Interwar Air Power Theory - 1492 Words

For more than a century, mankind has occupied all three domains of this earth; subsequently, the realm of warfare has expanded into the three dimensions progressively with the conquering of land, sea, and ultimately the air. With the advent of functional airplanes at the beginning of the last century, powered, sustained, and controlled flight was achieved during the inaugural flight of Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903, fulfilling a dream that had occupied the minds of man for more than millennia. As with all technological advancements, mankind is quick to integrate it into the art of war; accordingly, the inception of the airplane would serve both civilian and military applications. While the implications of the airplane on warfare†¦show more content†¦Through an examination of problems faced by these various airpower theories and how they went wrong, this essay will demonstrate, that contrary to predictions by inter-war airpower theorists, airpower did not become the pr edominant military force of the Second World War. In an attempt to better understand airpower and it influence on the art of war, let us examine Phillip S. Meilinger’s definition: Airpower is the ability to project power or influence through the medium of the air or space to achieve strategic, operational or tactical objectives. It encompasses military, commercial and civil aviation, the industrial infrastructure to build it, and a doctrine of employment. It is in this definition of airpower that we can recognize the dynamic nature of airpower; therefore, we can discern the requirement for early airpower theorist to conceptualize and prophesize airpower for future use. In an effort to lobby for the development and use of airpower strategy, airpower theorist established early theories that were essentially unproven in war, as they were not put into action until the Second World War, which proved to be a completely different war from the former all three dimensions of war. In the First World War, airpower served subordinate aims to land warfare, whereas it served in an attack role in the tactical support of ground forces in which the guns and bombs ofShow MoreRelatedThe Most Important Qualities That A Military Organization1116 Words   |  5 Pagesinnovate effectively during peacetime? The weary aspect of warfare in the World War I made it complicated to verify who the successful is or if there was really a winner. 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