Air defense

“ The strategic bombing campaign forced Germany to divert 40 percent of its industry to aerial defense, 2 million of its workers to manufacturing supplies and equipment for air defense, 2 million of its soldiers to manning ground defenses, and 2.5 million of its laborers to cleaning up the damage. Victory in the air was "complete," and air power had helped "turn the tide overwhelmingly in favor of Allied ground forces." ”

“ China's territorial air defense system stands on permanent alert. It keeps track of any developments in the air, preserves air traffic order, organizes combat air patrols, handles air emergencies, and resolutely defends China's sovereignty over its territorial air and its air security. ”

“ The 12,000-man air forces are equipped with about 400 aircraft, of which 320 are jet fighters. The air defense component draws personnel from the ground forces to man surface-to-air missile (SAM) , anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) , and air control and warning (ACW) radar units; pilots and other air personnel for air defense are provided by the air forces.
The armed forces have a limited offensive capability, but in fulfillment of their mission of territorial defense, they are capable of defensive action against a Western force of eight to 10 divisions. ”

“ If the mission of the ground forces was the defense of the land frontier, and the mission of the seaborne forces was the defense of the sea frontier, then, logically, the mission of the air force must be the defense of the air frontier. The key to the problem was the advent of commercial air transport. ”

“ Under certain circumstances, such as when the enemy has a strong low-level air defense artillery system, a high-altitude drop may be best. The aerial resupply and accompanying bundle system can automatically deliver a payload into a small area from high altitudes and substantial lateral distances. ”

“ Our men and women in uniform stand ready to preserve America's freedom and protect our national interests whenever and wherever they are threatened.
The Second World War also proved the critical importance of air power to the defense of our Nation. With the creation of the United States Air Force as an independent armed service within the Department of Defense, the National Security Act helped to ensure America's mastery of the skies. ”

“ Coalition aircraft, including more than 70 distinct types from ten countries, struck at command, control, and communications centers, bridges, oil refineries, air defense facilities, radar sites, nuclear weapon production facilities, chemical and biological production facilities, electrical production facilities, weapons production facilities, missile launch sites, ports, and others. ”

“ Cooperation All activities will cooperate with Air Defense Command representatives to insure the economical and prompt success of an investigation, including the furnishing of air and ground transportation, when feasible. Guidance The thoroughness and quality of a report or investigation into incidents of unidentified flying objects are limited only by the resourcefulness and imagination of the person responsible for preparing the report. ”

“ Congress has authorized and appropriated funds for 316 strategic airlift aircraft. (2) The commander of the United States Transportation Command has testified to Congress that it is essential to safeguard the capabilities and capacity of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to meet wartime surge demands in connection with major combat operations and that procurement by the Air Force of excess organic strategic airlift aircraft could be harmful to the health of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. (3) The C-17 aircraft is used extensively by the Air Mobility Command in the Global War on Terror. ”

“ AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY SUPPORT Because LRS missions are conducted against second echelon and follow-on enemy forces, Army air defense artillery units are seldom used in direct support of these operations. However, during infiltration and exfiltration, air defense artillery units may support the team as it crosses the forward edge of the battle area. ”

“ This reason alone would warrant one in predicting that the defense of our country is definitely going to pass from the limited activities of the Army and Navy to an Air Department, for the plane has no boundary or limit of range in offense or defense. ”

“ Fixed-wing aerial fire support may come from Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps units. The type of unit providing support, the aircraft, and the mix of ordnance carried, all affect the fire support planning and coordination process. ”

“ The team must maintain the advantage of operating by stealth regardless of the infiltration method. Infiltration requires the support of the corps or division staff to include the G2, G3, fire support officer, air defense artillery officer, and air liaison officer. Certain fundamentals apply to every infiltration. ”

“ Once beyond this area (and perhaps for most of the route) , teams will be beyond the range of conventional artillery, and must depend on air (and perhaps naval) assets for fire support. (5) Since teams depend on the transporting unit during this phase, coordinating all aspects of the air insertion with the transporting units is essential. To lower the chances of detection, teams make the best use of reduced visibility, tactical cover, and deception. Drop zones and landing zones should be behind tree lines, in small forest clearings, or on other inconspicuous terrain. ”

“ Prewar doctrine dictated that unescorted self-defending bombers could fight their way through air defenses to destroy targets in an enemy's heartland. Attacking in small numbers (AWPD/I had called for a force of 6,834 bombers) , the USAAF was severely tested by poor weather, bombing inaccuracy, diversions of bombers to North Africa and against submarine pens, and stiff enemy defenses as it attempted to get at Germany's industrial web. ”

“ Rehearsals cannot be overemphasized. The team rapidly assembles, reorganizes, and leaves the insertion site. (5) Fire support, if available, may be artillery, naval gunfire, attack helicopters, or USAF tactical aircraft. The fire support plan supports all other plans. Supporting fires are thoroughly coordinated with the air mission commander. (6) Other planning considerations are evasion and escape, actions at the last LZ, assembly plan, downed aircraft procedures, control measures, weather delays, deception plans, and OPSEC. 3-8. ”

“ LRS teams require assistance from the Air Force for insertion, extraction, or close air support. Specially trained USAF crews are proficient in special operations, low-level flight. These crews can also operate using the adverse weather aerial delivery system. ”

