MODULE 2: AIR POWER THEORIST

“Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the change in the character of
war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after the changes occur.”
 
-Giulio Douhet

According to PAF Air Power Manual (2000), air power as the ability to project
force in the third dimension – which includes the environment of the space – by or
from a platform above the surface of the earth. The use of air power started with the
advent of powered flights in the early 20th century. Across the history of military
aviation, several personalities became known for their contributions as theorists and
advocates of air power. These early air power theorists and advocates includes
Italian General Giulio Douhet known as the “Father of Air Power”, Air Marshal Hugh
Montague Trenchard the “Father of Royal Air Force”, American General William
“Billy” Mitchell the “Father of Modern Air Force” and Colonel John Ashley Warden III
USAF the developer of Warden’s Five Rings.

Air Power a decisive factor in war

Early Air Power theorists like General Douhet, Air Marshal Trenchard,
General Mitchell and Colonel Warden III believes that air power is a decisive factor in
war. The assumptions made by abovementioned theorists and advocates on the
potential and impact of exploiting the third dimension resulted to the establishment of
independent Air Forces that exist today. It is true that the effective employment of air
power could provide strategic advantage but it is still a debate whether or not air
power could win wars alone specially with the emergence of the new dimensions of
warfare such as Space, Cyber and Information.

Air Power as offensive in nature and were committed to strategic bombing

The use of aircrafts in the military is due to its ability to operate almost
anywhere within the air and over the surface. In the early period of military aviation,
aircrafts are used to collect information about the movement of enemies troops on
the ground. Few years later, aircrafts were equipped with munitions. The physical
and psychological effects of aircrafts conducting strategic bombing operations
against enemy’s vital centers were the main reasons as to why early theorists and
advocates sees Air Power to be inherently offensive and believes that the bombers
will always get through.
Vital targets of the early Air Power theorists which can paralyze Philippines
Assumptions from early Air Power theorists and advocates like General
Douhet, Air Marshal Trenchard, General Mitchell and Colonel Warden III in
advocating the use of Air Power to target enemy’s vital centers and destroy their will
to fight were almost the same but they differ in defining what are those specific vital
targets. Among the vital targets identified by early Air Power theorists and
advocates, the Warden Model of attacking the enemy’s center of gravity (Warden’s
Five Rings: National Leadership, Key Production, Infrastructure, National Will and
Fielded Military Forces) is the most defined if compared to the other Air Power
theorists and advocates. This Warden’s Five Rings if applied in the Philippine
settings and targeted simultaneously rather than sequential may cause to seize the
Philippine Government from performing its mandate to protect the people and secure
the state.
 References

PAF Website

PAF Air Power Manual

JDP- 0-30, UK Air and Space Power

The Air Campaign John Warden and the Classical Airpower Theorist

PAF Learning Management System (airforce.mil.ph)

Giulio Douhet quote: Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the change in the...
(azquotes.com)