Page 22 - May 2019

Feature Story

THE IMPORTANCE OF

CONTROL OF THE AIR IN

CONTEMPORARY CONFLICT

The first dedicated role that air power within the military aviation community and air defence capabilities. Control of
undertook as a military power projection that the fundamental role of air power, the air, therefore, is an essential criterion
capability was that of observation, its raison d’etre, would be to establish for the success of all military operations.
which has over the years developed control of the air over the battlespace. This fundamental premise has been a
into the sophisticated capacity to In the interwar years that followed, the tenet of military planning since World
carry out intelligence, surveillance battlespace by itself started to be defined War II.
and reconnaissance (ISR). However, in different ways and the concept of The nature of war—the quest to
simultaneous to the development of control of the air also started to become achieve political objectives through the
the observation role, it was recognised a more sophisticated idea. This was application of force—has not changed
that control of the air was a prerequisite bound to happen with the technology- over the years. However, in the past few
for its success, since the safety of the enhanced improvements taking place decades the characteristics and conduct
Observer platform could only be ensured in the application of air power. of war have altered significantly. Nations
by controlling the air around it. From the So what is control of the air? The Air do not legally declare war anymore even
very beginning of aerial warfare, the Power Manual (RAAF) defines control when their military forces are engaged
need to fight for, obtain and then maintain of the air as ‘the ability to conduct in brutal combat. More importantly,
control of the air was understood by both operations in the air, land and maritime contemporary wars are in no manner
tacticians and strategists. domains without effective interference similar to the wars that were fought up to
From the need to protect a crucial from adversary air power and air defence the 1990s. Today, wars are better termed
asset in the air to ensuring that own capabilities’. Control of the air provides conflicts and are normally fought between
surface forces were not subject to a military force with the freedom to the military forces of a nation-state and
attacks from the air was a small step attack, freedom from attack and freedom some amorphous non-state entity (ies)
during the initial phases of World War I. to manoeuvre, achieved through who pursue objectives that are intangible
By the time World War I came to an the disruption, degradation and/or and adopt warfighting methods that pay
end there was an implicit understanding destruction of the adversary’s air power no heed to the universally accepted

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