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2016-10-09

Air and Space Power Journal : The Best Aircraft for Close Air Support in the Twenty-First Century

This issue contains a very interesting article about what kind of CAS aircraft is needed for the coming years in the perspective of the current A-10 and F-16 replacement 


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Air and Space Power Journal
Fall 2016, Volume 30, No. 3
AFRP 10-1
Senior Leader Perspective


Assuring the USAF Core Missions in the Information Age

Lt Gen William J. Bender, USAF
Col William D. Bryant, USAF

As we progress from the industrial age to the information age, the US Air Force must come to terms with defending our nation by executing its core missions in and through the cyberspace domain. The ubiquitous nature of cyberspace (which goes beyond networks and laptops and is now surging into aircraft, satellites, trucks, and ICBMs), as well as its grounding in the physical world, demands that people acquire different thought paradigms and new skill sets to operate in this man-made domain.
Features


Matrix Wings: Continuous Process Improvement an Operator Can Love

Dr. A. J. Briding, Colonel, USAF, Retired

The Air Force has attempted for several decades to improve effectiveness and efficiency by using continuous process improvement (CPI) methodologies to alleviate the impact of funding and manpower reductions. The failure of the Quality Air Force (QAF) total quality management program underscores the challenges faced by current initiatives such as Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century (AFSO21), which approaches institutionalizing CPI in much the same way as did the QAF program.


Strategic Flexibility to Deter in the Asia-Pacific

Col Tom Torkelson, USAF
COL Dan Kelley, USA
Col Yasumasa Hayashi, JASDF
CAPT William McKinney, USN

The recent military resurgence of both China and Russia, along with the United States' so-called rebalance to the Asia-Pacific and declining military budgets, suggests the need and opportunity to reevaluate US military policy for the region. Rather than a pre–Cold War model of bilateral defense agreements supported by relatively large footprints of permanent forward military presence, a US defense posture favoring strategic flexibility should act as a greater deterrent to regional actors by reducing predictability and providing political leaders a greater range of responsive options.


The Best Aircraft for Close Air Support in the Twenty-First Century

Maj Kamal J. Kaaoush, USAF

Like many government agencies, the United States Air Force has faced budget cuts for several years. Senior Air Force officials have announced that retiring the A-10 will save $4.2 billion and will justify spending nearly $400 billion on the F-35 program. The F-35, the Department of Defense's newest multirole fighter, is being groomed to replace legacy fighter aircraft, including the A-10.
Views
Nuclear Deterrence in Cyber-ia: Challenges and Controversies©

Dr. Stephen J. Cimbala

Although nuclear and cyber issues might seem to belong in separate compartments, current US military activity and prospective challenges suggest that "nuclear" and "cyber" topics may achieve certain congruities. For its success, nuclear deterrence requires secure networks for the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance related to nuclear warning, alert, and response.
The Russian Perception of the NATO Aerospace Threat: Could It Lead to Preemption?


Lt Col Thomas R. McCabe, USAFR, Retired

It is all too plausible that President Putin, as a Russian nationalist, intends ultimately to rebuild the Russian Empire. Given the dismal likelihood that this objective will produce a systemic confrontation between Russia and the West, it is time to consider what might deter further Russian adventurism, especially military threats against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) eastern members.
Commentary
A Commonsense Approach to Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations

Maj William Giannetti, Virginia Air National Guard

Over the next four years, daily combat air patrols conducted by remotely piloted aircraft will increase by 27 percent. Long hours, a scarcity of resources, and increasing demand for tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms contribute to fatigue across the distributed common ground system. Palliative measures—such as Capt Michael Byrnes's concept of combat automation and a project-based approach to intelligence work—can reduce stressors and help maximize efficiency.
Book Reviews
Gunning for the Red Baron
Leon Bennett
Reviewer: 2nd Lt Viktor J. Theiss, USAF


Wings of War: Great Combat Tales of Allied
and Axis Pilots during World War II

James P. Busha
Reviewer: 2nd Lt Jensen Cheong, USAF


The Evolution of Cyber Warfare: International Norms
for Emerging Technology Weapons

Brian M. Mazanec 
Reviewer: John H. Barnhill, PhD
The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century
Brad Roberts
Reviewer: Lt Col Todd A. Moenster, USAF
Air Warfare: History, Theory and Practice
Peter Gray
Reviewer: Capt Ellis O. Christian, USAF
Imperial Russian Air Force, 1898-1917
Gennady Petrov
Reviewer: Capt Daniel W. Purvis, USAF

P-51 Mustang: Seventy-Five Years of America's Most
Famous Warbird

Cory Graff
Reviewer: Lt Col Dan Simonsen, USAF, Retired
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