Deception : manipulating perception in air warfare

Abstract

Early military theorists and philosophers recognized that deception is a fundamental part of war. Although camouflage, concealment, and deception (CC and D) techniques have been used extensively throughout the history of air warfare, most historical accounts of deception in warfare focus on war on land and at sea. This paper explores the progression of CC and D techniques used in air warfare. In doing so, it analyzes what the USAF can learn from the developmental progression and employment methods of CC and D that might enable it to have a long-term advantage over its adversaries. Despite amazing advancements in aircraft and long-range offensive weapons technologies, a corresponding progression of defensive capabilities (or restrictive air-to-air rules of engagement)present the very real possibility of aerial warfare returning to the WVR arena. When it does, high-tech USAF assets must be armed with every advantage, possibly including low-tech CC and D solutions based on historical means and methods.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2019
Accession Number
AD1107505

Entities

People

  • J. T. Walsh

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Bomber Aircraft
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Military Aircraft
  • Military Applications
  • Military Aviation
  • Military Science
  • Second World War
  • Tactical Aircraft
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Distributed Systems and Data Platform Development
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies