It is a law of survival, if not physics: In war, any advantage wielded by one side will be countered with an opposite, if not equal force, in a continuous back-and-forth until one or the other capitulates. The resultant innovation...

Fighting the Air Base

Sept. 6, 2024
Front-line air bases are like any other weapon system: They are only effective if they can function under enemy fire. Air bases at forward locations in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, or other theaters must be able to fend off complex integrated air and missile strikes, rapidly ...
The principles of the Powell Doctrine and the effective deterrence that it should yield remain relevant today as we contemplate a new Cold War with China and two regional conflicts in which American policy is deeply intertwined.
In an open letter to Airmen and Guardians on Sept. 5, Kendall directed all the major commands, operating agencies, and other Department of the Air Force activities to conduct a four-month review of their organizations, policies and procedures, in search of improvements that will make ...

The China Threat 

Aug. 31, 2023
Broadly speaking, the PLA has been pursuing a modernization effort in what is known as the three “izations:” mechanization, informationization, and intelligentization.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is fond of saying his top three priorities are “China, China, and China.” His new reading list, published June 8 with a message to Airmen and Guardians, reflects those priorities—every one of the 19 selections deals with some aspect of China.

Letters

Jan. 20, 2023
We love letters! Write to us at letters@afa.org. To be published, letters should be timely, relevant and concise. Include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space and the editors have final say on which are published.
As part of Air & Space Forces Magazine’s commemoration of the Air Force’s 75th anniversary, we interviewed all of the living former Chiefs of Staff. In this part of the series, we feature CSAF No. 21 Gen. David L. Goldfein.