Since Airpower entered the scene as an element of military power in World War I, war is no longer what it used to be. Air power has introduced technology-enabled capabilities and its impact on warfare has been enormous. The impact of airpower technology on war has been wrongly perceived by some. When it was first used in World War I, the observation and surveillance capabilities of air power very rapidly negated the maneuver options of the adversary. As a result, the inability to carryout flanking maneuvers contributed to the now infamous ‘trench warfare’ and its appalling casualty rate changed the face of war forever. The character of war once again changed during World War II as air power was employed as the only means to attack the German forces and territories in the initial years of the war. The concept of defending land borders by the army of the nation was proven to be unsustainable very quickly. Air control as a prerequisite for the success of any other operation also became apparent during World War II. Ever since then, every military force in the world strives to obtain and maintain Air control to ensure that surface military operations can be undertaken without interference from the enemy. Airpower has become the norm of war today. The two main reasons of this change have been the preponderance of lethal power that the military of the developed nations have and the rapid response air power has enabled.1 Another change to the character of war brought about by airpower is its modus operandi. Airpower through technology based advances optimizes control of the air, strike, air mobility, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). This made airpower become an asymmetric asset for the military forces and an important...
This technology was first adopted by Air power and Special Forces. The improvements in operational and tactical application of airpower changed the character and conduct of operations of military forces but did not change the nature of war. War remains eternally influenced by the political objectives of the nation as an instrument of national policy. The conduct of war on the other hand is influenced by many factors and it’s continually in a state of flux. Airpower is one of the factors that altered the conduct of war greatly.References
1. Seng GT. AIR POWER: ALTERING THE CHARACTER AND CONDUCT OF WAR. http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/media/PDF-Files/Pathfinder/PF294-Air-Power-Altering-the-Character-and-Conduct-of-War.pdf. Published 2017. Accessed April 9, 2018.
2. Mueller KP. Air Power. RAND Corporation . https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/reprints/2010/RAND_RP1412.pdf. Accessed April 9, 2018.
3. Deptula DA. Effects-based operations: change in the nature of warfare. Aerospace Education Foundation; 2001.
4. Krause ME. Airpower in Modern War. AIR UNIV MAXWELL AFB AL AIR FORCE RESEARCH INST; 2015 Jun.
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