Persistent Airpower for Unconventional Warfare: Revamping AFCENT's Operational Design

Abstract

The recent presidential decision to end U.S. combat operations in Iraq in August 2010 moves Operation Iraqi Freedom from stability operations to enabling Iraqi civil authority. However, even though the Iraqi Army will assume responsibility for defense, the Iraqi Air Force is not ready to assume control of air operations. Consequently, the U.S. will be required to provide the Iraqi Army and U.S. advisors with air support. Yet, why must U.S. airpower remain behind? The answer lies in U.S. Air Forces Central's (AFCENT) operational design. By tracing the history from the Second World War to Operation Iraqi Freedom, one will see that airpower has played a significant role in both conventional and unconventional operations. However, AFCENT's current construct is based on the lessons learned during conventional, not unconventional operations. Therefore, AFCENT should adopt an unconventional operational design to provide ground forces with persistent airpower during stability operations while preparing a host nation's air force to assume control of air defense.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 04, 2009
Accession Number
ADA502979

Entities

People

  • Lee G. Gentile

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • C4I
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Force
  • Airframes
  • Combat Operations
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Joint Military Activities
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Reconnaissance
  • Second World War
  • Stability Operations
  • Transport Aircraft
  • Unconventional Warfare
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military Science