The Reliability of Warden's Theory on the Use of Air Power

During World War II and the Vietnam War, the primary focus of effort for air power was on the destruction of enemy factories producing military goods and the transportation networks that brought these goods and personnel to the battlefield. In the 1980s this changed due to the impact of COL RET John Wardens theory. Warden analyzed the enemy as a system and concluded that there were crucial elements of the enemy that would cause its defeat if destroyed. Warden concluded that the enemys leadership was this crucial element. He explains his theory using a five-ring model in which the most important and most protected elements are in the middle and the other elements, in order of importance to the enemy, emanate in four more rings from this center ring. The four other rings, in order, are the enemys organic essentials electricity, oil, and food the enemys infrastructure roads, airfields and factories the enemys population and the enemys fielded forces.