Air Supremacy and AirLand Operations

Operation Desert Storm was one of the most successful military campaigns in United States history. Coalition air forces, led by the United States, waged an intense air campaign designed to weaken the Iraqi army prior to commencement of the ground war. According to Air Force doctrine, the first objective of this air campaign was to gain air supremacy over Iraqi airspace. Subsequently, air, ground, and naval forces were free to attack targets at the time and place of their choosing without effective interference from the Iraqi air force. This "umbrella" of air supremacy was invaluable during the ground campaign. Within the next ten years however, the United States Air Force may not possess the capability to project air supremacy over an adversary in a similar situation. Significant budgetary constraints could slow or stop new weapons research and procurement leaving the Air Force with fewer and older weapon systems to accomplish its mission. Increasing Soviet weapons proliferation could provide state-of-the-art weapons systems to any country capable of affording them. The net effect is that the Air Force could face a powerful enemy without the necessary equipment to accomplish its primary mission: Gain Control of the Aerospace Environment.