“ Little has developed in relation to our national defense which needs special attention. Progress is constantly being made in air navigation and requires encouragement and development. Army aviators have made a successful trip around the world, for which I recommend suitable recognition through provisions for promotion, compensation, and retirement. ”

“ Perform other potential missions as directed by the commander to include: emplace remote sensors; conduct radiological or chemical surveys; direct fire missions for artillery, naval gunfire, or close air support; and conduct pathfinder or linkup operations, or both. b. Navy and Marine Corps. Both the USN and the USMC have units equipped and trained to support ground forces. LRS operations may require the following support: (1) Close air support from fixed- or rotary-wing attack aircraft against targets in or around the target area. ”

“ Contingency provisions should be made for air and water rescue as well. b. Special Airborne Assault Techniques. In airborne insertions during limited visibility, major emphasis is placed on use of special delivery or navigational techniques. ”

“ Regardless of the fact that this country was at peace and our military policy a defensive one, our farseeing Air Corps leaders continued to build American air power around the heavy, long-range bomber. As the heavy bomber was primarily an offensive weapon, many Americans believed the Army’s development of it to be contrary to our declared policy. ”

“ But we are dealing with the immediate future, and an uncertain period may elapse before aircraft can combine with their superior power of movement the radius of action, reliability and hitting power of the other weapons. In pointing out the decisiveness of an air blow at the enemy nation’s nerve system, we pre-supposed two conditions; first, a superior air force; second, a centralized objective such as a highly-developed industrial state offers. The European nations and Japan afford such a target to air attack, but not so a country as vast as the United States ”

“ In modern war the mobilization period tends to shorten, and every effort will be made towards its further reduction, since mobilizing armies are particularly vulnerable from air attack.
Civil Aviation as a Factor in National Security.
The picture I have drawn may appear highly coloured for the reason that no country is likely for some time to possess sufficiently large air forces to obtain a decisive victory, or at any rate an uncontested superiority, at the outbreak of war. ”

“ One additional word about aircraft, about which we read so much. Recent wars, including the current war in Europe, have demonstrated beyond doubt that fighting efficiency depends on unity of command, unity of control.
In sea operations the airplane is just as much an integral part of the unity of operations as are the submarine, the destroyer and the battleship, and in land warfare the airplane is just as much a part of military operations as are the tank corps, the engineers, the artillery or the infantry itself. Therefore, the air forces should continue to be part of the Army and Navy. ”

“ For seven decades the United States Air Force has pushed the boundaries of science and technology, helped restore peace and stability to troubled lands, and kept Americans safe from those who threaten our very way of life.
Nothing inspires more confidence in our friends or strikes more fear in the hearts of our enemies than the sight of American warplanes on the horizon. You patrol the sky, protect the homeland, and deliver American justice to anyone who dares to threaten our people. ”

“ Today a new generation of Airborne forces is fighting a war against an enemy that threatens the peace and stability of the world. At this critical time, Airborne forces of the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force are continuing the noble tradition of the first sky soldiers. Americans are grateful for the service of our Airborne forces and all our troops, and we are inspired by the strength and sacrifice of our military members and their families. ”

“ In the evolution of aviation during the war the conclusion has been reached that the most remarkable lines of development at the Armistice were in the direction of ground and night fighting, torpedo attack and long-range bombing, exemplifying respectively the three spheres of air operations—military co-operation, naval co-operation, and the strategic use of aircraft. ”

“ Control of the air involves the simultaneous use of two types of planes—first, the long-range heavy bomber; and, second, the light bombers, dive bombers, torpedo planes, and short-range pursuit planes, all of which are essential to the protection of the bases and of the bombers themselves.
Heavy bombers can fly under their own power from here to the southwest Pacific, but the smaller planes cannot. Therefore, these lighter planes have to be packed in crates and sent on board cargo ships. ”

“ It is a paradoxical-looking but quite valid proposition that the less we develop special skill and invention in air-warfare the more prolonged and destructive air-warfare is likely to be. A brilliantly clever and trained and equipped air force might even be capable of purely defensive warfare. A clumsy, abundant air force, incapable of encountering and outflying its antagonists, could only work by the cruel and de-civilising method of reprisal raids. ”

“ This gave me a dangerous sense of safety, and so I tipped up on one side, then on the other, examining the roads, searching the ruins of villages, the trenches, the shell-marked ground. I saw no living thing; brute or human; nothing but endless, inconceivable desolation.
The foolishness of that close scrutiny alone, without the protection of other avions, I realize now much better than I did then. Unless flying at six thousand metres or above,—when he is comparatively safe from attack,—a pilot may never relax his vigilance for thirty seconds together. ”

“ In actual warfare it is not impossible that weapons of defense will be at once devised that will make the work of an aeroplane almost a deliberate sacrifice of life. If any one of you wishes to wait until the science we are developing is more advanced and aviation of this sort is attended with less danger, do not be ashamed to say so. ”

“ If fighting went on only at ground level Bloch would win at this stage, but here it is that the aeroplane comes in. From the ground it would be practically impossible to locate the enemies' dug-outs, secondary defences, and batteries. But the aeroplane takes us immediately into a new grade of warfare, in which the location of the defender's secondary trenches, guns, and even machine-gun positions becomes a matter of extreme precision—provided only that the offensive has secured command of the air and can send his aeroplanes freely over the defender lines. ”