ABSTRACT

Air power has been one of the key elements in modern warfare. This book, first published in 1986, analyses the likely changes to this key role as military technology and strategic thinking evolve. It begins with the history and present status of air power and assesses technical developments, and then discusses the character of future warfare, and its implications for planes and helicopters in land and sea campaigns. It also analyses issues like tactical air mobility, the vulnerability of airfields, aerial mass destruction, electronic warfare, and developments in NATO and Warsaw Pact. It concludes with an overview of the likely role of airpower in future warfare.

part One|116 pages

The Background to Debate

chapter 1|30 pages

The Historical Setting

chapter 2|16 pages

Contemporary Air Doctrines

chapter 3|14 pages

The Human Factor

chapter 4|31 pages

The Impact of Novel Technology

chapter 5|11 pages

The Changing Land Battle

chapter 6|12 pages

Technology Gaps

part Two|74 pages

Pre-Nuclear War Over Land

chapter 7|44 pages

The Classic Missions

chapter 8|15 pages

Tactical Air Mobility

chapter 9|13 pages

The Vulnerability of Airfields

part Three|34 pages

Other Environments

chapter 10|13 pages

Air Power at Sea

chapter 11|19 pages

Aerial Mass Destruction

part Four|54 pages

A Predictive Overview

chapter 12|20 pages

Costs Versus Benefits

chapter 13|32 pages

A Multiple Revolution in War