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Last Updated: Sun Mar 23 04:59:15 UTC 2014






Air Power, National Military Strategy and Policy



The twenty first century presents a signficantly more complex strategic environment, both on the global and regional stages, than the bipolar strategic environment of the Cold War period. Nascent regional superpowers, ethnic and religious conflicts, and rapidly evolution and proliferation of a number of technologies, have produced an environment more akin to that of a century ago.

In this context, strategy and force structure planning become much more challenging problems than during the bipolar Cold War era. Diverse threat capabilities, diverse national and alliance agendas, and unresolved political disputes spanning decades and sometimes centuries, result in an environment of rapid strategic change and resulting complexity.

Through the first decade of the twenty first century, Australia's national military strategy was under considerable pressure, with short term ideological and internal political agendas in the Defence Organisation producing unprecedented influence on long term force structure planning. Air power is for reasons of regional geography and technology the backbone of Australian Defence Force capabilities and its development should not be subordinated to the short term needs of other services, or to other agendas.

This index provides access to a selection of relevant articles, submissions and papers, dealing with strategy, technological strategy and policy topics.



Air Power Strategic Fundamentals





Dr Chet Richards
D-N-I
Nov 2009
Briefings - Colonel John R. Boyd, USAF
Col Phillip S. Meilinger, USAF (Retd), PhD
School of Advanced Airpower Studies
Feb 1995
Ten Propositions Regarding Air Power [PDF]
Col Phillip S. Meilinger, USAF (Retd), PhD School of Advanced Airpower Studies Jan 1997 The Paths of Heaven: The Evolution of Airpower Theory
Dr Richard P. Hallion
US Air Force
Jan 1998
Airpower and the Changing Nature of Warfare
Col Phillip S. Meilinger, USAF (Retd), PhD School of Advanced Airpower Studies Dec 2003
Airpower: Myths and Facts




Contemporary Air Power and Strategy





LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd)
Joint Force Quarterly JFQ 54
2nd Quarter
April 2008
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Taking Strategy to Task
LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd) and J.R. Marrs
Joint Force Quarterly JFQ 49
3rd Quarter
July 2009
Global Distributed ISR Operations; The Changing Face of Warfare
LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd) Joint Force Quarterly JFQ 49
3rd Quarter
July 2009
Air and Space Power Going Forward
LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd)
Field Artillery / US Army Field Artillery School
Jul-Aug 2003
Transforming Joint Air-Ground Operations for 21st Century Battlespace
LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd) et al Air & Space Power Journal
Winter 2003
Direct Attack Enhancing Counterland Doctrine and Joint Air-Ground Operations
LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd)
Aerospace Education Foundation
2001
Effects-Based Operations: Change In the Nature of Warfare
LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd) Strategic Studies Quarterly
Winter 2007
Toward Restructuring National Security
LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd)
Orbis / FPRI
2008
Air and Space Power, Lead Turning the Future
LtGen D.A. Deptula (Retd) C4ISR Journal
April 2012
Integration Nation (APA Mirror)
Carlo Kopp Joint Force Quarterly JFQ 66
3rd Quarter
July 2010
Technological Strategy in the
Age of Exponential Growth

Carlo Kopp Joint Force Quarterly JFQ 57
2nd Quarter
April 2010
Evolving Technological Strategy in Advanced Air Defense Systems




Education and Training Topics





Carlo Kopp Defence Today Sep 2009 Lifelong learning in the Information Age [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2009 Fixing the national skills shortage [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2008 Industry Capabilities in Software and Systems Integration [PDF]
Donald Meyers
AUPOD
June 2012
Australian Universities: A Portrait of Decline




Air Campaign and Operations Topics





Carlo Kopp
Australian Aviation
Mar 1982 Carriers in the Indian
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Jul 1986
The Libyan Strike: How The Americans Did It
(El Dorado Canyon)
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Nov 1990
The Gulf Crisis - Order of Battle
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Aug/Sep 1992
Desert Storm - an Analytical Perspective
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Aug-Sep 1999
Operation Allied Force Parts 1, 2, 3
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Dec 2001
Operation Enduring Freedom Parts 1, 2, 3
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation May 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom Part 1 [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Jun 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom Part 2 [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2011 Operation Odyssey Dawn - the collapse of Libya’s relic air defence system




