Air Force Operations Flashcards
Comprehension
Tenets of the airforce
Centralized Control/Decentralized execution: Because of air and space’s power unique potential to directly affect the strategic and operational levels of war, it should be controlled by a single airman who maintains the broad, strategic perspective necessary to balance and prioritize the use of a powerful, highly desired yet limited force.
Flexible and Versatile: Flexibility allows airpower exploit mass and maneuver simultaneously. Versatility is the ability to employ airpower effectively at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of warfare.
Synergistic effects: The proper application of a coordinated force across multiple domains can produce effects that exceed the contributions of forces employed individually.
Persistence: Airpower’s exceptional speed and range allow its forces to visit and revisit wide ranges of targets nearly at will.
Concentration: Airmen should guard the inadvertent dilution of airpower effects resulting from high demand.
Priority: Commanders should establish clear priorities for the use of airpower. Due to its inherent flexibility, the demands for airpower may likely exceed available resources.
Balance: Dynamic and correct balancing of the principles of war and the tenets of airpower to bring Air Force capabilities together to produce a synergistic effect.
Air Power
the ability to project military power or influence through the control and exploitation of air, space, and cyberspace to achieve strategic, operational, or tactical objectives.
The Air Force’s enduring contributions?
(1) air and space superiority; (2) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; (3) rapid global mobility; (4) global strike; and (5) command and control.
Air Supremacy?
the degree of air superiority wherein the opposing air force is incapable of effective interference
SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses)
Activity that neutralizes, destroys, or temporarily degrades surface-based enemy air defenses by destructive and/or disruptive means.
US Air Force Core Functions
1.) Nuclear Deterrence Operations operate, maintain, and secure nuclear forces to achieve an assured capability to deter an adversary from taking action against vital US interests.
2.) Air Superiority s “that degree of dominance in the air battle of one force over another which permits the conduct of operations by the former and its related land, sea, air, and special operations forces at a given time and place without prohibitive interference by the opposing force”
3.) Space Superiority “the degree of dominance in space of one force over another that permits the conduct of operations by the former and its related land, sea, air, space,and special operations forces at a given time and place without prohibitive interference by the opposing force”
4.)Cyberspace Superiority “the operational advantage in, through, and from cyberspace to conduct operations at a given time and in a given domain without prohibitive interference”
5.)Command and Control the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission.
6.)Global Integrated ISR synchronization and integration of the planning and operation of sensors, assets, and processing, exploitation, dissemination systems across the globe to conduct current and future operations.
7.)Global Precision Attack is the ability to hold at risk or strike rapidly and persistently, with a wide range of munitions, any target and to create swift, decisive, and precise effects across multiple domains.
8.)Special Operations “operations conducted in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments to achieve military, diplomatic, informational, and/or economic
objectives employing military capabilities for which there is no broad conventional force requirement.
9.)Rapid Global Mobility timely deployment, employment, sustainment, augmentation, and redeployment of military forces and capabilities across the ROMO.
10.)Personnel Recovery defined as “the sum of military, diplomatic, and civil efforts to prepare for and execute the recovery and reintegration of isolated personnel”
11.)Agile Combat Support s the ability to field, protect, and sustain Air Force forces across the ROMO to achieve joint effects.
12.)Building Partnerships described as Airmen interacting with international airmen and other relevant actors to develop, guide, and sustain relationships for mutual benefit
and security.
Air Force Limitations
Virtually all AF capabilities rely on Air Superiority
- Generally need forward basing and overflight in or near the JOA
- Requirements for fuel, munitions, food/water/housing
- Persistence and range require tankers and air refueling
- Crew and aircraft sortie limitations
- Forward basing can strain limited mobility assets
- Air assets are limited – multiple missions dilute capabilities
- Requirement for intelligence/weather support for accurate targeting
- Limited attack effectiveness against dispersed fielded forces (COIN?)
- Political commitment and restraints/constraints
- Strategic attack may have limited effect against determined enemy
Others???
The air and space expeditionary task force (AETF)
the primary means by which the Air Force presents forces to a JFC. AETFs are sized and tailored to meet specific mission requirements.
What makes up an AETF?
- A single commander (COMAFFOR)
- Command and control mechanisms - AOC & A-Staff
- Tailored and fully supported forces
What’s the difference between an “AEF” and an “AETF”?
An Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) is an AF force generation construct used to manage battle rhythm, provide predictability and provide AF capabilities in support of the GCCs. AEFs are simply a force management tool.
