Air Intelligence and the Search for the Center of Gravity
Abstract
The great military strategist, Carl Von Clausewitz in his landmark study On War says the first task 'in planning for war is to identify the enemy's centers of gravity and if possible trace them back to a single one.' (1:619) America's Air Forces have been notably unsuccessful in accomplishing this first task of warfare. As a consequence in World War II (WWII), Korea and Vietnam air power failed to live up to its tremendous technological promise. The Air Force has developed most of the necessary ingredients for success; a coherent air power doctrine, a concomitant broad air strategy in each war it has fought, and the mightiest air armadas ever assembled; capable of striking with terrible power on pinpoint locations. But the lack of a 'tracing mechanism' -- a robust air intelligence system -- to find the enemy's center of gravity has prevented the Air Force from honing it's air strategy to a fine point. As a result it has not decisively aimed it's tremendous striking power at lucrative targets in the enemy's center of gravity. Keywords: Periodicals, Military publications, Reports.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA219952
Entities
People
- Charles N. Culbertson
Organizations
- Air War College