Air Operations

The air environment is unique. Air surrounds the globe and overlays the land and sea. Consequently, air power is inherently joint, as air power has decisive impact when orchestrated along with land, maritime, space and cyberspace power.4 Air power is also pervasive, as aircraft are rarely physically constrained by national boundaries or terrain, so can potentially obtain access to any point on Earth. The distinctiveness of the environment means that air power has very different attributes to maritime power and land power. Consequently properly executed joint operations, where air, land, sea, space and cyber capabilities are used to complement one another’s strengths and weaknesses, can be particularly effective.

(Allied Joint Doctrine for Air and Space Operations, AJP-3.3 Ed.B, Apr. 2016)

Related Publications

Ramstein Flag 2024

NATO’s First Flag Level Air Exercise
By Lt Col 
William 
Barksdale 
By Lt Col 
Athanasios 
Sdrakas 
NATO conducted its first Ramstein Flag (RAFL) in Greece from 30 September to 11 October 2024. The exercise was spearheaded by NATO Allied Air Command, conducted across Greek airspace, and represents a transformative step in [...]

Introducing NATO’s New UAS Training Methodology

By Lt Col 
Andre 
Haider 
In recent years, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have become essential to military and civilian operations worldwide. These systems offer unprecedented capabilities in surveillance, intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and combat missions. As the use of UAS expands, [...]

Journal Edition 38

After an exhilarating three years in Kalkar, my tenure as the JAPCC Assistant Director and Managing Editor of this Journal will end in September 2024. I am immensely grateful to my editorial team, under the [...]

Non-Lethal Measures of Effectiveness in Targeting

By Mr 
Adam 
Jux 
‘Not everything that counts can be counted. Not everything that can be counted counts.’ William Bruce Cameron In a world of rapid technological advances, specialists in non-lethal warfare face a persistent challenge: measuring the intangible [...]

Technology and Trust

Interoperability for NATO’s Multi-Domain Operations and US Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control
By Cdr 
Michael  
Posey 
By Col 
Jörg  
Stenzel 
‘Never fight unless you have to, never fight for long, and never fight alone.’ General Fox Conner, mentor of both Eisenhower and McArthur As NATO considers how to conduct Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), the Alliance must [...]

Quantum Technologies for Air and Space (Part 3 of 3)

Quantum for ISR and PNT: Use Cases and Timelines
By Lt Col 
Denis 
Dúbravčík 
By Dr 
Michal 
Krelina 
This is the third and final piece in a series on air, space, and cyber applications of Quantum Technology (QT). The objective of the series is to disentangle the science of QT to inform strategic [...]

The Turkish Air Force

Boosting Defence Capabilities within NATO: Perspectives from the Turkish Air Chief
By Gen 
Ziya Cemal 
Kadıoğlu 
‘Türkiye plays a crucial role in maintaining regional stability through its efforts to deter security threats using its military capabilities.’ Before I get into the details of the capability development roadmap, I would like to [...]

Sweden Strengthens NATO’s Presence in Europe

The Swedish Air Force Commander’s View on Joining NATO
By Maj Gen 
Jonas  
Wikman 
‘The great strength of an alliance and air power stems from mutual trust and the shared belief that synergies arise when one seeks, without prestige, ways to enhance others’ strengths and compensate for each other’s [...]

Joint Personnel Recovery in an Urban Environment

By Lt Col 
Javier  
Aguilar Gonzalez  
By Mr 
Marco  
Gazzaniga 
By Cdr 
Andrea 
Magi 
By Maj 
Brian  
Nielsen 
Urban warfare is not a new phenomenon: Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, and Gaza are just some of the most recent examples. As global urbanization accelerates, it becomes increasingly probable that the Alliance will be involved in [...]

Challenged Air Superiority

Adapting to the Drone and Missile Age
By Lt Col 
Andre 
Haider 
By Lt Col 
Kim 
Vogt 
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has challenged current capabilities and military planner’s assumptions, highlighting the ever-evolving nature of warfare, where superiority is achieved by staying ‘one step ahead’ of the adversary. Observing the conduct of [...]

Battlefield Evolution: The Role of Joint Air and Space Power in Contemporary Conflict

The Acceleration of the Decision Cycle Through Enhanced Connectivity
By Capt 
Lucas J. 
Stensberg 
Enhancements in connectivity have significantly evolved warfare with regards to the variety of means and their speed in creating effects in the physical, virtual, and cognitive dimensions. Connectivity has always existed in various forms to [...]

