The Air Force's New Irregular Warfare Manual

Air Force Lashes Out At Grunts In New War Manual

By Noah Shachtman
August 13, 2007 2:07:00 PM
Categories: Politricks, Strategery
Courtesy Of Wired Blog Network

A sizeable chunk of the Air Force community was pissed, when the Army's new counterinsurgency field manual came out. The flyboys didn't like the idea of being stuck with the supporting role the manual gave 'em.

So they've struck back, issuing their own "Irregular Warfare" manual, Small Wars Journal reveals. And it highlights the Air Force's abilities to do everything from surveillance to precision attacks to medical evacuations to leaflet drops to space strikes -- all while downplaying how much ground forces can really accomplish on their own.

In March, Air Force Magazine executive editor John Tirpak spoke for many under the Air Force's aegis when he wrote:

In a counterinsurgency, airpower is mostly useful as a means of hauling around ground forces while keeping an eye on the bad guys. Air strikes are probably too blunt an instrument to be of much value, and ground commanders should think twice before asking for them. If air strikes are used, though, a ground forces commander definitely should control them.

Quaint musings from a dusty, pre-“joint” Army field manual? Nope. Fresh ink from Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, tapped by President Bush to be the new commander of Multinational Force-Iraq...

Petraeus... damn[s] airpower with the faintest of faint praise, cautioning that, aside from the purely supportive functions of battlefield mobility and persistent ISR [intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance], airpower can be too heavy-handed to be of much use...

The views... reflect a limited knowledge of airpower’s true role in the current operation and suspicion that airpower can all too easily prove counterproductive. This is all the more distressing in light of the view that Petraeus will set direction for the ongoing fight in Iraq.

Months earlier, in Armed Forces Journal, Major General Charles Dunlap railed against "boots-on-the-ground zealots" and "neo-Luddites" who "quot[e] counterinsurgency manuals from the horse cavalry era." Instead, Dunlap insisted, we should be pouring money into "air power — our most effective national security component."

Along those lines, the Air Force manual has a message for the ground-pounders: We're just as -- if not more -- important than you grunts.

[S]uccessful COIN [counterinsurgency] operations often require a large number of security forces in order to protect the population. The effort requires a firm political will and substantial patience by both US and PN [partner nation] governments.

Airpower can help alter this equation. A sizeable ground force engaged in protracted COIN operations can inflame the populace against the COIN forces and can wear down the political will of the US government and the local populace. Air Force capabilities bring many advantages, including an “economy of force” that enables the US to have a smaller ground force, which reduces the problems associated with a large “footprint” on the ground. These capabilities can help provide presence and security for critical areas, lines of communication, infrastructure, and borders...

There may still be scenarios in which the general conditions on the ground have deteriorated to the point where an increased ground presence (foreign or indigenous) is required. During these situations, finding the right balance between directly supporting ground forces and employing Air Force capabilities in other operational areas may be critical to achieving the desired end state...

Air Force capabilities can deliver a variety of effects from great distance without increasing force presence in a region or country. The ability to mobilize, deploy, employ, and redeploy US forces and capabilities allows airpower to deliver timely effects while minimizing our footprint and not highlighting US involvement when required. These effects can be lethal or non-lethal. In addition, these effects can be sustained for a long period with less risk to military forces.

Air Force forces often present a smaller military footprint when deployed and may reduce the total number of forces visible to local populations, thereby reducing potential resentment. This is especially true when Air Force forces are based outside the supported government’s borders or when employing small aviation detachments that provide the supported government valuable air, space, and cyber capabilities... (emphasis mine)

And what are those capabilities, exactly? Excepts from the new manual follow...

Air Force capabilities provide commanders an asymmetric advantage by providing desired effects over great distances. Control of air and space allows forces to reposition by air more quickly and at less risk than by ground transport. Airpower’s responsiveness can be used to transport ground forces, provide surveillance on emerging “hot spots,” and simultaneously provide precise firepower when required. This serves as an enormous force multiplier by moving either air assets or other forces to the areas of greatest need. This presents a constant, credible, and unpredictable threat of detection and response that can significantly complicate the enemy’s planning and execution. Air- and space-borne sensors can be rapidly retasked to focus on emerging targets and key terrain. Cyberspace capabilities can often be employed in seconds...

