Airpower is viewed in the literature on the topic as the capability of the Air Force to protect the interests of the United States by controlling air and space as strategic spaces. According to Benitez, “airpower should be thought of as the output of the cumulative input from all domains of warfare: land, sea, air, space, and cyber (and potentially soon the electromagnetic spectrum)” (par. 10). In this context, it is important to note that the use of airpower is based on following certain tenets that determine specific aspects of the relationship between air power as a component of national military force and other instruments of political power. This application of the tenets of airpower has an impact on Airmen and affects their practices and activities. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the relationship between the concept of airpower and its tenets and the instruments of power, and then explain two specific implications of this relationship for the practices of Airmen.
The tenets of airpower can be considered guiding principles of the military activities of the US Air Force. They include centralized control and decentralized execution, persistence, priority, flexibility and versatility, balance, concentration, and synergistic effects. Centralized control and decentralized execution are the key principles followed by the military to achieve strategic goals and to effectively monitor the situation from a distance (Curtis E. LeMay Center 67). Operations can be continuous and persistent to reach tactical goals, and the activities of Airmen should be effectively prioritized. Airpower should also be flexible and versatile in order to adapt to changes, alter tactics, and control parallel operations. Balancing the use of airpower leads to more effective concentration and significant synergistic effects while applying coordinated power from different resources (Curtis E. LeMay Center 69). The combination of these tenets forms the framework in which airpower is realized as the complex ability of military forces to exploit and control the air and space for required operations in accordance with strategic and tactical goals.
It is also important to discuss the concept of the instruments of power before focusing on the relationship between the tenets of airpower and these specific political and military tools or activities. According to Worley, the instruments of power include “military, informational, diplomatic, law enforcement, intelligence, financial, and economic” ones that reflect “the greater complexity in the ways and means of pursuing national security in the twenty-first century” (275). All these means are oriented to protecting national security with the help of joint operations and the use of informational, diplomatic, economic, or military resources (Troxell 224). As a result, they work to sustain the state’s power in the context of international politics.
From this perspective, it is important to analyze how the particular tenets of airpower can be related to the concept and use of the instruments of power. On the one hand, airpower is one of the military instruments for projecting force along with sea- and land-based military units among other forces that together realize their capability in the context of joint operations (Worley 277). Therefore, the tenets of airpower, in this case, relate to these instruments as principles of using the Air Force in the most efficient manner in order to contribute to warfare and protect national security on the basis of effectively controlled, flexible, balanced, and persistent operations to reach strategic goals.
Flexibility, speed, versatility, range of action and the distant control of airpower based on its tenets allow for viewing military power as one of the most effective instruments for defending national security and promoting order and stability. Airmen are able to focus on strategic positioning, establish world-wide control, and provide humanitarian support in the most efficient manner (U.S. Air Force 7). As a result, it is possible to state that the effective use of the military as an instrument of power is possible only when the principles of effective airpower are followed and operations are based on the combined efforts of all forces to achieve synergistic effects.
On the other hand, airpower and its tenets work to strengthen instruments for projecting influence in terms of promoting national security, improving approaches to warfare, and supporting successful joint operations. The principles of planning and conducting military operations using different forces usually provide only general information regarding appropriate tactics, strategies, and actions. The focus on airpower and associated tenets in this context allow for using specific recommendations that contribute to the success of joint operations (Curtis E. LeMay Center 65). Effective military planning is almost impossible without applying airpower to its greatest extent while carrying out the military mission and protecting positions across air, space, and cyberspace. As a result, the potential power of using air forces does not allow authorities to discuss them as a separate branch (Benitez par. 2). The interconnection of airpower with other military forces contributes to accomplishing strategic goals in national and international arenas.
In this context, it is necessary to discuss two specific practical implications of the analyzed relationship between airpower and the instruments of power for Airmen. First, Airmen should promote innovation in their activities and effectively apply the most recent and emerging technologies to operate in space, air, and cyberspace. As a result, they give “the Air Force the ability to project global military power on a scale that our adversaries cannot match” (U.S. Air Force 2). From this perspective, Airmen are expected to work as part of the influence-projecting military instrument of the United States, whose actions are regulated according to the tenets of airpower. Furthermore, it is important to note that “no other Service, or combination of Services, can deliver the capability and capacity that the Air Force provides to the warfighter in our core mission areas” (U.S. Air Force 2). As a result, Airmen receive more opportunities to oppose enemies’ forces and their instruments of power through strategically efficient means.
Second, Airmen need to combine their efforts with the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps of the United States in the context of developing joint operations and defending national security. The practical focus on uniting efforts and planning simultaneous actions is important to strengthen the activities of all involved forces and assist Airmen in controlling operations, proposing the most efficient tempo and positioning, as well as collaborating (U.S. Air Force 5). The focus on airpower in addition to maritime and land power is important for conducting missions against enemies, and this integration of forces seems to change the practice of Airmen because of the necessity of developing operations across space, air, and cyberspace with reference to operations planned by other forces.
As a result, there are more opportunities for using military resources for stabilizing a political situation in the most effective way. The reason is that the discussion of Airmen’s activities in the context of overall international strategy provides a complex picture for analyzing all the consequences of applying military forces as an instrument of power in a certain situation (Troxell 226). The nature of warfare may change in the future because today Airmen are learning how to operate in multidimensional spaces while cooperating with the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps and being provided with more opportunities for successful maneuvers.
This paper has provided an analysis of the relationship between air power and its tenets and specific instruments of power with reference to such aspects as national security, warfare, and joint operations. Thus the concepts of the tenets of airpower and the instruments of political power have been defined and described. The analysis of the relationship between these concepts has indicated that airpower can be considered one of the military instruments for projecting influence. In addition, the tenets of power contribute to strengthening instruments of power while promoting national security, improving different approaches to warfare, and developing joint operations. Furthermore, the paper has been focused on explaining two practical implications of the analyzed relationship for Airmen. It has been found that Airmen should focus on innovation, using emerging technologies, and winning positions in space, air, and cyberspace. Moreover, Airmen need to learn how to effectively collaborate with other military forces to achieve strategic goals with a focus on combining all available resources and efforts. The discussion of airpower and Airmen’s activities is important for understanding their unique roles in supporting national and international order.
Works Cited
Benitez, Mike. “Air-Mindedness 2.0: We Need to Do Better Than “Fly, Fight, and Win.”War on the Rocks. 2016, Web.
Curtis E. LeMay Center. Volume 1: Basic Doctrine. 2015, Web.
Troxell, John F. “Chapter 17: Military Power and the Use of Force.” U.S. Army War College Guide to National Security Issues: Theory of War and Strategy, edited by J. Boone Bartholomees, U.S. Army War College, 2012, pp. 217-241.
U.S. Air Force. Global Vigilance, Global Reach, Global Power for America. 2013, Web.
Worley, Robert D. Orchestrating the Instruments of Power: A Critical Examination of the U.S. National Security System. Lulu Press Inc., 2012.