Air and Space Functions< < L18 > >

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.

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Levels of Air & Space Doctrine Functions of Air & Space Power

Strategic Attack Counterair Counterspace Counterland Countersea Information Operations Combat Support Command and Control

Functions of Air & Space Power Airlift Air Refueling Spacelift Special Operations Surveillance and Reconnaissance Intelligence Combat Search and Rescue

Overview

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Levels of Air & Space Doctrine Basic Operational Tactical

Levels of Air & Space Doctrine

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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)

3 Levels of Doctrine

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“…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

Strategic Attack

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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

Strategic Attack

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“... attain and maintain...air superiority by

the destruction, degradation or disruption of enemy forces”

Counterair

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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…

Counterair

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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

Impact of Counterair

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Aircraft Aircrews Airbases and launch facilities Warning and control facilities Surface based air defense

Potential Counterair Targets

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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

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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

Counterair Targets(Aircraft)

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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

Counterair Targets(Aircrews)

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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

Counterair Targets (Airbases or Launch Facilities)

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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

Counterair Targets(Warning And Control Facilities)

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SURFACE BASED AIR DEFENSES Surface to air missiles (SAMs) Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Extremely lethal to aircraft

Counterair Targets(Surface Based Air Defenses)

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“... kinetic and non-kinetic operations conducted to attain and maintain...

space superiority by the destruction, degradation or disruption of enemy

space capability”

Counterspace

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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.

Counterspace

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Offensive Counterspace Deception Disruption Denial Degradation Destruction

Counterspace

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Defensive Counterspace Active & passive actions which protect our space-related capabilities from

enemy attack or interference

Counterspace

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“air and space operations against enemy land force capabilities to create effects

that achieve JFC objectives.”

Counterland

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Interdiction Close Air Support (CAS)

Counterland

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“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)

Counterland(Interdiction)

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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

Counterland(Interdiction)

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Air operations against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces…

Occurs on or near battlefield

Counterland(CAS)

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“...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

Countersea(Collateral Function)

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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

Information Operations

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Types of Operations Influence Electronic warfare Network combat

Information Operations

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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.

Information Operations

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“…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

Combat Support

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“…exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over

assigned and attached forces…”

Command & Control (C2)

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C2 includes the battlespace management process of planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling forces & operations Accomplished across the entire range of military operations

Command & Control (C2)

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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.

Airlift

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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!

Airlift

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Four delivery concepts Airland delivery Airdrop Hub and Spoke operations Direct delivery operations

Airlift

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Air refueling is the in-flight transfer of fuel between tanker and receiver aircraft

Air Refueling

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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

Air Refueling

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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

Spacelift

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The use of special airpower operations to conduct unconventional warfare, direct action, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, foreign internal defense, psychological operations, and counter proliferation

Special Operations Employment

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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!

Special Ops Employment

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

Surveillance

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A continuing process! Not oriented toward a specific target

Air- & space-based surveillance assets exploit elevation Detects enemy initiatives at long range

Surveillance

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…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.

Reconnaissance

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Surveillance & Reconnaissance must operate together to ensure proper Intelligence!

Reconnaissance

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

Intelligence

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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

Intelligence

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…a specific task performed by rescue forces to recover isolated personnel during war or military operations short of war.

Combat Search & Rescue

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Key element in sustaining morale, cohesion, and war-fighting capability of friendly forces Denies enemy potential intel sources Preserves combat resources

Combat Search & Rescue

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Levels of Air & Space Doctrine Functions of Air & Space Power

Strategic Attack Counterair Counterspace Counterland Countersea Information Operations Combat Support Command & Control (C2)

Functions of Air & Space Power Airlift Air Refueling Spacelift Special Operations Employment Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Combat Search & Rescue

Summary

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QUESTIONS ? ? ?

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Prepare for Lesson # 19 Air & Space System Capabilities

Homework

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