Airpower in Mountains
Abstract
This paper explores a neglected facet of the study of airpower; its relationship with mountainous terrain. Land forces have had thousands of years of experience to draw their lessons, and so are well versed with the effects of mountains. Air Forces only have a century of experience. The paper studies this century of experience in one geographical area, the Hindu Kush, through the experiences of three states wielding airpower: Britain, the USSR and the United States. This paper studies the similarities of the three experiences to draw inferences and discern patterns. The starting point of the study is the limitations faced by land forces operating in mountains. Altitude, mountain weather, and terrain adversely affect airpower, but the relevance of airpower in mountains clearly emerges only when one first appreciates the limitations of land forces. The thirty-year British experience in India saw airpower increase in capability from infancy to adulthood. Airpower made a bid for independent action before settling down to joint operations with the army. The nine-year Soviet occupation shows high reliance on airpower from the beginning, used in joint operations with land forces, especially in techniques like air assault. The US experience shows the heavy strategic reliance on airpower, as well as a reliance of airpower on ground forces to achieve its own objectives. The evidence is analyzed in two ways. First, the theoretical lens of Colin Gray's advantages and disadvantages of airpower is used to see the effect that mountains have on the use of airpower. Second, the common patterns in each campaign are traced in order to see which roles of airpower stand out in mountains. The patterns show that militaries instinctively turned to airpower to provide the mobility that the mountains impede. While airpower provided this mobility from the beginning, its performance in delivering firepower to the battlefield was not as good.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- AD1019371
Entities
People
- Ashish Singh
Organizations
- Air University