ABSTRACT
Airpower has been key to NATO’s deterrence posture ever since the organisation was founded. The Soviet Union was a useful unifying influence for NATO air forces, as it meant that the pacing threat systems were clear, and the likely potential operational environment and geography were established. The centrality of the nuclear mission to NATO’s defence plans also meant that resilient and regularly exercised Alliance-wide command and control arrangements were essential for all major air forces, given the potentially catastrophic results of any failure in that regard. If the US successfully changes way in which its combat airpower depends on large, airliner-derived intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and tanker enablers, it will have the unintended side effect of forcing other NATO air forces to seriously examine how they intend to ‘plug into’ any future US-led coalition. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
