Operational Leadership in Air Warfare: A Study of the Battle of Britain and Operation Desert Storm

Abstract

The essence of operational leader ship is its function as the bridge between the strategic, the operational and the tactical levels of war. In accomplishing this, the most critical aspects a leader must concern himself with are the preparation of the command, and communicating effectively with superiors and subordinates alike. This paper will look at two case studies, the Battle of Britain and the air campaign of operation Desert Storm, and will discuss the strengths and weaknesses in operational leadership as exhibited by the victorious leaders, Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding and General Charles A. Horner. As their triumphs and failures will show, the proper exercise of operational leadership is not necessarily validated by victory alone.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 08, 1994
Accession Number
ADA279588

Entities

People

  • Kenneth P. Neubauer

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Aircrafts
  • Combat Operations
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • International Organizations
  • Military Force Levels
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Navy
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Second World War
  • United States
  • War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.