AirPwr OpsTheory: Bombs,Drone

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor

America’s air weapon is dangerously alluring, because to America’s political leaders it is a quick and low-cost solution to any international crisis. When they want to “do something” without committing large numbers of boots on the ground, policymakers tend to reach for American airpower as the default option. They are also accustomed to three decades of American air dominance, with the Air Force quickly seizing control of enemy skies. US strategic competitors have studied this record of success, however, developing a range of anti-access/area-denial capabilities to contest control of the air. Now for the first time in decades, the United States is not assured of uncontested air supremacy. New threats are also emerging, with more small states and even non-state actors employing missiles and drones to deadly effect. At the same time, new and emerging technologies—robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and additive manufacturing—are dramatically changing the future of air warfare. Accordingly, this course addresses three key questions: 1) how effective is airpower as a military instrument for achieving US strategic and political objectives? 2) Will the US be able to continue to control the skies in future wars? 3) What is the future of air warfare? Specifically, the course will review airpower theory and emerging American, Russian, and Chinese airpower concepts, as well as examine several contemporary case studies of airpower employment to better understand contemporary policy debates.