Page 6 - David Coles Australian Military Aircraft Book Interior Sample

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What Is
Air Power?
While most countries have their own definitions of the term ‘Air Power’ that mostly differ in minor details, the Royal Australian Air Force Air Power
Manual (AAP1000-D) 6th edition, defines air power as the following:
“The ability of a nation to assert its will by projecting military power through and from the air domain.”
While the RAAF is obviously tasked with being the main provider of Australian military air power, it is not the sole domain, as Army, Navy and civilian aviation all have their role to play, which has been very evident throughout the history of Australian military affairs since 1914.
There are four major roles that air power plays in a balanced and effective defence force. These are:
1. Control of the air – being able to prevent adversarial aviation elements from being effective against your forces
2. Strike – the ability to render adversarial forces (ground, air and maritime) ineffective through kinetic (destructive) and non-kinetic (disruptive) means
3. Air Mobility – moving personnel and equip- ment from one location to another rapidly when required, and
4. Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) – gaining the knowledge and under- standing of the movements, abilities and intentions of an adversary and being able to collate and communicate that informa- tion with accuracy and speed to command personnel.
While these roles form the ‘sharp end’ of air power capabilities, they are not altogether efficient unless the support behind them is strong and effective. This requires three enabling roles:
1. Strong Command and Control – making sure forces are equipped, supported, and deployed effectively
2. Force Protection – personnel, equipment, and communications (including cyber) are kept safe and secure, and
3. Force Generation and Sustainment – training and logistics, also known as ‘Raise, Train, Sustain’.
AUSTRALIAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT