Ideas, Concepts, Doctrine

804 Pages·2003·57.9 MB·English

by  Robert Frank Futrell

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VolumeII
IDEAS, CONCEPTS, DOCTRINE:
Basic Thinking in the
United States Air Force
1961-1984
by
Robert FrankFutrell
AirUniversityPress
MaxwellAir ForceBase,Alabama 36112-5532
December 1989
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Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Futrell,RobertFrank.
Ideas, concepts,doctrine; vol.Il.
Vol. Ioriginallypublished:Maxwell AirForceBase, Ala.: AirUniversity, 1971.
Bibliography:p.
Includesindex.
Contents: 1907-1960 -v.2. 1961-1984.
1. UnitedStates.Air Force-History. 2. UnitedStates-Military policy.3. Militaryart and
science-UnitedStates-History-20th century.4. Aeronautics,Military-Studyand teaching-United
States. I. Title.
U6633.F84 1989 358.4'00973 89-165
ISBN 1-58566-030-2
FirstPrinting December 1989
Second PrintingSeptember 1991
ThirdPrintingMarch 1996
FourthPrintingSeptember 2001
Disclaimer
Thispublication was produced inthe DepartmentofDefense school environment inthe interest
of academic freedom and the advancement of national defense-related concepts. The views
expressed inthispublication arethoseofthe authorand donotreflectthe officialpolicyorposition
ofthe DepartmentofDefenseorthe UnitedStatesgovernment.
This publication has been reviewed bysecurity and policy review authorities and is cleared for
public release.
For Salebythe Superintendent ofDocuments
USGovernmentPrintingOffice
WashingtonDC 20402
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Contents
Chapter Page
DISCLAIMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
PREFACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
1 THENEWFRONTIER: REDIRECTION OF DEFENSE
STRATEGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Fiscal Policies and Military Forces . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Allegationsof a Missile Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . 4
Military Airlift and Strategic Mobility . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Effect ofElection Debateson Military Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
TheKennedyAdministration: Redefinitions of DefensePolicy . . 22
Kennedy-McNamara Quick-FixBudget Amendments . . . . . . . . . 26
Limited Mobilization for theBerlin Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Emerging Strategy:Flexible Response andMultiple Options. . . . 39
Five-Year MilitaryForceProjection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
General LeMayFears forStrategicSuperiority . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
AirForceThinking on LimitedWar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 56
Emergence oftheMcNamara Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
2 THENEWFRONTIER:MATURITY OF FLEXIBLE
RESPONSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Evaluations of the CubanMissile Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Politico-MilitaryEffectsof the CubanCrisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
StrategicDebatesof1963 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Air Force Questionsabout theMcNamara Strategy . . . . . . . . . 91
Rebuttal to Air Force Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Vicissitudes of aStrategicBomber Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Arms Control and Limited NuclearTest Ban . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Maturity of the Strategy of "ControlledFlexible Response.. . . . . . 107
McNamara andLeMayDisputeStrategicRequirements . . . . . . . 108
ContinentalAir andMissileDefenses . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . 113
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Chapter Page
General-Purpose Forces Projections . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Deputy Secretary GilpatricViews theFuture . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . 123
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
3 THEAIRFORCE INA CHANGING DEFENSE
ENVIRONMENT . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Centralization ofNational Security Management . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 133
ProvidingaNASA-DefenseInterface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Secretary McNamara andDefenseManagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
ChangingAirForceViews on DefenseUnification . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
AirForceOrganizationalAdjustments to Defense
Reorganization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
AirForce Reorganization ofDoctrinalPursuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Air ForceSystemsCommand/Logistics Command
Reorganization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
ContinuedThinking aboutAir Doctrine .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Challenges ofArmyDoctrinalDevelopment . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . 173
Beginnings of an Army Aviation Challenge . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 178
Strike CommandTests ofArmy andAirForceConcepts . . . . . . . 182
Clarification ofResponsibilities forDoctrine . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
DefenseRationaleonScience andTechnology . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . 193
Secretary McNamaraRevisesResearch andDevelopment
Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
The McNamara Rationale on Research andDevelopment . .. . . . 205
Threats and Opportunities inSpace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,2
Reflections on MilitarySpace Requirements . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Future in Prospect: ProjectForecast andAirForce
Manual 1-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 228
SecretaryZuckertDescribesAirDoctrine Guidelines . . . . .. . . . 230
August 1964: NewThoughts in BasicAir Doctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . 236
