Author Description

Air and space power and technology have always been tightly bound together throughout the history of air and space operations. This linkage is very evident in the combat machines, devices, and tactics needed to survive in the air and space environment. The use of radio and radar early in World War II as the means to find targets on the surface and in the air illustrates the first technological exploitation of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum in aerial warfare. The advent of countermeasures to these systems produced what we now consider electronic warfare (EW). Today's weapon systems and support systems rely on radio, radar, infrared (IR), electro-optical, ultraviolet, and laser technologies to function in peace and war. Unhampered use of the EM medium is vital to assure the success of any modern military operation. Coalition forces in Operation DESERT STORM operated "at will" over Iraq and Kuwait after gaining control of the EM spectrum early in the war. Air Force Doctrine Document (AFDD) 2-5.1, Electronic Warfare, provides a basis for understanding, planning, and executing this portion of air and space warfare.