1. What is Air Power?

2. Air Power
“The ability to use platforms operating in or passing through the air for military purposes”

3. Strengths of Air Power Height
Aircraft can operate over a wide range of heights
and so have the ability to observe and control
activities on the ground.
Speed
The enormous speed of modern aircraft means:
Deployable to any part of the world very quickly.
Missions can be completed in shorter times.
Aircraft spend less time over the target which
reduces their exposure to hostile fire.

4. Strengths of Air Power Reach
Air power has a much greater reach than either
land or sea forces and is unaffected by terrain.
Air-To-Air Refuelling enhances reach.
All-encompassing
Air power can counter or pose simultaneous
threats across a far wider geographical area
than either land or sea forces.

5. Strengths of Air Power Flexibility
Modern aircraft can perform a wide variety of tasks
and change from one task to another with
comparative ease.
Typhoon – From Air Defence
to Ground Attack

6. Strengths of Air Power
Voyager – From Transport
to Air-To-Air Refuel

7. Strengths of Air Power Response
Aircraft can be scrambled and be deployed to
distant places in a very short period of time.

8. Strengths of Air Power Concentration
To have the ability to focus massive fire power
against crucial targets, may well achieve
operational success very quickly.
Iraq War an armoured column fleeing from the
US Army, finds as it turns West the British Army
waiting for it.
It turns North, so the Allies divert some B52
Bombers and the column is annihilated.

9. Height Speed Reach All-encompassing Flexibility Response Concentration
Strengths of Air Power
Height
Speed
Reach
All-encompassing
Flexibility
Response
Concentration

10. Limitations of Air Power
Airborne Time
Aircraft can not stay airborne for ever, Even
with air-to-air refuelling
Aircraft need to land to re-arm, re-crew or service
the aircraft.
Limited Payloads
Payloads that can be carried by aircraft are smaller
than those carried by ships or land vehicles.

11. Limitations of Air Power
Fragility
Even low levels of battle damage could bring the
aircraft down - a fact which limits the time they can
be exposed to hostile fire.
Aircraft can however take advantage of their height
and speed to make them difficult targets to hit.

12. Other considerations with Air Power
Cost
High-technology equipment inevitably costs more
than simple equipment,
Dependency On Bases
Aircraft need a high level of base support if they are
to operate effectively, and if this base support is
vulnerable to attack, this could fundamentally
weaken the effectiveness of the air power.

13. Other considerations with Air Power
Sensitivity To Light
And Weather
Bad weather can make it difficult for aircraft to
take-off and land.
But with modern technological developments
aircraft can use bad weather and night to prevent
detection and so improve success.

14. Other considerations with Air Power
Sensitivity To Technology
Air power is extremely sensitive to technological
change.
For example, small advances in surface-to-air
defence technology can have a major impact
on the offensive operations of aircraft.

16. Height Speed Reach All-encompassing Flexibility Response Concentration
Strengths of Air Power
Height
Speed
Reach
All-encompassing
Flexibility
Response
Concentration

17. Limitations of Air Power
Airborne time
Limited payloads
Fragility

18. Other considerations with Air Power
Cost
Dependency on bases
Sensitivity to light and weather
Sensitivity to technology

20. Control of the Air Typhoon F35 Rapier
Typhoon worlds leading AD, (cf F22) and now multi role air superiority – CGY 3, XI, 17R, 29R. LU 6. Operated by GAF, Italian, Spanish. More detail in next lecture.
F35 Lockheed Martin ($2billion to be part of program). Program under review in USA. UK version controversy….now STOL F35B…implications?
Rapier - introduced in Updates including Blindfire…final updated as Rapier Service until 2020 – replacement being investigated by MBDA

21. Air Mobility Hercules Mk 4/5 Globemaster C17 Tristar Voyager A400M
Hercules Mk 4/5 C130] J (Mk4&5) 47, XXIV & 30---J model efficiencies. [LXX now awaiting A400m]
Globemaster C17 4 leased in 2001,will be bought & 3 more bought + 1 extra (total 8 operating) - huge capability
VC10 …101 sqn..took over VC10s in AAR role in early 80s 5K2 & 4K3 retired in July 13.
Tristar last flight in March 2014 and 216 sqn disbanded.
Voyager – 14ac 2011 ONWARDS. AIRBUS KC30 - REPLACES TRISTAR & VC10
A400M ac 2014 ONWARDS – REPLACE C-130.
MORE DETAILS IN MOBILITY LECTURE

