Airpower and Infrastructure

<p>The third ring (infrastructure) of John Warden's Five Strategic Ring theory is often neglected over the importance of leadership (first ring) versus fielded forces (fifth ring). Lines of communication transmit all of a society's military economic and political goods services and information. Infrastructure provides the framework that links the various elements of a nation's power. This infrastructure contains critical nodes that are vulnerable to airpower. By understanding this infrastructue we better understand an adversary as a complex adaptive and open system. The paper espouses a practical theory of airpower based on the synergistic relationship among societal structure and lines of communication that comprise infrastructure. Rather than isolating different elements of a society and their concomitant targets the theory views targets in a more holistic way. Of note the theory articulates a culturally based paradigm with airpower applied against the linkages within a society's systems processes rather than a one-size-fits-all target list (form). The theory describes a way to think about airpower not a way to execute its missions.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>