A World Reshaped

Navigating the Ripple Effects of Shifting Power Dynamics
By Cdr 
Aaron 
Shiffer 
As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of NATO, let us take the time to reflect on the complex, dynamic, multipolar world in which the Alliance finds itself. The ever-evolving security landscape, beset [...]

Strategic Horizons – Advancements in Air and Space for Deterrence and Defence

A Review of the JAPCC Conference 2023
By Col 
Markus 
Müller 
By Lt Col 
Florin 
Sandu 
Between 10 and 12 October 2023, the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC) conducted its most prestigious annual event, the Air and Space Power Conference, to enhance deterrence and defence as one of NATO’s core [...]

Allied Air Command Lessons from Ukraine

Implications from NATO Air & Space Power Conference
By Wg Cdr 
Joe 
Goodwin 
The ongoing conflict between Russia (RUS) and Ukraine (UKR) has presented a unique opportunity for the Alliance to reflect on the experiences of both combatants and extract significant lessons for both the Air and Space [...]

Alliance Future Surveillance and Control

How Will NATO Continue to Effectively Monitor the Skies?
By Maj 
Patrick 
Giesenfeld 
The NATO E-3A, or AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), had its first operational mission in 1982. This remarkable aircraft has the ability to track and detect airborne threats from hundreds of miles away, while [...]

Assessing the Viability of Electrically Powered Flight in Military Operations

By Maj 
Eelco 
Tolsma 
The trajectory of climate discourse has evolved dramatically over the years, reflecting the growing urgency of the situation. From the initial fears of global cooling in the 1970s to the subsequent shift towards global warming [...]

The Alliance’s Transition to Multi-Domain Operations

An AIRCOM Perspective
By Sqn Ld 
Shaun 
Cannon 
The concept of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) has gained prominence in the context of NATO’s military strategy. What started years ago as an operational answer to peer adversary competition, in particular, to counter the Russian Anti-Access/Area [...]

The Finnish Air Force

Ensuring Readiness and Leveraging High-End Air Capabilities while Integrating with NATO
By Maj Gen 
Juha-Pekka 
Keränen 
‘Today and in the future, the FINAF has a crucial role in constituting the backbone of security in the challenging Northern Eastern operational environment.’ The Finnish Air Force (FINAF) is recognized for its rich history, [...]

Drone Drills

How to Prepare for a Drone Incident
By Lt Col 
Andre 
Haider 
Well-established emergency procedures are vital for swift and efficient crisis management across military, civil, and public sectors. These protocols encompass first aid, fire, and bomb threat calls, aiming to save lives, prevent harm, and minimize [...]

Electronic Warfare in Ukraine

Preliminary Lessons for NATO Air Power Capability Development
By Mr 
Duncan 
McCrory 
The Russian Federation has invested heavily in Cyber and Electronic Warfare (EW) since the 2008 military reforms as an asymmetric response to NATO military capabilities that depend on sophisticated electronic systems. However, Russia has not fully [...]

The Heart of Decision Superiority

Evolve or Lose – Why Your Next War May Be Won or Lost in Seconds
By Col (ret.) 
Anthony 
Bellione 
‘The question is not whether NATO will need to evolve and develop its C4ISR capabilities but whether it can do so in time to meet the gathering threats to the Alliance.’ General James Cartwright, Former [...]

Agile Combat Employment

The Next Big Thing for NATO Air Power
By Lt Col 
Isaiah 
Oppelaar 
The concept of Agile Combat Employment (ACE) may not be entirely new nor radical, but the complexities of modern warfare necessitate a number of modifications resulting in a more nuanced and innovative approach. Defined by [...]

Towards Intelligent Flight Simulator Training

By Prof. 
Murat Perit 
Çakır 
By Col 
Gökhan 
Gürakar 
Recent developments in neurophysiological sensor technologies have enabled the development of wearable and portable devices, leading to new research areas such as neuroergonomics. Such pBCI systems have the potential to enable the development of personalized training [...]

Fifth-Generation Intelligence Considerations

Cannot Be Afterthoughts
By Maj 
Joy 
Lomheim 
To unleash the full reconnaissance capabilities of fifth (and future) generation platforms, we need to prioritize and enable their potential for Non-Traditional Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (NTISR), wherein non-ISR (albeit ISR-capable) platforms are tasked with [...]

