The Air Campaign, Descriptive Test
Introduction:
At present, the use of air power has been one of the most complex tools for use in volatile and changing scenarios of hybrid and irregular conflicts. Given this, doctrines and strategies have the need to be reviewed;This is how the existing precepts seeking the evolution, adaptation and validation to be applied in the present and future scenarios. Because of this it is important to analyze Warden’s theory, the aerospace doctrine manuals and use of air power of the Air War Academy, which are used as a conceptual basis for the use of air military power.
The air campaign in perspective
Thinking about war is perhaps the most complex task of human activity, this complexity has led to be studied by different thinkers and philosophers, in order to combat it, in this sense, it is necessary to divide it into components to understand its nature. However, to combat a war, adequate planning is required that allows them to conduct operations towards the achievement of its objectives. From this point of view, war will be related to the levels of responsibility.
War levels
According to the author, it determines four levels of war, which are coincident with those used in most countries with variations in names, these four levels are: great strategic, strategic, operational and tactical. However, in Peru three levels of war are defined and are the strategic, which is divided into military political and strategic strategic, the operational level and the tactical level.
The great strategic level of the war is where the decisions of the State will be determined, these decisions cover from entering war or not, see who will be their allies and against those who will fight, and above all that is what he wants after the war, it isSay here the objectives of the war and the desired final state are established. Because this level in Ecuador is carried out in the State Public Security Council (COSEPE) and in Peru (political strategic) by National Security Council (CSN).
The strategic level of the war is where the general conduction of war and the planning of the ends, modes and media is carried out, to decide the forces required to achieve the aims (objectives of the great strategic level in the military field), this levelIt is given by the highest military body of a State;However, in the FAE Air Strategy Manual, it describes that air power employment policies are conceived, and for this defines strength application and structure policies. Situation that can be valid for the preparation, equipment and training of the force, however, according to this level it must be in charge of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces to face a war.
The operational level of the war is where the planning of the ends, modes and media is carried out, which will allow it to determine how (mode) achieve the strategic purposes (strategic objectives) and the desired military state, with the assigned media. At this level, the employment plans of the land, maritime and aerial forces develop. In the FAE Air Strategy Manual, he describes that the air campaign is planned and directed at the Air Operations Theater. While in the doctrine of Peru it indicates that at this level operations are designed through operational art, in order to determine the strategies, campaigns and the organization of the assigned forces.
The tactical level of war is where the confrontation of the forces is carried out, although it is true that at this level the missions that come from the higher level are complied with, however, it also requires a planning for compliance.
We must bear in mind that the operational or operational level of the war is where the design and planning of the campaign is carried out to achieve the military strategic objectives. To do this, it makes use of art and operational design to determine where, when and for what purpose the forces will be used.
Two levels in Western Europe
In World War II, specifically during the landing on the Normandy beaches in June 1944 through Operation Overlord, General Eisenhower Commander responsible for this activity, had to plan the most suitable way to attack and invade the beaches that They were strongly protected by German troops, planning at the operational level demanded a joint application of all forces; that is, naval, aerial and terrestrial; However, because aerial superiority was needed before the landing, the Air Force previously attacked the decisive points or called centers of gravity of the enemy (communications and supply lines, oil stations, among others) allowing troops Surface conquer Normandy beaches more easily, this aerial activity was categorized as strategic given its importance in the operation, merging the operational and strategic levels at a single level of conduction according to the author according to the author.
In the doctrine of the Ecuadorian Air Force we find the clearly defined war levels, both the strategic and the operational level have their own specific responsibilities, the operational level is responsible for the conduction of the air campaign through the commander of the theater of operationsaerial and the strategic level of planning.
However, air operations due to their degree of complexity need to be considered decisive in campaigns, but understanding that they are part of a single strategy to achieve the desired objectives.
Gravity center
The centers of gravity are considered as the points where the enemy is more vulnerable and the attack can be decisive.
The center of gravity is a primary entity that has the inherent capacity to meet the objective.
Sun Tzu establishes that it is the general duty to describe these points to combat the adversary’s strategy.
With the concepts raised, it can be deduced that the determination of the centers of gravity is aimed at discoverEnemy’s strength, which would lead to the victory of a campaign. "How to know the centers of gravity is a process that emerges from determining at each level in which it has its center or centers of gravity and the force must apply to all".
The commander, once the mission has been received, must determine the centers of gravity as well as defined, the best way to neutralize and destroy it must be planned.
Both Warden and the AGA and its manual allocate the responsibility to the commander to determine and prepare the entire mission of destroying, neutralizing and/or degrading the adversary through the maneuvers or direct actions against military forces through the systematic, orderly and prioritized attack ofEach of the forces focused on the CDG.
With the responsibility and correct determination of the centers of gravity, the maneuver will be executed at different levels, reaching success at the strategic level (desired final state) and operational (centers of gravity). Own force must possess a combat power and an operational scope such that it can affect the critical factors of the other.
Air operations
“It is a set of air missions ……..is to achieve the established operational objective …."
In the aerospace doctrine it is importantthe operations.
