Strategic appraisal : United States air and space power in the 21st century /
edited by Zalmay Khalilzad, Jeremy Shapiro.
- xxviii, 481 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm
"Project Air Force."
Includes bibliographical references.
Introduction: The Price of Success / Forces for What? Geopolitical Context and Air Force Capabilities / The Future of U.S. Coercive Airpower / Modernizing the Combat Forces: Near-Term Options / Space Challenges / U.S. Military Opportunities: Information-Warfare Concepts of Operation / Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security Strategy for a New Century / Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Ballistic Missiles / Providing Adequate Access for Expeditionary Aerospace Forces / A Vision for an Evolving Agile Combat Support System / Strategic Sourcing in the Air Force / Ready for War but Not for Peace: The Apparent Paradox of Military Preparedness / Jeremy Shapiro -- Zalmay Khalilzad, David Ochmanek, and Jeremy Shapiro -- Daniel L. Byman, Matthew C. Waxman, and Jeremy Shapiro -- Donald Stevens, John Gibson, and David Ochmanek -- Bob Preston and John Baker -- Brian Nichiporuk -- Glenn Buchan -- Richard F. Mesic -- David Shlapak -- Robert Tripp, C. Robert Roll, Jr., Lionel Galway, Timothy Ramey, John Drew, Mayhar Amouzegar, and Clifford Grammich -- Frank Camm -- Carl Dahlman and David Thaler .
Change--in international relations, in technology, and in society as a whole--has become the idiom of our age. One example of these changes has been an increasing recognition of the value of air and space assets for handling nearly every contingency from disaster relief to war and, consequently, increasing demand for such assets. These developments have created both challenges and opportunities for the U.S. Air Force. This, the fourth volume in the Strategic Appraisal series, draws on the expertise of researchers from across RAND to explore both the challenges and opportunities that the U.S. Air Force faces as it strives to support the nation's interests in a challenging technological and security environment. Contributors examine the changing roles of air and space forces in U.S. national security strategy, the implications of new systems and technologies for military operations, and the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. security strategy. Contributors also discuss the status of major modernization efforts within the Air Force, and the "bill of health" of the Air Force, as measured by its readiness to undertake its missions both today and in the future.