An Air-Campaign Primer

"Airpower is peculiar in many ways. An old saw has it that a bomber is a thunderbolt, contained in an eggshell, invisibly tethered to a base. It captures some important truths: Aircraft can deliver tremendous violence from a platform that is intrinsically vulnerable, and that requires a well-protected base and skilled maintenance staff, the unsung heroes of air operations."

"These qualities of concentration, speed, and flexibility have shaped how air forces-above all the few air forces capable of waging air campaigns-think about airpower. Most air forces are capable of raids, intense but brief assaults lasting a few hours. Very few are capable of thinking about campaigns, meaning sustained air attacks over a period of weeks or months intended to achieve large and lasting effects on the ground."

Air campaigns represent a distinct form of warfare with characteristics that differentiate them from ground and sea operations. Aircraft deliver significant destructive capability from vulnerable platforms requiring protected bases and skilled maintenance. Unlike land or sea forces, aircraft can only loiter briefly over targets but possess exceptional flexibility, enabling rapid concentration of force over different locations. Few air forces possess the capability to conduct sustained campaigns lasting weeks or months; the U.S. Air Force stands as the preeminent example. Historical air campaigns, including World War II bombing offensives and operations in Korea and Vietnam, occurred alongside extensive ground and sea operations, competing for resources.

Read at The Atlantic