The Rise and Fall of American Air Mastery

<p>This paper provides a comparative analysis of the historical parallels between the British Royal Navy of the 19th and early 20th century and the challenges facing American airpower at the dawn of the 21st century. Its title is meant to reflect an acknowledgment of the major points of Paul Kennedy's Rise and Fall of British Naval Mastery and build on that work in relation to American airpower via use of a similar trend analysis over the longer term of history. Relative major power decline and relative military decline are discussed in historical context as a framework for British and American comparative analysis.<br><br>The gradual decline of the Royal Navy and its implications are used as a template for comparison to modern day American airpower. Evidence of similarities and differences is presented with respect to strategy and policy operations and tactics personnel and training materiel and weapons and administration. The results of this analysis are summarized in a general theory of the lead and lag indicators of a future decline in American airpower over the longer term. Specifically this analysis argues loss in battle will not be a lead indicator of decline in American airpower but rather a lag indicator and that long-term planning should consider aspects of decline in air mastery not directly tied to potential defeat over the battlefield.</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>