Page 32 - AAPT March 2019

Feature Story

AIR POWER AND EFFECTS-BASED

OPERATIONS:

THE NEED FOR DEEPER ANALYSIS

Effects-Based Operations (EBO) is a sustained development of theories and conventional view of air power as being
term and a concept that is difficult to concepts. predominantly a support element for
define precisely, with a large number The contemporary trend to box air surface operations. This, somewhat
of definitions available in the literature power, its concepts and application into unforeseen development, clearly
on the subject. a contextual war against irregular forces, demonstrated the less than optimum
Perhaps the one that comes closest when viewed against the broad spectrum understanding and lack of analysis of air
to being definitive is the one provided of conflict scenario, is incorrect. In order power capabilities and their technology-
by the US Joint Forces Command that to realise its full potential and from a enabled exponential growth. The same
states, ‘[EBO is] a process for obtaining developmental point of view, air power lack of incisive analysis was visible
a desired strategic outcome or effect on must be conceptualised in the context of when air power absorbed Colonel John
the enemy through the synergistic and conventional wars. This is so because Warden’s appreciation of the enemy
cumulative application of the full range success in conventional wars requires as a system of systems and adopted
of military and non-military capabilities the employment of the full spectrum of EBO as the prevalent concept for the
at all levels of conflict.’ air power capabilities, before during application of air power.
Over the past three decades or so, and after the conflict. In turn, only the Why has it become increasingly
the development of air power concepts availability of full-spectrum capabilities important to analyse new concepts
of operations has been almost fully would permit the contextual tailoring of before employing them? Air power
based on the need to create the air power application necessary to cater today is an instrument of national power
necessary effects that would support the for emerging circumstances. that can be applied with precision,
joint EBO. Success in this endeavour Air power thinking and concept proportionality and discrimination to
has been somewhat diffused, less development must remain broad-based create the desired effect across a
than optimum and not always assured. in order to retain the flexibility necessary broad spectrum of activities—from
This situation indicates that a more to overcome operational and tactical delivering humanitarian aid to fighting
in-depth analysis of the factors that challenges and peculiar battlefield a war of national survival. This spread
influence the application of air power issues. Overcoming operational and and depth of air power capabilities
must be undertaken to ensure the tactical challenges is critical to the make it imperative to analyse the
correct trajectory for the development success of air power application but applicability of concepts before they
of concepts of operations. they only form a small although crucial are employed. The reason could be
The strategic development of air input into the capability development that air forces as institutions did not
power has long suffered from the process. The major influence will have possess the intellectual depth required
disadvantage of a lack of inclination and to be a broad assessment of national to cultivate a culture based on inquisitive
motivation to carry out detailed analysis security needs to ensure an extended analysis at the conceptual level.
of its own progression and evolutionary horizon for capability development. Problem solving efforts were focused
needs. Sufficient intellectual capital has Air Power developmental thinking on tactical challenges—as action-
not been invested in understanding and in the early days was dominated by the oriented people almost always do.
then creating the path for air power to ‘strategic school’ of thought that tried Pragmatic questioning of the veracity of
evolve as an effective envelope force to position air power as the element a concept that had been proven once in
capable of creating the necessary that would win wars rapidly and at employment was a bridge too far. EBO
effects to achieve the desired political lesser cost in treasure and lives. This remains in this basket.
end-state. For the first century of its concept was a direct result of the The celebrated success of air power
existence as a military force element, air traumatic carnage experienced in the in Operation Desert Storm returned the
power has laboured within this restricted trenches of World War I. In a somewhat strategic school to centre stage, making
environment, where intellectual capacity lackadaisical manner, the use of the air power enthusiasts reiterate the claim
for future development has always atom bomb at the end of World of air power being an independent
been constrained. The main reason for War II was viewed as validating war-winning force. This claim was
this malaise perhaps lies in the nature the concept of strategic bombing to further reinforced by the demonstration
of air power that attracts people with ‘win wars’. Thereafter, a series of of air power’s success in the limited
a proclivity for action more than for concepts— such as the air-land battle engagements in Europe in the 1990s,
intellectual investigation that leads to that were developed—reinforced the mostly against non-airpowerssessing

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