NATO Rapid Air Mobility

Bringing the ‘Rapid’ into NATO Air Transport
By Maj 
Massimo 
Di Milia 
‘Obtaining additional air transport mobility – and obtaining it now – will better assure the ability of our conventional forces to respond, with discrimination and speed, to any problem at any spot on the globe [...]

Hypersonic Weapons on the Front Line

Deterrent or Detractor?
By Cdr 
Aaron 
Shiffer 
Some regard hypersonic weapons as a niche capability that offers a new first-strike capability for a small set of high-value targets, while others argue they have little real impact beyond strategic messaging of national prestige [...]

Charting a New Course

The Czech Air Force Transition to an Exciting New Era
By Maj Gen 
Petr 
Čepelka 
Today, the Czech Armed Forces (CAF) and its Air Force are at a historical and conceptual turning point. This year, it celebrates 30 years since establishing a separate Czech Armed Forces after the dissolution of [...]

A Transformative Exercise

Air Defender 2023: Elevating NATO’s Defence Strategies
By Lt Gen 
Thorsten 
Poschwatta 
Initiated by Germany in 2018, AIR DEFENDER 2023 (AD23) aimed to be the most extensive deployment and live flying exercise of Air Forces in Europe since the establishment of NATO. Its purpose was to send [...]

The Multinational Joint Warfare Centre

A Leading Centre of Warfare
By Col 
Murat 
Çam 
The modern battlefield dynamics are changing as much and as rapidly as the requirements of the forces operating in it. Thus, the training and exercises required to ensure the operational readiness of forces demands continuous [...]

Achieving Sustainable Air and Space Readiness in the Light of the Ukrainian War

Imperatives from Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – ‘The New Normal Readiness’
By Lt Col 
Rafael 
Ichaso 
By Lt Col 
Stefan 
Lax 
By Maj 
Tamás 
Oszlár 
By Cdr 
Aaron 
Shiffer 
In the dynamic and ever-evolving strategic landscape, NATO continually adjusts its Military Instrument of Power via the ‘Concept for Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area’, and the ‘NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept’. As a military [...]

Organizing Logistics for Future Collective Defence

By Lt Col 
Isaiah 
Oppelaar 
Logistics is the cornerstone of all NATO operations but is often a secondary planning discussion after the staff plans the execution portion of an operation. According to NATO doctrine (AJP-5), ‘Logistics frequently shapes the design [...]

Enhancing Resilience in NATO’s Air and Space Power to Generate Deterrence and Defence in an Interdependent World

By Col 
Maurizio 
De Angelis 
The 2023 JAPCC Conference’s theme, ‘Enhancing Deterrence and Defence through Joint Air and Space Power – credible, capable and available’, is a promising subject that allows a reflection on all aspects of Air Power (AP) [...]

Enhancing NATO Air and Space Power in an Age of Global Competition

A Review of the JAPCC’s Joint Air and Space Power Conference 2022
By Col 
Thomas 
Schroll 
‘Our world is contested and unpredictable’. ‘Pervasive instability’ and ‘strategic competition define our broader security environment’. The challenges and ‘threats we face are global and interconnected’. Overall, ‘the Euro-Atlantic area is not at Peace’. This [...]

Targeting with Due Regard to Cultural Property

By Mr 
Adam 
Jux 
By Prof. 
Adrian 
Parker 
Damage and destruction of Cultural Property (CP) is a regrettable feature of warfare throughout history. The reasons range from the incidental, such as careless indifference, collateral damage coincident to legitimate acts, or lack of knowledge [...]

Russian Air Force’s Performance in Ukraine

Air Operations: The Fall of a Myth
By Lt Col 
Rafael 
Ichaso 
On 24 February 2022, the world witnessed outrage over Russian missiles attacking multiple targets in Ukraine, waves of helicopters at very low altitudes in what appeared to be aerial assaults on various airports, and reports [...]

Quantum Technology for Defence

What to Expect for the Air and Space Domains
By Lt Col 
Denis 
Dúbravčík 
By Dr 
Michal 
Krelina 
Quantum Technology (QT) has its foundation in quantum mechanics, a discipline more than one hundred years old. The first applications of quantum mechanics, known as Quantum Revolution 1.0, include nuclear fission, lasers, semiconductors, etc., where [...]

NATO IAMD Education and Training

Back to the New Normal
By Lt Col 
Berry 
Pronk 
Russia’s air and missile attacks on Ukraine underscored the importance of Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) and, more specifically, Surface-Based Air and Missile Defence (SBAMD) as an essential part of NATO’s Defensive Counter-Air (DCA) [...]

