Engineering Commons^™

Control Of The Air: The Enduring Requirement, Richard P. Hallion

U.S. Air Force Research

Throughout the military history of the twentieth century, the role of aerospace forces has become more predominant. Today, wars typically start, are prosecuted, and reach their decisive culminating point--whether surrender of a foe, agreement to a ceasefire, or the ceasing of combat operations--thanks to air action. Given these circumstances, to lose control of the air is to lose a war, particularly in an era (as we now are in since the end of the Cold War) when deployable overseas forces are small, and, thus, particularly vulnerable to the tremendous leverage an opponent gains by sudden and swift air attack. If …