United States Air Force: Air Doctrine – Provide Global Capability

Objective:Know how the United

States Air Force is structured in terms of missions and roles

Describe the characteristics, objectives and aircraft used to provide the United States Air Force a global attack capability

Joint Task List Review - Global Attack Capability

Strategic vs. TacticalStrategic Attack

CapabilitiesEffects Based Operations

Counter Land CapabilitiesCounter Sea CapabilitiesSpecial Forces Capabilities

United States Air Force: Air Doctrine – Provide Global Capability

PROVIDE AIR AND SPACE SUPERIORITY

PROVIDE COUNTER AIR CAPABILITIE

S

PROVIDE COUNTER SPACE

CAPABILITIES

PROVIDE PRECISIONENGAGEMENT

PROVIDE LETHAL

PRECISION ENGAGEMENTCAPABILITIES

PROVIDE NON-LETHAL

PRECISION ENGAGEMENTCAPABILITIES

PROVIDECSAR

CAPABILITIES

PROVIDE INFORMATIONSUPERIORITY

PROVIDEINFORMATION OPERATIONS

CAPABILITIES

PROVIDE GLOBAL ATTACK

PROVIDE STRATEGIC

ATTACK CAPABILITIE

S

PROVIDE COUNTERLAND CAPABILITIES

PROVIDE COUNTERSEA CAPABILITIE

S

PROVIDE SPECIAL FORCES

CAPABILITIES

PROVIDE RAPID GLOBAL MOBILITY

PROVIDE AIRLIFT

CAPABILITIES

PROVIDE AIR REFULEING

CAPABILITIES

PROVIDE SPACELIFT

CAPABILITIES

PROVIDE AEF

CAPABILITIES

Joint Task List

Strategic vs. TacticalStrategic – def: “relating to the

creation of strategy”Strategic Plan Usually sequentially drivenWhile this strategic plan

development applies to military operations as well, in terms of capabilities the term “Strategic” is used to describe the overall effect of a specific operation.

To help simplify this definition, lets look at sports…

Strategic vs. Tactical

Warden’s COGs

• Remember, its about the effect•The difficult part in comparing strategic vs. tactical effects is that sometimes a “tactical” event can have “strategic” consequences

Effects Based Operations

Tactical

Strategic

Global Capability – Strategic Attack

Strategic Attack is defined as military action carried out against an enemy’s Center of Gravity (COG) or other vital target sets, including command elements, war-production assets, and key supporting infrastructure

Global Capability – Counter LandCounter Land Operations: Counter Land involves those operations conducted to attain and maintain a desired degree of superiority over surface operations by the destruction or neutralization of enemy surface forces.

Global Capability – Counter LandCounter Land Operations: Includes two subgroups:

- Air Interdiction operations destroys, disrupts, diverts, or delays the enemy’s surface military potential before it can be used effectively against friendly forces.

- Close Air Support is the use of aerospace assets to directly support the ground force.

Air Interdiction

Close Air Support

Counter Sea Operations are a collateral function that extends the application of Air Force power into the maritime environment. Specific Counter Sea missions include surface warfare (anti-ship), undersea warfare (anti-submarine), sea surveillance, and aerial mine-laying.

Global Capability – Counter Sea

Global Capability – Special Operations

Special Operations employment is the use of special operations airpower, to conduct the following primary missions: unconventional warfare, direct action, special reconnaissance, combating terrorism, foreign internal defense, psychological operations (PSYOP), civil affairs, information operations, and counter proliferation

United States Air Force: Air Doctrine – Provide Global Capability

Objective:Know how the United

States Air Force is structured in terms of missions and roles

Describe the characteristics, objectives and aircraft used to provide the United States Air Force a global attack capability