Regional Strategy and Joint Force Structure Topics





Carlo Kopp Defence Today Dec 2012 Defining future submarine capabilities
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Dec 2012 Future ADF maritime roles in the Asia-Pacific region
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Dec 2012 Future AEW&C capabilities for Maritime Warfare
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Oct 2012 Future air defence needs for the Army
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2012 Defining Australia’s future submarine fleet
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2012 Australia’s strategic position in the Region
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2012 Sino-Indian strategic competition in the Indian Ocean region
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2012 Australia’s capabilities versus the Region
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2012 Air superiority ‘Game Changers’: T-50 PAK-FA and J-20
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2012 Advancing counter-stealth radar technologies
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2012 Airbase hardening in the Western Pacific
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2012 Strategic potential of the Cocos Islands and Christmas Island
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2012 United States refocuses Air Sea Battle Concept
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Dec 2011 New technologies impacting maritime warfare
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Dec 2011 Anti-shipping missiles for RAN - requirement or desire?
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Dec 2011 China to deploy anti-ship ballistic missile
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Dec 2011 Strategic importance of the Indian Ocean
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Sep 2011 Post Afghanistan - Where to next with Western land warfare capabilities
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Sep 2011 Battlefield ISR - needs and goals
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Sep 2011 COIN reorientation - too far or not far enough?
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2011 East versus West: Divergent paths in air power
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2011 Airpower projection in Australia
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2008 Russian Strategy to Defeat US Air Power
Richard P Hallion
Air Force Association Sep 2008
AIR DOMINANCE: THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT [PDF]
Richard P Hallion Air Force History and Museums Program Sep 1999
CONTROL OF THE AIR: THE ENDURING REQUIREMENT [PDF]
Carlo Kopp ADFA/ADSC 'Control of the Air' Conference (Invited Paper) 1999 Sensors, Weapons and Systems for a 21st Century Counter Air Campaign [PDF]
Carlo Kopp
Air Power Australia
Jan 2008
Air Power vs Refuelling Infrastructure
Carlo Kopp
Air Power Australia Jan 2008
The US Air Force Synthetic Fuels Program
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Apr 2003
A Heavy Bomber Rennaissance? [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Submission to the DoD CCT
Aug 2000
A Future Force Structure for the Australian Defence Force - A Response to the Green Paper
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Jul 1988 Maritime Strike - The Soviet Perspective
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Mar 1990
Northrop B-2A - The 70 Billion Dollar Bomber?
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Sep 1990
The Air Land Battle - USAF Close Air Support and Battlefield Air Interdiction
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Apr 1993
Indonesia's Air Capability
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Jan-Apr 1995
US Naval Tactical Aviation Parts 1, 2, 3
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Nov 1995
Tomahawks, Submarines and the F-111
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Jul 1996
Sea Control - Submarines or Air Power?
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation May 2000
Extending the Sea Air Gap
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Jun 2000
Maritime Deterrence, Submarines and Air Power
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Oct 2000
Wedgetail and the Region [PDF]
Adam Cobb
JCISS Assessment Jan 2003
All the Way with RMA? The Maginot Line in the Mind of Australian Strategic Planners [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2004
Upgrade to Army Armour Fleet [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Oct 2004
Defeating Cruise Missiles [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Feb 2005
Strategic Air Mobility for the ADF [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Feb 2005
Strategic Sea Mobility for the ADF [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jul 2005
Artillery for the Army - Precision Fire with Mobility [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Sep 2005
Brigade Combat Teams [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2006
Air Power in the Quadrennial Defense Review [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2006 Exploring the 2006 QDR [PDF]
LtGen D.A. Deptula Defence Today Mar 2006
Maintaining Air Dominance in the Pacific [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2006
No Fuel, No Air Power [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jan 2008
US strategic overstretch and regional impact [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Oct 2008
Future expeditionary warfare challenges [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Dec 2008
Killing the Vampire /
Soviet ASCM development [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2009
Guam - Tip of the spear
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Mar 2009 Regional air forces weapons, systems and training
LtGen D.A. Deptula
Defence Today Mar 2009 Interview: Air combat platforms and ISR
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Nov 2001
The War on Terrorism [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Apr/May - 2007 Hitler's Legacy - Modern Islamofascism and its Nazi Origins [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Apr/May - 2007 Iran - Assessing the Threat [PDF]
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2010 Close Air Support in COIN Operations
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Oct 2010 Hardening Land Force Vehicles
Carlo Kopp Air Power Australia Jul 2005 JASDF Orbat
Carlo Kopp Air Power Australia Jul 2005 IAF/IN-FAA Orbat




