Wild Blue Yonder

Aug. 25, 2023
AFSOC Pathfinding Needs a Doctrinal Foundation

AFSOC as a Technology PathfinderAir Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has stated that it intends to be a technology pathfinding element for the conventional Air Force. Like many Special Operations elements, it considers itself uniquely capable of providing value to its parent service by
June 8, 2023
Education is the Premise to Progress

Back to School In his recent keynote speech at the Air, Space, and Cyber Symposium, Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr. stated that “we must build our culture, not just our concepts” to meet potential threats. He identified multiple lines of effort “that will drive culture change,
May 18, 2023
Stop Calling It Soft Power! The Declaration Of Dependence On Language And Culture For Integrated Deterrence

Stop calling it soft power!Joseph Nye popularized the term “soft power” in his book Bound to Lead. Nye’s characterization of soft power influence versus kinetic force betrays the Air Force’s dependency on culture and language for partner interoperability and adversary understanding. A car without
May 15, 2023
Attritable Intelligence, Surveillance, And Reconnaissance (ISR): Concepts and Employment

The concept of Attritable ISR is not exactly new, but rather a return to warfare between great powers. Having engaged primarily in conflicts with non-peer countries with long-range ISR aircraft (such as the U-2 or SR-71) and satellite imagery, the US is not used to the idea of losing its ISR
May 4, 2023
Climate Change in India: A Security Challenge with Political and Economic Opportunities

The impact of global warming in India presents some interesting security challenges in South Asia in the coming decades. While widely accepted forecasts of temperature rising between 2 and 4 degrees Celsius will affect the security of the entire planet, the results will be particularly acute in
Feb. 9, 2023
Modernizing 5th Gen Fighter Pilot Training

In no other profession are the penalties for employing untrained personnel so appalling or so irrevocable as in the military.- Douglas MacArthurAnnual Report of the Chief of Staff of the US Army (1933) Military training must…continually be forward-thinking, innovative, and aggressive.- Jim
Dec. 1, 2022
The False Dilemma: Rethinking AF Science and Technology Officer Talent Management

“The advantage will go to those who create the best technologies and who integrate and field them in creative operational ways that provide military advantages.” – former Secretary of the Air Force Heather WilsonToo few U.S. Air Force officers have sufficient science and technology (S&T) backgrounds
Nov. 17, 2022
Ethics as a Strategic Resource in an Age of Strategic Competition

Following a massive troop buildup under the guise of a military exercise, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine. Labeling the invasion a “special military operation,” President Putin offered multiple pretenses for the conflict, including the “denazification” and
Nov. 1, 2022
Wild Blue Yonder on the Air - Ep. 20 - Capt. Jesse Lubove, Dr. Anita Kellogg, and Dr. Ben Kruger on China's Investment in the Data Economy

Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied within are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency.Capt. Jesse Lubove: Good morning. I'm
Oct. 13, 2022
Bombing to Win: Pape’s Denial in the Nuclear Age and the Russia-Ukraine Context

In his book Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War, Robert Pape argued how airpower could be used most effectively in war. Pape concluded that: “Denial can work, but strategic bombing is not the best way to achieve it. No strategic bombing campaign has ever yielded decisive results.”[1]

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Wild Blue Yonder Articles

AFSOC Pathfinding Needs a Doctrinal Foundation

Education is the Premise to Progress

Stop Calling It Soft Power! The Declaration Of Dependence On Language And Culture For Integrated Deterrence

Attritable Intelligence, Surveillance, And Reconnaissance (ISR): Concepts and Employment

Climate Change in India: A Security Challenge with Political and Economic Opportunities

Modernizing 5th Gen Fighter Pilot Training

The False Dilemma: Rethinking AF Science and Technology Officer Talent Management

Ethics as a Strategic Resource in an Age of Strategic Competition

Wild Blue Yonder on the Air - Ep. 20 - Capt. Jesse Lubove, Dr. Anita Kellogg, and Dr. Ben Kruger on China's Investment in the Data Economy

Bombing to Win: Pape’s Denial in the Nuclear Age and the Russia-Ukraine Context