Air superiority:
The Air Strategy Instruction Manual indicates to aerial superiority as: “the objective that will be achieved only with the neutralization or destruction of the adversary Air Force”;However, the end is not specified as in the air campaign: “It means having sufficient air control to carry out manned or unmanned attacks to the enemy without serious opposition and;On the other hand, be free of enemy’s aerial incursions ”. The basic aerospace doctrine states as: "The degree of air control as a consequence of the missions carried out, whose strategic involvement results from the abandonment of the enemy’s area of operations and facilitates the freedom of action and safety in space and time …" . Therefore, based on these concepts, the concept of aerospace doctrine is considered adequate, since it defines its application in time and space variables;However, to maintain a global concept, it should be added that this superiority can be achieved with the use of manned air media, not manned and/or with the joint media employment, as Baez mentions in the Yom Kippur war: "Israeli aviation …It was rejected by a modern anti -aircraft defense. Unable to penetrate it, by technological limitations, they had to be assisted by terrestrial means for neutralization ”.
Air supremacy:
Warden establishes that supremacy is the ability to operate the air forces anywhere without opposition, the basic doctrine indicates as the degree of air control by which, the aerospace power has total freedom to act in the time that is convenient inAll the space of the operations theater. Therefore it can be concluded that in the supremacy, the variables of time and space described in superiority, are no longer applicable because it allows action throughout the theater of operations, as the basic doctrine manual of Colombia cites it
Air superiority is crucial for success
Aerial superiority is crucial for success, yes, but reaching it is not an exclusive issue of the Air Force, air superiority must also be carried out with the support of the terrestrial and naval components, a land incursion of special forces towards a deployment pointof the enemy (position) to destroy the material and personnel as well as the naval bombardment from surface units also to a point of deployment of the enemy (position) are actions that would allow the Air Force to maintain aerial superiority without the use of this.
In the modern war, for example, it can be supported to achieve aerial superiority using other environments within the multidominium war, one of the techniques used is through cyber warmen affecting the strategic infrastructure therefore the economy of the enemy country, achievingThat its ability to withstand the war is reduced to such an extent to force its aircraft to remain on land, it is also a way of having aerial superiority giving freedom of action to other surface and air operations.
The five cases of war
Regarding the first case of the Air War, it is defined as the capacity of both Air Force that, according to the ability of their aircraft in terms of their reach, these were in a position to attack their enemy bases from their bases of origin whatwhich implied land attacks projecting the power of attack beyond the border line, the FAC frames it within its typical missions and type operations control the air, space and cyberspace as “air counterpower, attack on aircraft and aeronautical infrastructureand sweeping ".
The second example states that one of the Air Forces has a great ability to attack the other Air Force that is limited by making clear the superiority of the first, due to different causes of which can be the low amount of aircraftor availability of this
The third case considered one of the most dangerous, makes it clear that an Air Force is vulnerable to air attack, but the other is not able to carry out the attack on it, which prevents the achievement of aerial shares leaving it intact even being even being even beingVulnerable, what is missing the opportunity to be destroyed, even maintaining due to their own condition a certain degree of air control
The fourth condition is manifested as a situation in which neither of the two air forces can reach the base operation bases and are only able to perform the fight in the front of each of them which leaves the bulk of combat in theCombat Aire-Aire only.
The last case is manifested when there are no air forces on both sides so that all combat would be in its absence or naval, or because both countries decided not to use their aerial power in the conflict or because it is impossible to use its Air ForceDue to land or weather conditions, without ruling out their use at any time, so both commanders should be prepared
3.- Conclusions
While it is true that most of the topics discussed in the FAE Air Strategy Manual, but it is oriented to independent operations and not to joint operations as it has been developed in most armed forces and above allIn the future where multidominium operations should be developed.
The concept of aerial supremacy in aerospace doctrine is considered the most appropriate, because it defines its application in time and space variables;However, to maintain a global concept, it should be added that this superiority can be achieved with the use of manned, not manned air media and/or with the joint use of media. On the other hand, supremacy does not consider these variables essential since it allows free action at all times in the theater of operations.
Knowing to determine the critical factors of the adversary such as: its critical capacities, critical requirements and critical vulnerabilities, will lead to knowing the weakness and is in a well -determined center of gravity, using operational art as a tool to have a broader vision and increaseSynergy and efficiency of joint military action, including multidominium operation concepts.
In the five cases of the war, all possible conditions of the air-Aire employment of air power are framed, so it is important to clearly identify what our condition is before combat and thus be able to elaborate or capture the aerial strategy in all thelevels of military driving and thus better use the media.
Air superiority is crucial for the success of war, but for this it is necessary that the State conceives that this also requires the use of the rest of the multidominium war components, such as the land, naval, cyber war war.
4.- Recommendation:
With this comparative analysis, it is recommended that the manuals of instruction and use of force be updated and aimed at the application against new threats, focused on the hybrid war and irregular forces.
Bibliography
- AGA. (2000). EMPLOYMENT OF AIR POWER. Quito: AGA.
- Baez, f. (2018). Joint military action.
- Coedma. (2013). Communications Instruction Manual. Quito.
- Eilkmeier, d. (2019). Colonel.
- Fac. (2013). Basic Air and Space Doctrine (Madba).
- FAE. (2014). Air Strategy Instruction Manual.
- FAE. (2018). FAE Aerospace Doctrine.
- FAE Doctrine. (2018). Basic Aerospace Doctrine of FAE. Quito: All Digital.
- Fernando, b. (2018). Joint military action.
- Lorenzo, m. C. (2017). CEFADIGITAL. Obtained from http: // 190.12.101.91: 80/JSPUI/HANDLE/1847939/1169
- Warden, J. (2008). The air campaign.
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