Defence Policy Articles and Papers





Carlo Kopp Submission to the Minister for Defence May 1998 Replacing the RAAF F/A-18 Hornet Fighter, Strategic, Operational and Technical Issues
Carlo Kopp
Submission to the DoD CCT
Aug 2000
A Future Force Structure for the Australian Defence Force - A Response to the Green Paper
Carlo Kopp Air Power International
Feb 2000
Reflections upon the New Millenium ... and Current Defence Policy
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Oct 2000
Musings on the White Paper
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Oct 2000 Defence 2001 Policy Analysis (unpublished)
Carlo Kopp Australian Aviation Nov 2001
The War on Terrorism
Peter Goon
Air Power Australia
Jan 2005
A Farewell to Arms Revisited
Peter Goon ADA Defender
Winter 2005
Affordability and the new air combat capability
AirCdre Garry Bates
ADA Defender Autumn 2007
Risking the Sustainment capability of the Air Force
Carlo Kopp Air Power Australia Aug 2013 Exploring the Impacts of the Defence Trade Controls Act 2012
Carlo Kopp Defence Today Jun 2011 ‘Fixed price’ versus ‘cost plus’ Defence contracting
1 - Republished from the Winter 2005, Autumn 2007 issues of " Defender", the quarterly national journal of the Australia Defence Association, respectively, with permission.

The Parliamentary Debate [Click for more ...]
Related Links [Click for more ...]



JASDF F-15DJ participating in Exercise Cope Thunder, 2006 (USAF Image).



Northrop B-2A Spirit participating in Exercise Green Lightning, at RAAF Darwin.

Maps and Imagery Intelligence

Australian and Regional Maps

PLA-AF Bear/Backfire footprint - Click for more ...
The now certain deployment of strategic bombers, evidenced by development of the H-6K,  by the PLA-AF will fundamentally alter the strategic balance in the near region. This map illustrates the coverage footprint of the Tu-95MS Bear H and Tu-22M-3 Backfire C flown from southern China and Myanmar basing. The footprint of Indian deployments of like types is included for comparison (C. Kopp).

PLA-AF Su-30MK +AAR  footprint - Click for more ...
The acquisition of long range Su-27SK/SKM/30MKK fighters and supporting Il-78MKK aerial refuelling tankers provides the PLA-AF with unprecedented reach across the near region (C. Kopp).


The arrival of the Su-27/30 series fighters in this region changes Australia's strategic context significantly. The superb combat radius of these large aircraft provides a  significant capability to cover the sea-air gap (Author C. Kopp).

IMINT and Map Links


IMINT Gallery @ GlobalSecurity.org
University of Texas, Austin - Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - Iraq Maps
University of Texas, Austin - Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - Maps of Australia and the Pacific
University of Texas, Austin - Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - Asia Maps






People's Liberation Army Air Power Index Page [Click for more ...]
Military Ethics, Culture, Education and Training Index Page [Click for more ...]
Russian / Soviet Weapon Systems Index Page [Click for more ...]





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