The Air Campaign: Planning For Combat

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Illustrations
 Photographs
 Tables
 Foreword
 Preface
 Introduction
 Acknowledgments
 The Air Campaign in Prospect
 The Levels of War
 Lack of Coherent Operational Doctrine
 Two Levels Nearly Merged in Western Europe
 \"\"Center of Gravity\"\" Useful in Planning
 Single Arms Can Prevail
 1. Air Superiority-The Concept
 Air Supremacy Allows Operations Anywhere
 Air Superiority Crucial to Success
 The Five Cases of War
 Infrastructure Essential
 2. Offense or Defense-the Chess Game
 Emphasize Defense, or Concentrate on Offense
 Two Examples of Air Defense Phasing Important to DefenseMacArthur Sought Air Superiority
 Kenny Exploited Japanese Doctrine
 Misplaced Contempt Can Lead to Errors
 Indirect Feint Can be Effective
 3. Offensive Operations
 War Can be Won From the Air
 \"\"Equipment Chain\"\" Must be Evaluated
 Obvious Choice Often Worst One
 Patience, Persistence are the Keys
 Flight Crews are Precious Resource
 Command is True Center of Gravity
 Ethnocentricity Should be Avoided
 Hansell Urges Strategic Bombing in Pacific
 Israelis Capitalize on Weaknesses in Syrian Doctrine
 4. Defensive Operations
 Doctrine May Influence the Situation Mass Must be Available for AttackerDamage is Key to Not Losing
 Loss Ratios a Function of Force Ratios
 The More Warning, the Better
 5. Limited Options
 Options Depend on the Enemy
 Mobility Can Win the Battle
 Candid Advice Needed
 6. Air Interdiction
 In Retreat
 Static Defense Against An Enemy Offensive
 Offensive Operations on Both Sides
 Offensive Operations Against a Static Defense
 Against a Retreating Enemy
 Against Self-Sufficient Forces
 7. Close Air Support
 Close Air Versus Interdiction
 Ground Commanders are in Charge
 Close Air Can be a Substitute Bad Weather Can Limit Close Air Support8. Reserves
 Reserves May Help Better the Odds
 Shock Value of Reserves Can be Valuable
 Sortie Not Flown is Not a Sortie Lost
 Air Reserves Won the Battle of Britain
 Reserves Can be Applicable to Air Operations
 War Efforts Come in Surges
 9. The Orchestration of War
 Political, Military Objectives are Related
 Theater Commander\'s Position is Unique
 \"\"Liberators Instead of Destroyers\"\"
 \"\"Radical\"\" Ideas May be Opposed
 Center of Gravity Must be Identified
 Air Seen as a Supporting Arm
 Broad Front, or Indirect Approach Sea Forces Easiest to Choose or Reject10. Planning the Air Campaign
 Enemy\'s Plans May be Anticipated
 Statistics Favor the Side that Moves First
 Center of Gravity May Not be Reachable
 Throw Everything at the Ground
 Three Categories of Interdiction
 Mystify, Mislead, Surprise
 Reserves-To Have or Have Not
 The Air Campaign In Retrospect
 Two Ends of the Scale
 Numbers are Important
 Reserves A New Subject
 War is Baffling, Intriguing
 Selected Bibliography