A Kill is A Kill: Asymmetrically Attacking U.S. Airpower - Tactical and Operational Level, Targeting, On the Ramp, Aircraft Carriers, Deception, Urban Warfare, Israeli Experience, MANPADS, Lasers

This excellent report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. Efforts towards organizing, training, and equipping U.S. airpower assets remain based on the assumption of face-to-face conventional confrontations. This is a comforting hypothesis, as U.S. technological superiority should keep the odds stacked in our favor for decades to come. Air strategists may be overlooking the fact, however, that this very technological superiority may force adversaries to counter U.S. airpower with other than conventional methods. Couple this with the strong possibility that the interests of the U.S. and our opponents will likely be found on opposite ends of the spectrum of war, and U.S. airpower could be in for some surprises. This study analyzes the asymmetric threat to U.S. airpower across the political, operational, and tactical levels of war and examines whether the U.S. has adequately prepared itself to counter asymmetrical measures against its airpower assets. The answers are not reassuring. U.S. airpower is not likely to overwhelming technological capability by increasing friction levels and changing our visions of surgical warfare into an attrition reality. They will attempt to inflict "virtual attrition" as well by changing U.S. targeting strategies and reducing our effectiveness while buying themselves time to attain their objectives. In this respect, U.S. airpower can be strategically defeated.

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION * The Question * Background and Significance of the Problem * Limitations of the Study * Methodology * Terminology * Preview of the Argument * Chapter 2: ASYMMETRIC RESPONSES AT THE POLITICAL LEVEL * Propaganda * Coalition Busting * Enemy Measures to Change U.S. Targeting Strategy * Conclusion * Chapter 3: ASYMMETRIC RESPONSES AT THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL * Attacking Airpower on the Ramp * Aircraft Carriers * Deception * Urban Warfare * Conclusion * Chapter 4: ASYMMETRIC RESPONSES AT THE TACTICAL LEVEL * The Israeli Experience * MANPADS * The Laser Threat * Conclusion * CONCLUSIONS