Air Power in the Age of Primacy
Air Warfare since the Cold War

Analyzes the effectiveness of post-Cold War air wars in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and against terrorist groups.

Phil Haun (Edited by), Colin Jackson (Edited by), Tim Schultz (Edited by)

9781108984751, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 16 December 2021

250 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.492 kg

'This is a splendid collection, unusually useful for practitioners of joint warfare and historians, that fills a painful literature gap. Each case study provides useful historical and operational background, compactly presented, and each poses analytical dilemmas that can facilitate academic and operational educational learning opportunities. While there is much we do not know about these conflicts, the authors have done yeoman's work in carefully sifting what we do know, starting the conversation for what it might mean for combat and deterrence.' Brian R. Price, Journal of Military History

Since the end of the Cold War the United States and other major powers have wielded their air forces against much weaker state and non-state actors. In this age of primacy, air wars have been contests between unequals and characterized by asymmetries of power, interest, and technology.  This volume examines ten contemporary wars where air power played a major and at times decisive role. Its chapters explore the evolving use of unmanned aircraft against global terrorist organizations as well as more conventional air conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and against ISIS. Air superiority could be assumed in this unique and brief period where the international system was largely absent great power competition. However, the reliable and unchallenged employment of a spectrum of manned and unmanned technologies permitted in the age of primacy may not prove effective in future conflicts.

1. Air Power in the Age of Primacy Phil Haun
2. Remote Warfare: A New Architecture of Air Power Timothy P. Schultz
3. Deliberate Force: Ambivalent Success Thomas Alexander Hughes
4. Hoping for Victory: Coercive Air Power and NATO's Strategy in Kosovo Andrew L. Stigler
5. Operation Enduring Freedom Nicholas Blanchette
6. The Result is Never Final: Operation Iraqi Freedom Heather Venable
7. Israeli Air Force Effectiveness during the Second Lebanon War (2006) Nimrod Hagiladi
8. Libya 2011: Hollow Victory in Low-Cost Air War Jahara Matisek
9. Coercing a Chaos State: The Saudi-Led Air War in Yemen Ralph Shield
10. Russia's Air War Win in Syria Ralph Shield
11. Air Power in the Battle of Mosul Stephen Renner
12. Retrospect and Prospect: Air Power in the Age of Primacy and Beyond Colin Jackson.

Subject Areas: Air forces & warfare [JWG], International relations [JPS], Military history [HBW]