Dr. Phillip S. Meilinger, Colonel, USAF, Retired
The Norwegian Campaign in the spring of 1940 was the first major joint and combined operation of World War II in the European theater. Not only did the British and French work together to attack the German occupiers in the far north but also the military forces of all the participants included land, air, and sea elements.
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Maj Dillon R. Patterson, USAF
Modern engineering advancements are yielding small unmanned aerial vehicles capable of employing weapons with precision and lethality. The low cost of production is leading to global proliferation of these systems; large and small nations alike are incorporating small unmanned aerial systems into their militaries as are nonstate actors. Small systems provide unique tactical advantages that can evade or overwhelm modern air defenses, creating the potential for an adversary to attain victory where previously unable to do so.
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Air Mines: Countering the Drone Threat to Aircraft
Lt Col Leslie F. Hauck III, USAF
Dr. John P. Geis II, Colonel, USAF, Retired
Like the space debris threat to satellites, drones will soon become an "air debris" or "air mine" threat to aircraft. Drones, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), unmanned aerial vehicles, or unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are increasingly smaller and cheaper. The USAF currently refers to all of its UAS weapons systems today as RPA, but someday soon, automation may actually take the "P" (pilot) out of the loop, making them actual drones. Such advancements allow other previously impractical offensive attack and defensive counterair tactics that challenge air superiority, or airspace domain control.
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Putting the Right Man in the Loop
Maj Jaylan M. Haley, USAF
This article argues that the Department of Defense (DOD) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force and uniformed services must continue to reform intelligence operations but they must rise above reliance on hardware purchases to solve its problems. Innovation, particularly at the tactical level, must extend to organizational and process remodeling. Rather than relying on gadget solutions alone, the DOD can achieve a greater return on investment by enacting changes to its intelligence organizations' behaviors and processes.
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Airpower and Irregular War: A Battle of Ideas
Dr. John T. Farquhar
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, "Why Air Power Alone Won't Beat ISIS [Islamic State Iraq and Syria]," military historian and foreign-policy analyst Max Boot presents a clear thesis expressed in his title: anti-ISIS coalition airpower efforts will fail if not combined with ground forces. His article describes early airpower theories and their limitations confronting irregular warfare.
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When selecting airlift assets for a given intertheater movement requirement, current mobility airlift planning typically defaults to the larger, more capable strategic fleet. However, empirical evidence shows increasing delivery method diversity can raise efficiency and reduce costs. This paper identifies potential efficiencies by holistically considering airlift assets, regardless of their classification as tactical or strategic, in the planning of air mobility operations. A model was created that enumerates logical airframe combinations for a specific airlift operation, given a set of user-defined constraints.
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The Doolittle Raid—75 Years Later
Dr. Robert B. Kane, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, Retired
Early morning, 18 April 1942, 16 US Army Air Forces B-25B Mitchell medium bombers, led by AAF Lt Col James A. "Jimmy" Doolittle, took off from the USS Hornet, commanded by Navy Capt Marc Mitscher, about 750 miles east of Japan. About noon Tokyo time, the Doolittle Raiders dropped their bombs on six Japanese cities, and, although they hit most of their targets, the attack itself had minimum effect on Japan's war-making capabilities. Furthermore, Colonel Doolittle lost all 16 aircraft and three men, and the Japanese army captured eight and executed three of them as war criminals.
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Ensuring Surety of Supply through Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Maj Marcus R. McWilliams, USAF
Price instability in the global petroleum markets in the last 15 years and a desire to reduce dependence on foreign oil have caused a push to develop fuels derived from alternative or sustainable sources. How can the Air Force take advantage of the emergence of sustainable aviation fuels (i.e. aviation biofuels)? This article discusses the current state of aviation biofuel development, the implications for USAF operations worldwide, and reinforces the need to stay in sync with commercial aviation fuel standards.
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Book Reviews
Reconstructing a Shattered Egyptian Army: War Minister Gen. Mohamed Fawzi's Memoirs, 1967-1971
Youssef H. Aboul-Enein
Reviewer: John C. Binkley, PhD
Fallen Astronauts: Heroes Who Died Reaching for the Moon
Colin Burgess and Kate Doolan
Reviewer: Lt Col Lloyd Malone, Jr., USAF
Lavi: The United States, Israel, and a Controversial Fighter Jet
John W. Golan
Reviewer: Maj Matthew C. Wunderlich, USAF
The Global Village Myth: Distance, War, and the Limits of Power
Patrick Porter
Reviewer: John H. Barnhill, PhD
Forgotten Fifteenth: The Daring Airmen Who Crippled Hitler's War Machine
Barrett Tillman
Reviewer: Dr. Csaba B. Stenge
Historical Studies in the Societal Impact of Spaceflight
Steven J. Dick
Reviewer: Capt Haley Shea B. Hicks, USAF
Counter Jihad: America's Military Experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria
Brian Glyn Williams
Reviewer: 2nd Lt Briana N. Dutcher, USAF
Victor Alert: 15 Minutes to Armageddon; The Memoir of a Nuke Wild Weasel Pilot
Maj Gen Lee Downer, USAF, Retired
Reviewer: Col Brian E. Wish, USAFR
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Don't forget to check out our other products:
Strategic Studies Quarterly
http://www.au.af.mil/au/ssq
Air Force Research Institute - research, book reviews, and more
http://afri.au.af.mil
Air University Press - books, research, and more
http://aupress.au.af.mil
Air and Space Power Journal - the Air Force's professional journal
http://www.airpower.au.af.mil
Theater History of Operations Reports (THOR) - bombing data, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and more
http://afri.au.af.mil/THOR |
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