WELCOME TO AirpowerJournal’s special edition for 1995. The articles presented here are the product of research directed by the USAF Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an Air Staff-sponsored research center located at the US Air Force Academy, The primary purpose of INSS is to promote Air Force research on national security, arms control, and area studies. Acting as a clearinghouse for information and new ideas, INSS supports the analytic needs of a broad community of organizations tasked with defense and national security policy, as well as (decision-making responsibilities. Consequently, you'll find the content and focus of these articles outside our usual scope. Not all of the articles seem to deal directly with airpower. In fact, very few of them do. On the surface, it appears that we've changed horses in midstream. A closer examination, however, reveals just the opposite.
The mission of Airpower Journal is to shape the professional dialogue of the USAF officer corps, We accomplish our mission by providing an open forum for the presentation and discussion of innovative thinking on military doctrine, strategy, tactics, force structure, readiness, and other matters of national defense. In short,, anything that is of importance to the USAF officer corps will appear on these pages. Sometimes, as is the case with this special edition, that means printing articles that do not appear to be directly related to airpower. Just pick up any newspaper, however, or catch the evening news, and you'll see that airpower has become the weapon of choice for politicians and policy-makers. Why? Because airpower's flexibility provides a wide range of options--from air strikes to airlift--to meet any situation. It is of vital importance, then, for us to be knowledgeable of the issues discussed in this edition: the democratization of Eastern Europe; the implications of the Conventional Forces Europe Treaty; the involvement of our South American neighbors to peacekeeping operations; and the development and use of nonlethal technologies. Sooner or later, we--as airmen--will become involved in situations affected by these issues.
In a very real way, then, the articles in this edition of Airpower Journal do indeed deal with airpower. We would be remiss not to recognize that fact. We would also be negligent if we were not prepared for possible duty in these situations, and that is what this special edition is all about. Through Airpower Journal, INSS provides a tool for our readers whose current or future duties necessitate thought or action in these areas. We’re offering them a broader, more comprehensive look at airpower, as well as a more thorough understanding of how airpower interacts with such broad areas as politics, international relations, law, and economics. So, you see, we haven't changed horses at all--we've just switched saddles.
JMP
Disclaimer
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.[ Back Issues | Home Page | Feedback? Email the Editor ]