Accession Number:

AD1098565

Title:

Asymmetric Advantage: Air Advising in a Time of Strategic Competition

Personal Author(s):

Corporate Author:

Muir S. Fairchild Research Information Center Montgomery United States

Report Date:

2018-06-01

Abstract:

The U.S. Air Force does not adequately organize, train, and equip for building partnerships with foreign militaries, despite this activitys stated importance in national strategy, joint doctrine, and official USAF guidance. The Air Force does boast an array of air advisor units - some permanent, and some ad hoc. The different units are stove-piped within different major commands, each with different priorities, resources, and authorities. In short, USAF air advising is an active but disjointed enterprise. This project aims to determine how the U.S. Air Force should organize and present forces for air advising. The project uses a comparative case study approach, analyzing the 6th Special Operations Squadron in the Philippines, expeditionary air advisors in Iraq, and the 81st Fighter Squadron i.e., Afghan A-29 training. The author finds that more cohesive and sustainable air advisor organizations achieve better operational results, and therefore constitute the best cornerstones for a more unified, effective air advising enterprise going forward. On the other hand, ad hoc methods of selecting, training, and deploying air advisors have yielded few operational gains. The author offers several recommendations intended to help the Air Force organize and employ air advisors in a more cohesive and sustainable manner.

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Pages:

0123

Communities Of Interest:

Modernization Areas:

Distribution Statement:

Approved For Public Release;

File Size:

1.98MB