Supremacy in the Skies

摘要

Air superiority is the single most important factor in deciding the outcome of a modern conventional war. Military operations on land, sea, or in the air are extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the side that doesn't control the sky. In the words of Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, "If we lose the war in the air, we lose the war and we lose it quickly." There's a difference between air superiority and air supremacy, terms often used synonymously. Air superiority is defined as being able to conduct air operations "without prohibitive interference by the opposing force." Air supremacy goes further, wherein the opposing air force is incapable of effective interference. Gaining air superiority isn't an end in itself. It's a means to an end: to damage, destroy, or otherwise affect an enemy's centers of gravity, whatever they may be.