Volume 30 Issue 1, Spring 2016 Published March 1, 2016 Air & Space Power Journal, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL Senior Leader Perspective No Longer the Outlier: Updating the Air Component Structure Lt Gen CQ Brown Jr., USAF / Lt Col Rick Fournier, USAF Historically, the air component has been an outlier. Air operations and Air Force forces (AFFOR) doctrine has been slow to adapt to changes in the joint environment. Past doctrinal distinctions between AFFOR and the air operations center (AOC) place... Feature Articles Challenging Minimum Deterrence: Articulating the Contemporary Relevance of Nuclear Weapons Maj Joshua D. Wiitala, USAF Since the end of the Cold War, the relevance of US nuclear weapons has been the subject of immense debate. Today, the need to initiate recapitalization programs for key elements of the US nuclear enterprise gives this debate added meaning and... Just Checking the Box: Do Our Airmen Value Their CCAF Degree? Maj Jason M. Newcomer, DBA, USAF / Aaron M. Glassman, DMgt / Maj Aisha D. DaCosta-Paul, USAFR / MSgt Jason A. Fowler, USAF A recent article, "CCAF Continues to Provide Value to Air Force, Enlisted Members," posted in the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) alumni group on LinkedIn generated over 100 comments from CCAF graduates regarding the value of that... Views A Shot in the Dark: Shedding Light on Exoatmospheric Situational Awareness with Alternate Sensor Utilization Dr. Jeremy L. Barnes, PMP / Ashley N. Elledge / Col Scott G. Patton, USAF, Retired This article examines utilizing CubeSats (small satellites) equipped with advanced sensors to augment and improve situational awareness for missile defense to facilitate defeating an incoming warhead. Both types of sensing and deployment tactics are... Multidomain Operations: A Subtle but Significant Transition in Military Thought Dr. Jeffrey M. Reilly More than four years ago, Gen Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asked an assembled Military Education Coordination Council, "What's after joint?" His principal concern was that the worldwide flood of powerful,... Geopolitics and Planning for a High-End Fight: NATO and the Baltic Region Dr. Ralph S. Clem The geopolitical crisis in Europe stemming from Russia's annexation of Crimea and further attacks on Ukraine has resulted in a heightened level of tensions between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Geopolitical concerns,... The Joint Force Air Component Commander and the Integration of Offensive Cyberspace Effects: Power Projection through Cyberspace Capt Jason M. Gargan, USAF This article proposes that the Air Force shape the air component to properly integrate cyberspace effects to work within the constraints of the Joint Staff Execution Order "Implementing Cyberspace Command and Control." It advocates a proven way for... Download Full Edition
and Join the Airpower Dialogue.