NATO’s Multinational MRTT Unit

An Update and Case Study for Future Defence Cooperation
By Lt Col 
Isaiah 
Oppelaar 
In the 32 Since publishing, a number of developments within NATO’s Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) mission set warrants revisiting this topic. This article will provide a brief review of the formation of the MMU, update on the [...]

Air Power in the Russian-Ukrainian War: Myths and Lessons Learned

View from the Command Post
By Col 
Artem 
Antonov 
By Lt Gen 
Mykola 
Oleshchuk 
By Lt Gen 
Viacheslav 
Shamko 
Editor’s note: The JAPCC is presenting this article as a personal account from the Ukraine Air Chief and staff in their own words to further the public discourse on the war in Ukraine. The views [...]

Shaping Tomorrow’s Air Force

Many Challenges and Even More Opportunities!
By Maj Gen 
Thierry 
Dupont 
The geopolitical landscape is unprecedented and scattered more than ever. Facing emerging powers possessing state-of-the-art technologies becomes a day-to-day reality. Threats to our safety and global security evolve continuously. Crude actions and the aggressive rhetoric [...]

Introduction to the Resilient Basing Enhancement Workbook 2nd Edition

By Wg Cdr 
Jez 
Parkinson 
By Lt Col 
Frans 
Van de Weerd 
  Update January 2024: The number of inputs received up to now is insufficient to make a thorough analysis. As stated in para 1.5 Caveat: ‘A delay in response will result in a corresponding delay [...]

Future Approaches to Red Air Delivery in NATO Air Forces in 5th Generation Fighter Training

By Lt Col 
Rafael 
Ichaso 
Red Air is a significant part of the NATO fighters training. However, this function is increasingly tricky for NATO countries to carry out, especially individually, due to the associated costs and the lack of materiel [...]

A View from Above

Air Domain Focused Observations on the Ukraine Conflict
By Maj 
Brian 
Ladd 
By Wg Cdr 
Jez 
Parkinson 
By Col 
Erik 
Rab 
By Lt Col 
Marco 
Sampimon 
By Maj 
Eelco 
Tolsma 
Although the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing, with no prospect for termination of the hostilities in the foreseeable future, some initial observations can be made with respect to the air domain. These [...]

Defining the Swarm

Challenges in Developing NATO-Agreed Terminology Across All Domains
By Lt Col 
Andre 
Haider 
By Lt Col 
Andreas 
Schmidt 
In recent years, the terms ‘swarm’ and ‘swarming’ have been among the most prevalent buzzwords in the uncrewed This article aims to outline the challenges and provides food for thought when discussing a future definition [...]

The Role of Aircraft Carriers in a Contested Age

Retaining Primacy in the Maritime Domain
By Cdr 
Andrea 
Magi 
As the Maritime domain is becoming an increasingly complex and contested environment, questions are raised as to how future operations at sea will be conducted and what capabilities will be needed. In this regard, the [...]

Close Air Support Command and Control

Digitally Enhanced CAS Operations
By Lt Col 
Osman 
Aksu 
Today’s military operations are becoming more complicated with the increasing number and variety of options available to commanders at all levels. The expansion of military activity beyond the Air, Maritime, and Land domains to Space [...]

Human-Machine Interface: An Evolutionary Necessity

Developing Benchmarks for Future Driven Interface Designs
By Lt Col 
Imre 
Baldy 
By Lt Col 
Livio 
Rossetti 
Optimal pilot-aircraft interaction has always been considered a cornerstone for achieving effective operational performance while maintaining a high level of safety during a task or mission. As more and more complex flight tasks are carried [...]

Good News or Bad News?

Embryonic Development of Network Enabled Weapons
By Lt Col 
Francesco 
Esposito 
By Mr 
Adam 
Jux 
In the past few decades, the way we have understood conflict and war has seen a tremendous change. War had traditionally been understood as armed physical violence. Today, global security challenges are changing faster than [...]

Artificial Intelligence – Human Symbiosis in Fighter Aircraft

End of the Fighter Jet Era or a New Evolution?
By Lt Col 
Rafael 
Ichaso 
‘The fighter jet era has passed.’ These words were famously spoken by Elon Musk at the 2020 Air Warfare Symposium when prompted to describe the future Air Domain. Musk’s position appears to be supported by [...]

