Joint Transformation of Aerial Interdiction by Enhancing Kill Box Operations.

摘要

The interaction of air and ground warfare is as old as military aviation itself. As far back as WWI, air interdiction (AI) and close air support (CAS) have been integral missions supporting overall campaign objectives. Originally conceived as a mission to support military ground operations, the purpose of aerial interdiction has gradually changed and widened over time. In World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm, interdiction campaigns attempted to disrupt and destroy enemy goods and supply routes to such levels that any attempt by the enemy to conduct offensive operations would prove futile. In the Balkan theater, commanders used interdiction campaigns to coerce Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. ... This paper will examine the evolving nature of air interdiction campaigns and offer some suggestions to transform the kill box construct in order to keep air-to-ground operations relevant in the changing battlefield environment. First, this paper will look at interdiction campaigns in every major aerial campaign since World War II and analyze the effectiveness of those campaigns. Next, this paper will examine current kill box TTPs defined by the joint community and highlight some short falls in those TTPs. Finally, using these discussions, this paper will outline ways the joint community can transform kill box TTPs that are more relevant and that take advantage of the technological, tactical, operational advantages that US forces have in today's battlespace.