A Compass in Need of Alignment: Does United States Air Force Fighter Doctrine Adequately Cover Contingency Operations?

This monograph examines USAF fighter doctrine as is applies to contingency operations. The monograph briefly analyzes joint doctrine to describe a model of the operational continuum. This provides a basis to study doctrine covering military operations short of way which include contingency operations. The study then examines coverage of contingency operations in joint and USAF doctrinal definitions. These definitions help establish criteria to evaluate the three levels of USAF doctrine – basic, operational, and tactical. The monograph then focuses on common threads in previous contingency operations to gain doctrinal insight for the future. The study concludes that USAF doctrine for contingencies needs maintenance at all levels to adequately cover contingency operations. USAF tactical level doctrine needs emphasis on fighter support of conventional and special operations forces in contingency operations. USAF operational level doctrine is too outdated to meet an Air Component Commanders needs. USAF basic level doctrine needs adjustment to incorporate joint doctrinal definitions and concepts that shape employment of military operations across the operational continuum.