22. Air Mobility Chinook Merlin Puma 22
Chinook based at Odiham 7,18,27 sqns ; Versatile heavy lift, 40+ troops, Miniguns and M60 machine gun + defensive aids. Ac updated to 46 MK4,4a,5 plus 14 new Mk6 in process of delivery. See Wikipedia note below.
Merlin based at Benson in process of being upgraded to MK4 standard and all 25ac will transfer to FAA in autumn 2014 for Navy and RM replacing old Sea Kings… (28 & 78 sqns RAF will disband) – advanced medium lift. 24 troops, GPMGs + defensive aids
Puma 34 HC1 with 33 & 230 sqns – battlefield helicopter 16 troops, 2GPMGs. SMALL HELI REQUIRED (2 FIT INTO A C17). Replaced by 24 x HC2 delivered 2013 –operational by 2015.
A programme to upgrade 46 Chinook HC2, HC2A and HC3 helicopters was initiated in December Called Project Julius, it includes new digital flight deck avionics based on the Thales TopDeck avionics suite, comprising new multifunction displays, a digital moving map display and an electronic flight bag, installation of a nose-mounted FLIR detector, and upgrading the engines to the more powerful T standard.[26] Upgraded HC2, HC2A and HC3 aircraft will be redesignated HC4, HC4A and HC5 respectively, and deliveries are expected to commence in 2011.[27] The first conversion, a Chinook HC4, first flew on 9 December 2010.[28] Initial operating capability status was reached in June 2012 with seven aircraft delivered.[29]
The Chinook HC6 designation has been assigned to the 24 (later reduced to 14) CH-47F-derived Chinooks ordered in These will have Boeing digital flight-control systems and are expected to be delivered during 2013.[26][27] Three had been delivered by June 2014.[30] 22

23. Intelligence & Situational Awarenesss
- Sentry AEW 1
Sentinel R1
- Tornado GR4
Reaper
Shadow R1
Rivet Joint/Airseeker
Sentry AEW 1 AQUIRED IN 1991 – 8 SQN – AEW AND AWACS
Sentinel R1 Number 5 (Army Cooperation) Squadron was reformed on 1st April 2004 at RAF Waddington, marking the beginning of a new era in the world of military Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) for the Squad-ron. The new role for '5' is to operate the Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) System, which consists of five modified Bombardier Global Express long-range business jets and eight Ground Stations. In RAF service, the aircraft type will be known as the Sentinel R Mk 1, with the R acknowledging its Reconnaissance pedigree.
It is a truly jointly manned RAF Squadron and the Officer Commanding, Wg Cdr Rich Barrow, has a current complement of approximately 250 personnel, split between RAF and Army. When at full strength, the Squadron will have over 300 RAF, Army and civilian personnel, making No 5 (AC) Sqn the largest flying Sqn in the RAF by some margin. The composition of the Sqn is like no other, as it requires RAF from all walks of life and eight different Army cap badges to deliver this hugely diverse military capability. SUPPORT FROM RAYTHEON
Tornado GR4 INCREASINGLY USED AS INTEL GATHERERER - RAPTOR
Reaper 39 SQN, CREECH AFB, 2007 PREDATOR (RAF REAPER) – sqn now operating back at Waddington
Shadow R1 QUESTION? UOR FOLLOWING DEMISE OF R1….BEECH KING AIR 350ER - The Shadow system is equipped with a turret-housed sensor pod, most likely for an electro-optical/infrared payload, and has a below-fuselage fairing believed to house a synthetic aperture radar. The modified airframe has also been equipped with a variety of antennas for communications purposes, and has a defensive aids suite for self-protection. 14 SQN..
RJ 3ac delivered 2013/15/ Sqn close cooperation/training with USAF. Boeing contract to convert KC135 and maintain.

24. Attack Tornado GR4 Typhoon Reaper F35
GR4 PROBABLY WORLDS MOST CAPABLE ATTACK AC – MULTIPLE WEAPONS AND SENSOR CAPABILITIES – LOSSIE 12, 617, 51R AND MARHAM II, IX, 31.
Typhoon RUSHED INTO ATTACK ROLE – BUT EXTREMELY CAPABLE - converted from F2/T1 to FGR4/T3
Reaper PRIMARILY INTEL BUT ATTACK CAPABLE
F onwards (taken delivery of first ac for trials in USA)