Endgame in the Pacific

by Gorman, G. Scott; Air University Press

• ISBN13: 9781479364411
• ISBN10: 147936441X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-09-21
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub

Summary

Lt. Col. Karen U. Kwiatkowski's "Expeditionary Air Operations in Africa: Challenges and Solutions" details air operations challenges in Africa. She discusses how the USAF currently meets or avoids these challenges. She contends that Africa is like the "western frontier" of America's history - undeveloped, brimming with opportunity as well as danger, and that it is a place where standard assumptions often do not apply. Africa has not been, and is not today, a US geostrategic interest area. However, as the dawn of the twenty-first century breaks over a planet made both intimate and manageable by CNN and DHL Air Express, Colonel Kwiatkowski believes that the winners will be those who understand Africa and can meet the challenges of air operations on the continent first. Air operations whether commercial or military, are critical to a continent that has a limited overland transportation infrastructure of roads, rail, and waterways. Sea and river access to most of the major population areas of Africa is possible and well used. But from a US military perspective, water transportation does not always provide the desired speed or flexibility for contingency or humanitarian response. Africa is a continent connected overwhelmingly via airways, and the USAF will continue to use African airspace and air infrastructures. There are multiple perspectives on the numerous air and transportation challenges in Africa. The problems - whether air safety, navigation, ground transportation network and airport infrastructure immaturity, security, geography, culture, governmental mismanagement - are often presented as insurmountable. Ironically, the air transport situation is often seen as a problem that must be solved collectively by the 53 very different and very burdened states of Africa; and for this reason, unsatisfactory air operation infrastructures are accepted as a permanent handicap. A portion of Colonel Kwiatkowski's study is dedicated to illustrating how USAF air transport is really done in Africa on a daily basis. In hopes of shedding light on lessons the leadership of the world's most powerful air force may have missed. She recommends ways to improve our ability to conduct expeditionary air operations on the continent.