![]() ![]() Speed, maneuverability, and stealth enable these unarmored vehicles to survive and be decisive in combat. Flying machines, even modern ones, by their very nature are thin-skinned, relatively soft targets. In 1921, Italian Army General Giulio Douhet observed that "it is easier and more effective to destroy the enemy's aerial power by destroying his nests and eggs on the ground than to hunt his flying birds in the air." Douhet's metaphor was directed at fellow airmen, pointing out both the great offensive potential of airpower–a radical notion in 1921–and the exceptional vulnerability of aircraft on the ground. In particular, this report identifies the attack techniques that proved most difficult to counter and offers some suggestions for improving air base defenses against them. ![]() The objectives, tactics, and outcomes of those attacks are analyzed to identify lessons learned and their applications to future conflicts. ![]() This report presents a comprehensive overview of ground attacks on air bases from the first known attacks in 1940 to the most recent in 1992. For this reason, the history of those attacks is pertinent to future USAF operations. In the course of the research, it became clear that attacks on air bases were much more frequent and successful than is commonly appreciated. The historical effort reported here was part of that study and sought to better understand past, present, and future ground threats to air bases. Aerospace Power," has been investigating those means. A RAND study for the Air Force, "Countering U.S. If that is correct, future adversaries are likely to look for alternative means to counter U.S. Recent RAND research on trends in global airpower suggests that few opponents will be able to challenge the U.S. ![]()
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