Introduction to Air Superiority

The US Air Force is at a crossroads, with some arguing that the service should prioritize drones and munitions over advanced fighters and high-end capabilities. However, this approach overlooks the importance of air superiority in achieving strategic advantages. In this article, we will explore the concept of air superiority and why it remains a crucial objective for the US Air Force.

Understanding Air Superiority

Air superiority is not about permanent dominance everywhere, but rather about achieving sufficient control in specific areas for specific durations to fulfill a specific mission. This concept is inherently local and temporal, and it does not require eliminating every enemy aircraft or missile. Instead, it focuses on generating sufficient control to enable joint effects.

Confusing Superiority with Supremacy

There is a danger in conflating air superiority with air supremacy, which implies near-total dominance. Air superiority, on the other hand, is operationally bounded and achievable in a near-peer conflict. The US Air Force doctrine defines air superiority as the degree of dominance in the air battle that permits operations at a given time and place, without prohibitive interference from enemy air and missile threats.

The Importance of Air Superiority

Air superiority enables the Navy to sail, the Army to maneuver, and the Air Force to attack, impose strategic effects, and achieve war-winning objectives. It is not simply a supporting function, but a prerequisite for the decisive application of airpower. Without air superiority, campaigns devolve into attrition, and maneuver becomes constrained.

Lessons from Ukraine and Iran

The conflicts in Ukraine and Iran demonstrate the importance of air superiority. In Ukraine, the failure to achieve air superiority early in the campaign has resulted in a stalemate, with both sides operating under constant threat from aircraft, surface-to-air systems, and unmanned systems. In Iran, the suppression of air defenses and hostile aircraft has enabled coalition forces to gain freedom to strike military infrastructure, disrupt command networks, and impose strategic effects across the theater.

Recommitting to Air Superiority

The US Air Force, combatant commands, and professional military education schools should reject calls to redefine airpower in terms of denial strategies. Instead, they should reaffirm air superiority as a foundational objective and invest in a force design built around next-generation fighters, teamed with collaborative combat aircraft and enabled by resilient air battle management.

Conclusion

In conclusion, air superiority remains a crucial objective for the US Air Force. It enables the service to achieve strategic advantages, impose strategic effects, and achieve war-winning objectives. The US Air Force should recommit to air superiority and invest in a force design that can generate repeated windows of air control in contested environments.

FAQs:

1. What is air superiority, and why is it important? Air superiority is the degree of dominance in the air battle that permits operations at a given time and place, without prohibitive interference from enemy air and missile threats. It is important because it enables the US Air Force to achieve strategic advantages, impose strategic effects, and achieve war-winning objectives.
2. What is the difference between air superiority and air supremacy? Air superiority is operationally bounded and achievable in a near-peer conflict, while air supremacy implies near-total dominance.
3. What are the lessons from Ukraine and Iran? The conflicts in Ukraine and Iran demonstrate the importance of air superiority in achieving strategic advantages and imposing strategic effects.
4. What should the US Air Force do to recommit to air superiority? The US Air Force should reject calls to redefine airpower in terms of denial strategies and invest in a force design built around next-generation fighters, teamed with collaborative combat aircraft and enabled by resilient air battle management.
5. Why is air superiority important in a potential conflict with China? Air superiority will be crucial in a potential conflict with China, as it will enable the US Air Force to generate air superiority at decisive times and places, and achieve strategic advantages.