Ideas, Concepts, Doctrine: Basic Thinking in the United States Air Force, 1907-1960

by Futrell, Robert Frank

• ISBN13: 9781931641784
• ISBN10: 1931641781
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-10-01
• Publisher: Lightning Source Inc

Table of Contents

Disclaimer	ii
Foreword	xi
About the Author	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
Emerging Patterns of Air Force Thought	1	(14)
Notes	12	(3)
Early Days Through World War I, 1907--26	15	(46)
The Beginning of Army Aviation	16	(3)
European Adversaries Speed Aviation Development	17	(2)
US Military Preparations	19	(1)
The American Air Service in World War I	19	(8)
Thoughts on Strategic Bombing	24	(2)
America's Wartime Aviation Accomplishments	26	(1)
The Mitchell Era: From Air Service to Air Corps	27	(24)
Mitchell's Early Thinking on Air Power	31	(3)
Aviation Is Integrated into Army and Navy	34	(5)
General Patrick and the Air Service	39	(5)
Establishment of the Army Air Corps	44	(7)
The Mitchell Era Reexamined	51	(2)
Notes	53	(8)
Growth of the Air Force Idea, 1926--41	61	(66)
The Air Corps Wins a Foothold	62	(4)
Beginnings of the GHQ Air Force	66	(9)
Toward a Long-Range Bombardment Mission	68	(2)
Baker Board Influences Air Organization	70	(3)
Organization of the General Headquarters Air Force	73	(2)
Development of Doctrine in the Air Corps and GHQ Air Force	75	(15)
Beliefs in Bomber Invincibility	78	(5)
Thoughts on Air Support Aviation	83	(1)
War Department General Staff Reorients Air Programs	84	(4)
Efforts to Describe Air Doctrine	88	(1)
Aviation in Support of the Monroe Doctrine	89	(1)
Mobilization for Western Hemisphere Defense	90	(11)
An Air Power Mission for the Air Corps	92	(4)
Battle Experience from Europe	96	(5)
Mobilizing the Army Air Forces for War	101	(13)
Organization of the Army Air Forces	102	(3)
Early AAF Organization for Basic Thinking	105	(3)
AWPD-1: Air Planning for War	108	(6)
Notes	114	(13)
Air Force Thinking and World War II	127	(64)
Planning and Analysis in the Army Air Forces	127	(20)
Many Procedures for Developing Air Doctrine	132	(3)
New Conceptions of Tactical Air Power	135	(3)
Wartime Work of the AAF Board	138	(4)
Official Evaluations of Air Operations	142	(4)
Wartime Air Doctrine Development Phases Down	146	(1)
Examination of the Strategic Air War	147	(20)
Thoughts on Air Organization for War	149	(2)
Battling for Air Superiority	151	(4)
Effect of Flak and Fighters	155	(1)
Problems of Strategic Air Targets	156	(2)
Early Strategic Bombing in the Pacific-Far East	158	(4)
Strategic Air against Japan	162	(3)
Atomic Attack at Hiroshima and Nagasaki	165	(2)
Thoughts on Air Power and Air Force	167	(13)
Lessons on Air Superiority	171	(2)
Development of Tactical Air Power	173	(5)
Importance of Airlift	178	(2)
General Arnold's Final Word	180	(1)
Notes	180	(11)
The Air Force in National Defense: Organization and Strategy, 1944--49	191	(82)
Armed Service Unification and the Air Force	191	(10)
Key West Agreements on Roles and Missions	196	(4)
Unified and Specified Commands	200	(1)
Building the Air Force's Internal Structure	201	(13)
Postwar Air Organization Plans	203	(2)
Recognition of Research and Development	205	(1)
General Spaatz's Air Force Reorganization	206	(2)
Continuing Thinking about Research and Development	208	(4)
Organization of USAF Headquarters	212	(2)
The Air Force in the Developing Cold War Strategy	214	(23)
Problems of Aircraft Procurement	216	(3)
First Policies on Missiles and Rockets	219	(2)
Emerging Soviet Threats	221	(3)
The Finletter Commission	224	(7)
Air Power and the Berlin Airlift	231	(6)
Strategic Bombing and the B-36 Controversy	237	(22)
Fiscal Limits Affected the Military	240	(5)
A Collective Defense and Air Power Strategy	245	(6)
Investigations of the B-36 and Defense Unification	251	(8)
Notes	259	(14)