4 INSURGENCYAND WARINSOUTHEASTASIA . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Objectives andStrategy . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Advisory Assistance to SouthVietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 257
AirAttacksagainstNorthVietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 259
AmericansJoin theIn-Country Ground War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
President Nixon andVietnamization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
AirPower and the 1972 Spring Invasion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
EpitaphfortheRepublic of Vietnam . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
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Chapter Page
Organization andOperations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Command Organization Affecting AirPower . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 277
Counterair BattlesMaintained AirSuperiority . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Aerial Interdiction andCloseAirSupport . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Airmobility:US AirForceTransports andArmy
Helicopters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . 311
Evaluations of theAirWar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 316
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
5 STRATEGICCHALLENGES TO AIRPOWER, 1970-83 . . . . .. . 333
EarlyMilitaryAnalysis oftheSoviet MissileThreat . . . . . . . . . .. 333
Search fora United States Nuclear Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 337
President NixonDemandsSelectivity andFlexibilityin
Targeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
President Carter's Countervailing Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 352
President Reagan Opts forBoth Offense andDefense . . . . . . . 364
Articulation oftheStrategicTriad Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 384
Struggle foraLong-Range Combat Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Denigration and Re-creationofStrategicDefenses . . . . . . . . . . . . 427
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
6 TWODECADES OF TACTICALAIRCOMMAND
DEVELOPMENT, 1964-84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
EarlyEmphasis on aEuropean Nuclear Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467
Ordering TACAIR ResourcesforRealistic Deterrence . . . . . . . . 476
Response to theSoviet/WarsawPact Threat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490
Fixed-Wing Air andAttack Helicoptersin Controversy . . . . . . . . 516
US Navyand Marine CorpsTacticalAir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
TheTacticalAir Command-Training andDoctrine
Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Second EchelonAttack/AirLand Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546
Electronics: Keyto theAdvancing TacticalAirCommand
AirProgram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567
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Chapter Page
7 THEAIRFORCE INTHEDEFENSEDEPARTMENT . .. . . . . . 583
Continuing Complexities ofDefense Organization . . . . . . . . .. . . 584
TheBlue Ribbon DefensePanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587
Personnel Cats Affected Unified Commands andOrganization . 601
Secretary BrownandtheSteadmanReport . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . 606
Reorganization ProposalsFoster Service Interdependency . . . . . 612
Notes . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 617
8 GLOBALAIRMOBILITYFORCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 623
NewConcepts andRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623
StrategicAirliftSupportofSoutheastAsia . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 629
A NewMaturity ofStrategicAirlift: The C-5A Story . . . . . . . . . . . 63'7
TheIsraeliAirlift of 1973 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
AirliftConsolidation andSpecified Status for MAC . . . . . . . . . . . 645
TheModern AirliftEra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 648
Estimating Mobility Requirements Proves Difficult . . . . . . . . . 648
NewPerspectives on AirliftAircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65,2
Organizing for StrategicMobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 659
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 669
9 THE AIR FORCEIN SPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 677
Discourse andDecisions on Manned Military Spacepower . .. . . 677
ANewAirForcePolicy ofSpaceApplications . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. 684
Building aSpaceCommandandSpaceDoctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68!)
President Reagan's StrategicDefenseInitiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 704
10 THENEVER-ENDING QUESTFORAIRFORCE
DOCTRINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71:1
Recognitionof aNeed forDynamicDoctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
TheAir ForceDirectorate of Doctrine, Concepts, and
Objectives . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717
NewProgramDirections for AirConcepts andDoctrine . . . .. . . 722
Facing theFuture: Cooperative ArmedForces Doctrine . . . . . . . 740
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.5
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
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Illustrations
1 StrategicDefensive Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
2 Military Airlift CommandPassenger andCargoMovement . . . . . 634
3 ConsignmentofMilitaryAir Cargo: Fiscal Years 1960-75 . . . . . . . 634
4 MACInternational CivilAirlift Procurement:Fiscal
Years 1960-75 . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635
5 United StatesAirlift/Sealift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 643