The Department of Defense says that one of the most critical requirements in theater war is to halt an enemy invasion rapidly, short of its objective, heading off a long and costly operation to evict the enemy from captured territory. These capabilities are to be found mainly in air and space forces. That might seem to mean that the Air Force, upon the 50th anniversary of its founding, has finally achieved recognition of what it can contribute to US military power. Unfortunately, there are complications. Airpower is still undervalued in Joint doctrine and war plans.
Land forces dominate the theater commands and their influence is strong.
In the Joint world, the Air Force encounters the headwinds of tradition. The ground forces' definition of a Joint operation is one in which they are supported by airpower. The notion that airpower might achieve anything on its own, or with land or sea forces in support, is heresy. Our defense strategy centers on winning two major theater wars that occur almost simultaneously. When the enemy attacks, the traditional sequence of response is the deployment of airpower to halt the invasion, the buildup of US combat power in the theater, and finally, the launch of a decisive counteroffensive.