Overview

This unique book an outgrowth of questions raised about the conduct of air operations in the war between Iran and Iraq. Unlike previous Middle Eastern wars, this one had continued over a protracted period while we in the United States and in the US Air Force had been able to observe it only from a distance. As the war haltingly progressed, we began to have a fair picture of what was going on in the air war, though our information was far from complete or detailed. The sketchy picture that emerged, however, seemed to indicate the combatants were using their airpower assets in ways contrary to our expectations. Most notably, it seemed that both sides seemed content not to use their airpower and relied instead on ground forces for most combat operations. This report examines the air war between Iran and Iraq, but rather than attempt simply to lay out what happened in the war, it attempts to discern why Iran and Iraq used their airpower as they did. The results of this study do not call into question any basic US Air Force airpower approaches, but they do highlight significant considerations that affect the use of airpower by Third World nations. CHAPTER 1 - THE ARAB AIR WARFARE EXPERIENCE * The First Arab-Israeli War - 1947-49 * Lessons: 1948 * The Suez War - 29 October-7 November 1956 * Lessons: 1956 * The Six-Day War - 1967 * Lessons: 1967 * The October War - 1973 * Lessons: 1973 * Wrap-up - The Arab Wars * Notes * CHAPTER 2 - BACKGROUNDS OF THE IQAF AND IIAF * The Iraqi Air Force * Wartime Combat Experience * Political Influences * Organization and Mission * The Iranian Air Force * Notes * CHAPTER 3 - REASONS FOR THE WAR * The Reasons * Notes * CHAPTER 4 - THE WAR - THE INITIAL STAGES * Notes * CHAPTER 5 - THE AIR WAR * Deterrence - The Primary Role for Air Forces * Performance - The IQAF and IIAF in Strategic Strikes * The Vital Importance of Attrition * Performance - The IQAF and IIAF in Strategic Defense * Doctrinal Approaches * Offensive Counterair Operations * The Iraqi Attack * The Iranian Response * Support for Ground Forces - Close Air Support/Interdiction * Command and Control - Different Approaches * Notes * CHAPTER 6 - CONCLUSIONS * The Role of Airpower * Strategic Considerations * Cultural Factors Impacting Strategy * Airpower Approaches * Principles of War * Cultural Factors Impacting Military Operations * Notes

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9781521388976

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