Dr. Gary Schaub Concluding Remarks at the Copenhagen Airpower Conference, April 17, 2015
Dr. Gary Schaub Jr. gave a presentation on integrating innovative air power to address 21st century strategic challenges. He discussed how modern air power capabilities like precision strikes, high resolution reconnaissance, and persistent surveillance enabled by technologies like GPS and networked communications have increased air power's effectiveness with no boots on the ground. Schaub also showed how the number of targets engaged per aircraft sortie has vastly increased over time due to improvements in munitions, air superiority, and greater use of precision guided munitions. He concluded that continued investments in areas like aircraft, training, and partnerships are key to enabling revolutionary jumps in air combat power for future joint operations.
Dr. Gary Schaub Concluding Remarks at the Copenhagen Airpower Conference, April 17, 2015
- 1. Gary Schaub, Jr. Integrating Innovative Air Power Facing 21st Century Strategic Challenges Concluding Remarks Dr. Gary Schaub, Jr. Centre for Military Studies 17 April 2015 Centre for Military Studies
- 2. Airpower: Increasing Effectiveness • No Boots on the Ground • Airpower as First Resort • Enabled by Modern Airpower • Immediacy • Range • Persistence • Precision • Safety • Responsiveness • Controllability 2 Gary Schaub, Jr. 17 April 2015
- 3. Overcoming Limits • Location Accuracy • GPS • Precision Strike • Laser-Guided • GPS • High Resolution Reconnaissance • All-weather • Persistent Surveillance • Satellites, UAVs • Networked Communications • High Bandwidth à Increased Situational Awareness Gary Schaub, Jr. 17 April 2015 Gary Schaub, Jr. 3
- 4. From Bombs per Target to Targets per Sortie • 1943 • 1500 B-17 sorties • 9000 x 250 lb. Bombs • 1 Target • 1970 • 30 F-4 sorties • 176 x 500 lb. Bombs • 1 Target • 1991 • 1 F-117 sortie • 2 x 2000 lb. Bombs • 2 Targets • 2003 • 1 B-2 sortie • 16 x 2000 lb. Bombs • 16 Targets • Air Superiority → 62 Years since a US Soldier has been Killed by Enemy Air Power 4 Gary Schaub, Jr. 17 April 2015
- 5. Increasing Use of PGMs • Desert Storm: 8% • Allied Force: 30% • Enduring Freedom: 60% • Iraqi Freedom: 68% • Odyssey Dawn/Unified Protector: 100% • 250 Aircraft • 6500 PGMs • 5900 Targets Hit • NATO Munitions Initiative led by Denmark 5 Gary Schaub, Jr. 17 April 2015
- 6. Next Step: Printing Press, Literacy, C2, & Firepower 6 Gary Schaub, Jr. 17 April 2015 • Printing Press enabled 1st Doctrine Manual → Standardized Tactics & Drill → Freed Commanders to Think rather than Enforce Discipline → Battlefield Innovation → Δ Operational Concepts → Basic Infantry Units → From 3000 to 135 men → Enabled Utilizing Firearms Effectively → Δ Equipment distribution → Modular Sub-units → Overwhelming Firepower • What if Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus had Airpower?
- 7. Take Aways • Western Airpower • Increasingly Capable & Increasingly Called Upon • Western Air Forces • Have Shrunk to Permit Some Modernization • Have Adapted to Expeditionary Operations • Require Investments • Aircraft • Training & Education • Personnel • Future • Partnerships are Key to Enabling a Real Revolutionary Jump in Air Combat Power for Joint Operations 7 Gary Schaub, Jr. 17 April 2015
- 8. Thank you 8 Gary Schaub, Jr. 17 April 2015