High-Altitude Platform Systems

Alternative, Supplement, or Competition to Satellites?
By Lt Col 
Heiner 
Grest 
Since Space is an above-average growth market, it is becoming increasingly contested, congested, and competitive. This statement is broadly known and accepted; however, it applies mainly to Low Earth Orbits (LEO). or below LEO. This article [...]

100 Years of the Italian Air Force

An Introspective Look over a Centenary of Tangible Relevance
By Lt Gen 
Luca 
Goretti 
The JAPCC’s Interview with Lieutenant General Luca Goretti, Chief of the Italian Air Force ‘We already have the institutional duty to defend our skies; in the coming years, threats will come from much higher, but [...]

NATO ISTAR

Establishing a NATO-owned Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance Capability
By Lt Col 
Andre 
Haider 
By Mr 
Adam 
Jux 
By Maj 
Giuseppe 
Valentino 
By Lt Col 
Tim 
Vasen DipEng, MSc 
By Lt Col 
Jürgen 
Welsch 
By Maj 
Andreas 
Wurster 
Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of a coalition, such as NATO, have always played a key role in the success of operations. Although often this is considered an invisible job, the data collection and [...]

The TLP and the Pace of Change

TLP Challenges and Strategy
By Lt Col 
Zachary  
Mellor 
By Wg Cdr 
Jonathan 
Millington 
By Col 
Carlos 
Presa 
Change is associated in many cases with necessary actions, actions associated with positive effects, in politics, in aesthetics, in life. But this statement is not necessarily true if the changing subject already constitutes a relevant [...]

Transforming the RNLAF into a 5th Generation Air Force: Just Doing It!

By Lt Gen 
Dennis 
Luyt 
The world is changing rapidly. The geopolitical landscape is transforming as a result of the strategic competition among existing, emerging, and revisionist powers. Simultaneously, these powers are developing emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum [...]

Excellence in Joint Air and Space Power

Director’s Reflection
By Gen 
Jeffrey L. 
Harrigian 
The last three years presented a dynamic and challenging strategic environment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, its Allies and partners across the globe. Looking back to where we started this journey in 2019, we [...]

25 Years of Integrated Air and Missile Defence Training

Sharpening and Sharing Knowledge to Prepare for the Future
By Lt Col 
Berry 
Pronk 
The Cold War timeframe is often looked upon as a gloomy era; however, it also provided positive things, like military, social, and relative political stability in Western Europe. The end of the Cold War gave [...]

The Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet Programme

Relevant for NATO-EU Military Air Transport?
By Lt Col 
Juan Manuel 
Chomón Pérez 
‘Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.’ Franklin D. Roosevelt During [...]

Transitioning NATO to an All-Domain Mindset

By Capt 
Daniel 
Cochran 
By Col 
Matthew 
Willis 
Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO) is a concept with the ambition of maximizing the effectiveness of all declared NATO forces through broadly focusing on two critical interoperability areas: obstacles between services and across the nations. The [...]

Leveraging the Alliance’s Effort in Fighter Aircraft Design

Multinational Task Groups on Fighter Aircraft Design and Assessment
By Prof. Dr. 
Russell M. 
Cummings 
By Dipl.-Ing. 
David 
Klaßen 
By Dr.-Ing. 
Andreas 
Schütte 
The NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) has the objective to foster and improve the interchange of information relating to military research and development between the NATO nations. It is a follow-on organization of the [...]

Air Power: The 6th Generation of Aircraft

By 2nd Lt 
Raffaele 
Rossi 
In addition to the existence of conventional threats, today the geopolitical scenario offers very complex hybrid challenges. Borders have returned to the centre of world politics, just like a century ago on the eve of [...]

Aeromedical Evacuation in NATO

Where is the Alliance?
By Maj 
Jacopo 
Frassini, MD 
By Col 
Petr 
Král, MD 
According to the NATO terminology database, Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) is the movement of patients under medical supervision by air transport to and between Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs) as an integral part of the treatment continuum. In [...]

From Ground to Exosphere

15-Years of The Joint Air Power Competence Centre
Dear Colleagues, I am often asked what an Air Power Competence Centre is and what it does? I also have to sometimes explain, in these increasingly resource-constrained times, the value of the JAPCC’s work to [...]

NATO Force Protection on a Knife Edge

A Think-Piece
By Wg Cdr 
Jez 
Parkinson 
Like previous Force Protection (FP) pieces published by the JAPCC, this work is designed to be a ‘Think-Piece’. Its purpose is to provoke debate with the deliberate intention of engaging and challenging colleagues in that [...]

