What's Left of Douhet

摘要

Since the advent of the airplane as a military tool, debate has raged with regard to the question of how to best use it to achieve victory. The promise of technology and a fundamental desire to seek an alternative to the bloody and uncertain nature of ground combat have provided a constant impetus to a search for an air power-based theory of victory. Commencing with Douhet's vision of victory through destruction of cities and the breaking of civilian will, theorists through war and peace have wrestled with the question of how to most effectively employ air power. In opposition to Douhet stood a variety of theorists and practitioners arguing alternatively that attacks on enemy economies, military infrastructure, or military forces were more efficacious. The debate continues today. While the apocalyptic vision of Douhet has been substantially abandoned, significant premises remain embedded in contemporary theory. As a result, modern air power theory remains mired in a single environment construct as both technology and doctrine move inexorably toward joint execution.