful force enhancer

26. Counterland(CAS) • Air operations against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces… • Occurs on or near battlefield

27. Countersea(Collateral Function) “...extensions of Air Force functions into a maritime environment” • Objective: • Gain control of the medium • Support naval forces • Can include: • Surveillance, antiship warfare, protect sealines, aerial mine laying

28. Information Operations • Actions taken to influence, affect, or defend information, systems, and/or decision-making to create effects across the battlespace • Focus: countering the enemy’s ability to attain an information advantage

29. Information Operations • Types of Operations • Influence • Electronic warfare • Network combat

30. Information Operations • Influence operations • employ capabilities to affect behaviors, protect operations, communicate commander’s intent, and project accurate information to achieve desired effects across the cognitive battlespace. • Electronic warfare operations • are those military actions involving the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the enemy across the electromagnetic battlespace. • Network combat operations • are the integrated planning and employment of military capabilities to achieve desired effects across the digital battlespace. Network combat operations are conducted in the information domain, which is composed of hardware, software, data, and human components.

31. Combat Support “…essential capabilities, functions, activities and tasks necessary to create and sustain air and space forces.” • Includes: • Procurement, maintenance, distribution, and replacement of personnel and material

32. Command & Control (C2) “…exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces…”

33. Command & Control (C2) • C2 includes the battlespace management process of planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces & operations • Accomplished across the entire range of military operations

34. Airlift • The transportation of personnel and material through the air and can be applied across the entire range of military operations to achieve or support national objectives.

35. Airlift It’s critical in the support of overall national policy and objectives and a vital component of the US defense policy because of the ability to deliver essentially anything needed for a battle. Our airlift capabilities are second to none!

36. Airlift • Four delivery concepts • Airland delivery • Airdrop • Hub and Spoke operations • Direct delivery operations

37. Air Refueling • Air refueling is the in-flight transfer of fuel between tanker and receiver aircraft

38. Air Refueling • Expands commander’s employment options by increasing • Range • Payload • Loiter time • Flexibility • By increasing range it is a force enabler • By increasing payload it is a force multiplier

39. Spacelift • Delivers satellites, payloads, and material to or through space. • 4 Purposes of Spacelift • Deploy space systems • Sustain existing space systems • Augment existing space systems • Service and maintain existing/new space systems • Two Approaches • Launch-on-schedule • Launch-on-demand

40. Special Operations Employment • The use of special airpower operations to conduct unconventional warfare, direct action, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, foreign internal defense, psychological operations, and counter proliferation

41. Special Ops Employment • Accomplish tasks at all 3 levels of war • Low-visibility, covert, clandestine ops • Usually conducted in enemy-controlled or politically sensitive territories • Used as means to control escalation • Conventional force use may be undesirable • Can operate independently from theater commander forces • Require careful coordination!

42. Surveillance • The function of systematically observing air, space, surface/subsurface areas, places, persons, or things by visual, aural electronic, photographic or other means

43. Surveillance • A continuing process! • Not oriented toward a specific target • Air- & space-based surveillance assets exploit elevation • Detects enemy initiatives at long range

44. Reconnaissance • …obtaining specific information about the activities and resources of an enemy through visual observation or other detection methods; or by securing data concerning the meteorological, hydrographic, or geographic characteristics of a particular area.

45. Reconnaissance • Surveillance & Reconnaissance must operate together to ensure proper Intelligence!

46. Intelligence • …product resulting from the collection, processing, integration, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of available information concerning foreign countries or areas.

47. Intelligence • The overall objective of intelligence is to provide battlespace awareness to commanders and combat forces to enable them to successfully plan, operate, and assess results across the range of military operations. • Provides: • Indications of enemy intentions • Guides decisions on how, when, & where to engage enemy • Gives commanders: • Best estimate of enemy capabilities • COGs • Courses of action

48. Combat Search & Rescue • …a specific task performed by rescue forces to recover isolated personnel during war or military operations short of war.

49. Combat Search & Rescue • Key element in sustaining morale, cohesion, and war-fighting capability of friendly forces • Denies enemy potential intel sources • Preserves combat resources

50. Summary • Functions of Air & Space Power • Airlift • Air Refueling • Spacelift • Special Operations Employment • Intelligence • Surveillance and Reconnaissance • Combat Search & Rescue • Levels of Air & Space Doctrine • Functions of Air & Space Power • Strategic Attack • Counterair • Counterspace • Counterland • Countersea • Information Operations • Combat Support • Command & Control (C2)