Control of the Air: The Primary Air Power Role

Abstract : General Giulio Douhet wrote in 1921 that, he who controls the air controls everything. Almost a century later, the official doctrines of most major air power nations still reflect a similar theme. His contention that control of the air is vital for victory in war was widely accepted and remains so today. Prominent Air power theorist like, Air Marshall Hugh Trenchard, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell and Colonel John Warden, all agreed to the primacy given to winning and maintaining control of the air. Control of the air is assumed to be primus inter pares of all the air power roles. The aeroplane as a weapon of war has undergone massive transformation in the ensuing period; however the doctrine of its employment has not changed much. There is need therefore to critically evaluate the primacy given to control of the air amongst various air power roles and analyse if it is valid in all the situations.