Responses to Soviet Nuclear Weapons and Limited War, 1949--53	273	(92)
Evolving Patterns of Defense Organization	273	(9)
Toward the Air Research and Development Command	275	(3)
Military Support for Foreign Policy	278	(4)
Soviet Nuclear Weapons and Technological Challenge	282	(9)
Developments in Nuclear Weapons	282	(3)
Thoughts on Nuclear Air Power	285	(3)
NSC-68: Call for US Rearmament	288	(3)
Strategic Implications of Limited War in Korea	291	(13)
Bases of American Action in Korea	294	(2)
Tactical Air Operations	296	(2)
General Vandenberg on Air Power	298	(4)
Air Power Stalemates the Communists	302	(2)
Rebuilding the Worldwide Air Force	304	(31)
Establishment of the Air Force Council	305	(1)
Army-Air Force Accommodations on Air-Ground Doctrine	306	(8)
Air Force Organization Act of 1951	314	(2)
Air Buildup: 95-Wing Program	316	(4)
Added Requirements for Air Power	320	(3)
Air Objectives Expand to 143 Wings	323	(4)
Tactical Air and Air Defense Studies	327	(7)
Secretary Finletter's Assessments	334	(1)
Global Air Power and the Korean Armistice	335	(17)
Air Power and Armistice Negotiations	336	(4)
Air Pressure as a Strategy	340	(5)
Evaluations of Air Power's Effects in Korea	345	(7)
Notes	352	(13)
The Air Force Writes Its Doctrine, 1947--55	365	(54)
Early Efforts to Identify Air Force Doctrine	365	(8)
Air Force Activities in the Field of Joint Doctrine	373	(6)
The Air University as a Doctrinal Center	379	(22)
Successful Preparation of Air Doctrine Manuals	384	(12)
Continuing Air Doctrinal Activity	396	(5)
Failing Efforts to Produce Interservice Doctrine	401	(7)
Interservice Disagreements on Doctrine	406	(2)
Notes	408	(11)
Strategic Implications of the New Look, 1953--57	419	(58)
Statements of Defense Policy: The New Look and Massive Retaliation	419	(14)
Department of Defense Reorganization	423	(1)
New Look Military Force Objectives	424	(4)
Massive Retaliation as a Strategy	428	(4)
Air Force Views on Massive Retaliation	432	(1)
Air Force Thinking on Counterforce and Air Power	433	(10)
Efforts to Define Air Power	437	(6)
Air Force Positions on Nuclear Stalemate and Limited War	443	(24)
Air Thinking on Nuclear Stalemate	445	(2)
Limited Wars Are a Problem	447	(5)
Emergence of Flexible Response as a Strategy	452	(6)
A ``New'' New Look Strategy	458	(3)
Nuclear Weapons and Limited Wars	461	(4)
Increased Acceptance of Flexible Response	465	(2)
Notes	467	(10)
Missile Technology and the Air Force, 1945--60	477	(96)
Guided Missiles: The Research and Development Phase	477	(27)
Starts and Stops in Early Missile Programs	477	(8)
Technological Breakthrough in Ballistic Missiles	485	(8)
Soviet Threats Speed Missile Development	493	(3)
Decisions for Production and Deployment	496	(4)
Interservice Disputes about Antimissile Defense	500	(4)
Integrating Missiles into the Air Force	504	(37)
Integrating Missiles into the Strategic Air Command	506	(14)
Missiles for Air Defense and Air-Ground Support	520	(3)
Aircraft and Missile Projection in Tactical Air Command	523	(5)
Development in Continental Air Defense	528	(13)
Origins of Aerospace Doctrine in the Air Force	541	(14)
Visualizations of Satellites and Space Stations	545	(4)
A Concept of Space Superiority	549	(6)
Notes	555	(18)
Impact of Missiles and Space on National Organization and Strategy	573	(66)
The Defense Reorganization Act of 1958	573	(16)
Drives for Closer Defense Unification	574	(10)
Air Force Demands for a Single Service	584	(2)
New Authority for United Commands	586	(3)
Organization of Military and National Space Programs	589	(17)
Establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration	594	(12)
Strategic Dialogue: Minimum Deterrence or Counterforce	606	(23)
Meeting Crises in Lebanon and the Taiwan Straits	610	(8)
Minimum Deterrence or Counterforce?	618	(11)
Notes	629	(10)
Index	639