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Air Warfare

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Air warfare is the ability to disable an opponent's military using strategic strikes from manned and unmanned aircraft. RAND has extensive experience evaluating and providing recommendations to military decisionmakers to ensure rapid, effective, and sustainable airborne deployments to counter regional threats.

Report
Leveraging Complexity in Great-Power Competition and Warfare: Volume I
The United States should aim to minimize the element of complexity for itself while maximizing it for its adversary in great-power competition and warfare. But what does complexity mean in an Air Force context? And how can it be used as a method of attack?
Aug 26, 2021
Essay
Civilian Casualties: Lessons from the Battle for Raqqa
The United States' emphasis on minimizing civilian harm in Raqqa, Syria, was quite clear and strong up and down the chain of command. But the way in which the U.S. military waged war in Raqqa too often undercut that commitment. The Pentagon asked RAND to find out what happened.
Jul 1, 2022

Explore Air Warfare

News Release
RAND Study Evaluates Airpower Options for Syria Intervention
There are five options for U.S. and allied military intervention in the Syrian civil war using airpower. Destroying or grounding the Syrian air force is operationally feasible but would have only marginal benefits for protecting civilians.
Aug 30, 2013
Report
Airpower Options for Syria Intervention
An examination of five options for U.S. and allied military intervention in the Syrian civil war using airpower warns that destroying or grounding the Syrian air force is operationally feasible but would have only marginal benefits for protecting civilians.
Aug 30, 2013
Commercial Book
The Unseen War: Allied Air Power and the Takedown of Saddam Hussein
The Unseen War offers a comprehensive assessment of the role of allied air power in the three weeks of major combat that ended the rule of Iraq's Saddam Hussein in 2003. Author Benjamin Lambeth fills a longstanding gap in the literature on modern warfare by telling, in full, the story of the role of air power for the first time.
Aug 13, 2013
Commentary
Learning the Wrong Lessons from Israel's Intervention in Syria
The lesson here is not that countries should act for the sake of maintaining credibility but that they should act when they believe it serves their interests and might make a difference, writes Dalia Dassa Kaye.
May 14, 2013
Commentary
Syria, the Case for Intervention
The longer this war drags on, the more radicalised become the insurgents, the more brutalised the population, the more inflamed the sectarian passions, and the more destabilised neighbouring societies, writes James Dobbins.
Dec 7, 2012
News Release
Israeli Mistakes Against Hybrid Adversaries Serve as Cautionary Tale for U.S. Military
A review of recent Israeli military conflicts indicates the United States may be ill-prepared for "hybrid" warfare against state-sponsored adversaries who have a modicum of training and small force numbers, but possess advanced weapons and enough expertise to challenge the U.S. military.
Jan 19, 2012
Report
Israeli Mistakes Against Hybrid Adversaries Serve as Cautionary Tale for U.S. Military
A review of recent Israeli military conflicts indicates the United States may be ill-prepared for
Jan 19, 2012
Dissertation
Access Challenges and Implications for Airpower in the Western Pacific
Examines the risk of U.S.-China conflict based on a variety of theoretical works on conflict, applied to the U.S.-China relationship.
Aug 15, 2011
Report
Feasibility of Laser Power Transmission to a High-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Is powering an ultra-high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle with a laser beam a practical possibility?
Jun 9, 2011
News Release
Flawed Strategy, Not a 'Failure of Air Power,' Led to Israel's Disappointing Performance in 2006 Lebanon War
Israel's disappointing performance in its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 did not reflect a "failure of air power," but rather a failure of Israel's political and military leaders to properly assess the enemy, set achievable goals, apply an effective strategy and adequately manage public expectations.
May 23, 2011
Report
Flawed Strategy, Not a 'Failure of Air Power,' Led to Israel's Disappointing Performance in 2006 Lebanon War
Israel's disappointing performance in its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 did not reflect a
May 23, 2011
Report
Analysis of Chinese Military Doctrine Indicates China Could Pose Serious Challenge to U.S. and Allied Air Forces
An exhaustive study of Chinese military sources reveals that a future Chinese air force campaign would, under most likely scenarios, seriously test the United States and its allies in a conflict.
Feb 17, 2011
Report
Adding Value to Air Force Management Through Building Partnerships Assessment
Evaluates existing Air Force capacity to conduct assessments of its security cooperation and building partnerships programs, makes the case for improving assessment efforts, and describes a framework for doing so.
Dec 17, 2010
Report
Air Power
Surveys the subject of air power as an area of research in international security studies and provides a bibliography of significant works and useful online resources.
Aug 4, 2010
Report
Enhancing Combat Operations Through Improved Air-Ground Integration
Although airpower capabilities have improved dramatically in the past decade, the joint warfighting potential offered by these capabilities is not being fully realized, as illustrated during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The authors propose several alternatives and suggest a new joint warfighting concept designed to enhance the prioritization and synchronization of joint fires and maneuver.
Mar 16, 2009
News Release
Statement Regarding Media Coverage of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
Andrew Hoehn, Director of RAND Project Air Force, made a statement today regarding articles that have appeared in the Australian press with assertions regarding a war game in which analysts from RAND were involved.
Sep 25, 2008
Report
U.S. Air Force and Navy Reinforce One Another in Strike-Warfare Operations
The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy have steadily developed exceptional cross-service harmony in their conduct of integrated strike operations since the first Persian Gulf War in 1991. That close harmony contrasts sharply with the situation that prevailed throughout most of the Cold War.
Dec 8, 2007
Report
Common Battlefield Training for Airmen
Airmen who do not routinely leave a defended perimeter when deployed face incidents that will require training beyond what they may have received historically in their specialties.
Oct 3, 2007
Report
Learning Large Lessons: The Evolving Roles of Ground Power and Air Power in the Post-Cold War Era
Analyzes the post-Cold War shift in the relative roles of ground and air power in major operations and their joint implications. This revised edition includes updates and an index.
Mar 8, 2007
Report
Learning Large Lessons: The Evolving Roles of Ground Power and Air Power in the Post-Cold War Era — Executive Summary
Analyzes the post-Cold War shift in the relative roles of ground and air power in major operations and their joint implications.
Mar 7, 2007

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RAND Topic:
Air Warfare

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

James Williams

Senior Engineer

Jim Williams is a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation. His research areas include mission analysis of new technologies and operational concepts in contested combat environments and ballistic and cruise missile defense. Much of his work involves computer modeling and simulation of Blue versus…
Brian Dolan

Engineer

Brian Dolan (he/him) is an engineer with expertise in aerospace science and engineering, air and space warfare, science and technology policy, and modeling complex systems. His research at RAND spans many aspects of military operations and acquisitions for the air and space domains. Recent work…

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