Targeting Organizations

<p>This study analyzes the evolution of targeting organizations to identify their strengths and evaluate their impact on future organizations. While both strategic and tactical targeting are discussed the primary emphasis is on the former. On the eve of its entry to World War II the Army Air Corps did not even have an intelligence organization. The air forces had to learn how to get passed bureaucratic infighting to ensure dissemination of targeting information to all applicable agencies. As the war drew to a close Air Force planners saw the necessity of unified effort and attempted to centralize the targeting function. The Korean War brought more problems to the surface for targeteers. Should the commander-in-chief's staff direct the targeting of air forces or should the air component commander handle it? The creation of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff in 1960 brought all strategic nuclear targeting under one roof and apparently worked well. Now the question is whether we should bring non-nuclear strategic targeting into a centralized organization. Desert Storm showed the potential for centralized targeting from the United States due to modern communications and cooperation among the Services. Therefore this study proposes creation of a centralized targeting organization in order to be prepared for rapid execution of strategic aerial warfare against any number of potential adversaries.</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>