By
WGCDR David Thiele
"The bomber will always get through."
– Stanley Baldwin, 1932
Historically, land campaigns have been fought as a sequential
series of battles in which the victors slowly gained ground as
they move toward their ultimate objectives.
The war was always considered in terms of fronts and battlelines
that could be established in one or more places simultaneously.
The introduction of the aircraft in warfare suddenly meant that
the front was no longer applicable in this third dimension.
Aircraft were not limited to operating only where their ground
troops had taken ground. Physical barriers did not limit the operational
employment of aircraft.
Aircraft were able to penetrate deep into enemy-held territory
and strike at targets that were previously considered outside
the range of hostile fire. Action could now be taken that not
only attacked the enemy at the front lines, but also could cut
off the supply of replacement forces and equipment.
No longer were commanders limited to selecting tactical targets
(that is, those which immediately impacted upon the front line),
but could also attack strategic targets such as the leadership
and the infrastructure of the enemy.
The ability to penetrate is not a characteristic inherent to aircraft,
rather it is a product of the reach and speed of aircraft (discussed
in the last column). Today, the ability to penetrate into enemy
territory is a vital first step in any conflict. Aerospace power
can take the lead in preparing the battlespace for the follow-on
ground and sea forces.
While anti-aircraft systems were primitive in World War I, today’s
systems are sophisticated and highly capable of intercepting modern
aircraft. The result has been technological advancements in aircraft
design such as stealth that aims to return the advantages of penetration
previously held by aerospace power.
The use of the B-2 aircraft during the conflict in Iraq clearly
demonstrates the power of modern stealth aircraft to enter hostile
airspace, strike their intended targets and then head back to
their home base almost undetected.
In the next issue, we will look at another related characteristic
of aerospace power; that of flexibility and responsiveness.
- WGCDR
David Thiele is Deputy Director Aerospace Concepts at AeC.
