Air Force Heritage

Overview Air Power before WWI WWII – Strategic bombardment Korea War + Technology Air Campaigns of Vietnam The Space Race DESERT STORM

Air Power Before WWI Thought mostly as a ‘communication, observation and reconnaissance’ asset Very unprepared for war 14 th among airpowers in the world 131 Officers, 1087 enlisted men…. NO combat capable aircraft

Billy Mitchell General ‘Billy’ Mitchell Studied Sir Hugh Trenchard (RAF) Forward Action, relentless offensive Pushed for an independent Air Force Demonstration –sinking 3 captured German ships

End of WWI – St. Mihiel - France One of first US offensives of the war 1,500 planes over battlefield in support of ground forces Achieved Air Superiority – Could attack ground forces, airfields, comm centers At the end of the war 45 Squadrons 781 aircraft kills, 73 balloon kills

WWII - CBO Combined Bomber Offensive Americans and British against Germany Around the clock bombing Strategic Bombing Started as high altitude, daylight, precision bombing – tight bomber formations with on-board guns B-17B-24

WWII - CBO Huge losses – led to fighter escorts + fighters with longer range (P-51 Mustang) Attacked Germany aircraft industry to gain air superiority Once air superiority was achieved could attack any target for the remainder of war Doolittle Raid Aircraft carriers

WWII - Other Tuskegee Airmen – first African American military pilots North Africa ground attack mission Fighter escorts – ‘Red Tails’ WASPs – Women’s Air Force Service Pilots Ferried planes across Atlantic National Security Act of 1947

Korean War Part of the Cold War North Korean troops, supported by Soviets crossed into South Korea Jet Fighter Aircraft! MIG-15 – technologically superior Higher airspeed at altitudes above 30,000, lighter, higher climb rate, smaller turn rate F-86 Saberjet – superior training of pilots 792 MIF-15 kills vs 78 F-86 losses F-86 F-80 MIG-15

After the Korean War Secretary of the Air Force: “the Korean War was a special case and air power can learn little from there about its future role in US foreign policy” Nuclear development and ‘deterrence’ B-52 Stratofortress – capable of delivering nuclear weapons over Soviet Union ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missiles) Led to Atlas, Thor, Titan I, Titan II, Minuteman I, II and III and Peacekeeper missile systems Navy’s missile launching submarines

Air Campaigns of Vietnam ROLLING THUNDER – interdiction campaign meant to stem flow of men and supplies into S. Vietnam – ‘Graduated’ use of force against select targets – Hoped would bring N. Vietnam to peace talks – Instead allowed them to build up air defense network – Canceled when became obvious it was not working B 52 Stratofortress

Air Campaigns of Vietnam LINEBACKER I – Bombing campaign More intense than ROLLING THUNDER Targeted comm centers, road networks, railroads, bridges, military barracks, harbors Intended to cut off supplies to N. Vietnamese in the South + limited N. Vietnams ability to make war More impact in 9 months than ROLLING THUNDER did in 4 years

Air Campaigns of Vietnam LINEBACKER II Employed a large number of B-52s A true strategic bombing campaign Specific targets in Hanoi and Haiphong Ran concurrently with LINEBACKER I Brought N. Vietnam to peace talks

The Space Race Mercury – First manned space program Alan B. Shepard – first American in space Flight was about 15 min Objectives – to put a man in space and to return safely, to test effects of space flight Gemini Intermediate step between Mercury and Apollo Carried 2 astronauts Objectives - perform first orbital docking and first space walk, to perfect re-entry and landing

The Space Race Apollo First mission to moon Objectives were to land on the moon and return to Earth and gather moon samples

DESERT STORM INSTANT THUNDER – named related to ROLLING THUNDER Quick, decisive campaign Destroy Iraq’s ability to fight

The Five Strategic Rings 17

Phases of DESERT STORM Phase I: Strategic Air Campaign – Focus on targets from ‘5 rings’ – Government offices, military HQ, C4I, CBRNE, missile sites, electrical + petroleum production, Iraqi AF – About one week Phase II: Suppression of enemy Air Defenses over Kuwait vicinity – About 2 days

Phases of DESERT STORM Phase III: Air Attacks on ground forces in Kuwait and vicinity – Republican Guard and regular Iraqi forces in Kuwait – Planned to last several weeks or reduce forces to below 50% (historically the point of ineffectiveness) Phase IV: Ground Operations as directed

Overview Air Power before WWI WWII – Strategic bombardment Korea War + Technology Air Campaigns of Vietnam The Space Race DESERT STORM