Rapid repositioning of small teams through the air allows for a greater chance of tactical surprise across great distances and difficult terrain. Air mobility permits leaner ground-based operations, improving force protection during transport. Aeromedical evacuation allows for the rapid transport of injured personnel and civilians, not only shrinking the critical time between injury and focused medical care, but also reducing the footprint of medical facilities within the immediate area of operations (AO). Mobility decreases the insurgent’s inherent tactical and strategic initiative by allowing timely government response and multiplying the government’s reach for conducting security operations...

In addition, speed and range reduce the find-fix-track-target-engage- assess (F2T2EA) “kill chain” when engaging time-sensitive and high-value targets. Applying lethal and non-lethal options at certain times may dramatically influence the outcome of operations on the ground...

The Air Force provides the ability to monitor, map, and survey large areas quickly and cover focused areas for long durations. By detecting and tracking adversary movement, Air Force capabilities (specifically ISR) can identify an adversary’s safe havens, assembly points, and potential avenues of attack, as well as immediate threats to coalition forces. The balanced use of air, space, and cyber capabilities provides commanders with increased situational awareness at all levels.

Timely, accurate, and relevant intelligence should be gathered and analyzed at the lowest possible level and disseminated throughout the force. Because of the dispersed nature of COIN operations, counterinsurgents’ own actions are a key generator of intelligence. A cycle develops where operations produce intelligence that drives subsequent operations. Reporting by units, members of the country team, and associated civilian agencies often cues specialized intelligence assets. Fusing these inputs together often provides a more comprehensive operating picture. These factors, along with the need to generate a favorable tempo (rate of military operations) require the production and dissemination of intelligence at the lowest practical level...

Space capabilities add a unique dimension to the joint force's ability to posture quickly. Space capabilities enhance IW operations through satellite communication (SATCOM); surveillance and reconnaissance; accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT); and blue force tracking (BFT). Surveillance and reconnaissance products may aid in mission planning, and on- orbit assets can provide predetermined effects in response to operational priorities and events. In unique cases, offensive counterspace operations may deny the adversary access to communications and other space capabilities critical to their IO...

In any phase of operation, the Air Force can be employed with varying degrees of intensity and visibility.

While the capabilities the Air Force brings to bear in any conflict will usually exceed the PN’s capability, Airmen should ensure their employment enhances the US’ and PN’s long-term strategy and, most importantly, that the PN does not become reliant on Air Force capabilities. Over-reliance on US capabilities can be detrimental to the legitimacy of the PN and might require the US to maintain a large or extended air presence. Therefore, BPC which increases the PN’s air force capability and reduces reliance on US capability is the desired long-term strategy. BPC increases legitimacy, but is also a precautionary and preventative activity. Even a marginal PN airpower capability allows COIN forces to exploit its unique characteristics...

Successfully using Information operations is largely contingent upon addressing valid grievances and may play a large role in helping the PN gain legitimacy. The Air Force enables psychological operations (PSYOP) and strategic communication (SC) through the dissemination of messages and leaflet drops allowing the PN to relay its message to the populace and insurgents...

Airpower constrains an adversary’s conventional options at all levels of war. It can monitor large areas of open terrain, disrupt an adversary’s freedom of movement, and reduce his ability to mass forces for training or employment without detection. Historically, airpower has been most effective against targets in open terrain; however, current capabilities provide a wide array of options for achieving effects in urban and complex terrain. Therefore, airpower may prevent forces from massing and perhaps prevent the conflict spreading to conventional options. This capability allows friendly forces to operate in small units or be stationed in isolated areas without risk of being overwhelmed by a large insurgent force. In short, Air Force capabilities make it difficult for insurgents to shift to a conventional phase. The goal is to suppress the insurgents to a level that the supported PN’s security forces can respond to. Once the insurgents have been reduced, PN forces should be visibly in the lead for all kinetic operations.

Air Force capabilities can be leveraged to locate, fix, and target insurgents and terrorists. They can also help reduce the flow of personnel and material support to insurgents and terrorists from outside the affected state (e.g., help to police the borders, etc.). Leveraging their theater perspective, Airmen can monitor ground operations for emerging threats in one region, quickly bring firepower to bear in another, and provide surveillance of critical border areas in yet another.

These capabilities prevent the enemy from sustaining and operating in massed formations often requiring the enemy to disperse. However, as the enemy disperses, interdiction of the limited supplies needed to sustain these small groups often becomes more difficult...

Air Force capabilities also play an important role in targeting an insurgency’s leadership and active supporters...