Reflections on Information Age Air Warfare

摘要

The information age has produced some profound shifts in military power, and nowhere has this been more apparent than in the domain of air power. A digitised air force represents the most pronounced case study of the impact of information technology and networking on achievable combat effect. This paper will explore the defining relationships in information age air warfare, from the dual perspectives of function and resistance to an opponent's use of information warfare strategies. The importance of Moore's Law and sensor apertures in information gathering is discussed, the relationship between Boyd's OODA loop, Metcalf's Law and Amdahl's Law is explored for large military systems, and the relationships between the linear and lateral evolutionary potential of combat aircraft and their future utility is studied.