1. Foundations

Abstract

For decades air power has been the primary tool used by major powers to coerce recalcitrant opponents. Aircraft have fundamentally changed the conduct of war on land and at sea at the tactical level. The principles of deployment have changed little over the last century; only the technology has altered. ‘Foundations’ describes the four roles of air power: control of the air; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; attack; and mobility. Without a significant degree of control of the air, the other three elements are impossible to achieve. It also explains that military air operations exist within a number of physical and conceptual dimensions. First and foremost is logistics.