The Need for Speed

More and Better Military Tools are Not Enough
By Brig Gen 
Giuseppe 
Sgamba 
2020 was a challenging year, as we continued to provide deterrence and security for our Alliance in the face of the CoVID-19 Pandemic. I was impressed by the way all of us continually found innovative [...]

Employment Considerations for 5th Generation Systems

Incorporating F-35 Capabilities into NATO-led Operations
By Capt 
Daniel 
Cochran 
When considering the complexities of modern warfare, including the targeting of military objectives in contested, congested, and rapidly shifting environments, the ability to quickly and precisely identify and counter adversarial strategies has never been more [...]

The Italian Air Force’s International Flight Training School

The Next Level of Training – Excellence for Military Pilots
By Col 
Gianfranco 
Liccardo 
The Italian Air Force’s (ITAF) world-renowned excellence for flight training and the Leonardo Company’s leadership in integrated-training solutions come together to create the brand new International Flight Training School (IFTS) in Italy. The announcement of [...]

Future Battlespace Management

Fighting and Winning in the Increasingly Complex Air Operations Environment of the Future
By Lt Col 
Livio 
Rossetti 
Robust Anti-Access and Area-Denial (A2/AD) structures, coupled with the proliferation of advanced technologies across multiple domains, will dominate the third dimension in the coming decades. Potential adversaries will blend conventional, asymmetric, and hybrid capabilities across [...]

Hypersonic Threats

Hype or Game Changer for NATO’s Deterrence?
By Lt Col 
Andreas 
Schmidt 
It is almost impossible to read current literature about NATO‘s threat spectrum without having Hypersonic Operational Threats (HOT) mentioned as an emerging ‘game-changer.’ The following article is based on a Specialist Team Report of NATO’s [...]

Italian Bio-transport During COVID-19

Blueprint for the Alliance – How the Italian Air Force Managed Bio-transport During the Pandemic
By Lt Gen 
Domenico 
Abbenante 
By Maj 
Massimo 
Di Milia 
The Italian Air Force (ITAF) contributes to the Ministry of Defence Coronavirus DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic plan of action with various capabilities and structures. A key example of this is the implementation of the Bio-containment [...]

Offensive Counter-Air Operations

By Lt Col 
Osman 
Aksu 
Technology is transforming our lives every day. Although it provides many advantages, it can also be utilized to develop an effective or deadly weapon by potential adversaries. Among these technological advances are Unmanned Aircraft Systems [...]

Force Protection Considerations

By Wg Cdr 
Jez 
Parkinson 
Overview The subject of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) has become what can best be described as a ‘hot-topic’ not just for NATO, but globally. From a Force Protection (FP) perspective, it is offered, the primary [...]

Protection of Critical Infrastructure

By Lt Col 
Andre 
Haider 
By Mr 
Alex 
Morrow 
By Mr 
Phil 
Pitsky 
By Mr 
Amit 
Samani 
The challenges in countering drones are faced in both war and peacetime. As discussed in the previous chapters of this book, the risks presented by drones have increasingly come into the civilian focus over recent [...]

A Comprehensive Approach to Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems

This technical manual covers all aspects of having to counter the full spectrum of unmanned aircraft and their respective system components. It should serve to bring together both civilian and military experts by initiating thought [...]

Alliance Ground Surveillance Force

NATO’s Premier, Multi-Domain Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance System
By Maj Gen 
Phillip 
Stewart 
The NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force (NAGSF) is a ‘quantum leap’ in NATO’s Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, with unprecedented integration to benefit NATO and all 30 Alliance nations. It is the world’s most [...]

Air-Land Integration – NATO’s Strategic Joint Challenge

The Importance of Education and Training for Improving Joint Force Interoperability
By Lt Col 
Sarah V. 
Fortin 
By Lt Col 
Livio 
Rossetti 
As airmen and soldiers working in a joint force environment, various definitions and associations come to mind when discussing the extensive and historically important topic that entails the military effects of Air-Land Integration (ALI). ALI [...]

The New Aircraft Cross-Servicing Programme of NATO

Possibilities and Challenges of the Aircraft Cross-Servicing Agreement
By 2nd Lt 
Thomas 
Tüchsen 
NATO’s military alliance consists of 30 independent countries. For several reasons they have many different types of military aircraft, but in some cases there are multiple nations operating the same aircraft type. For the alliance [...]

Hybrid/Electric Aero-Propulsion

Enhancing the Requirement Trade-Space
By Dr 
Borys 
Łukasik 
By Mr 
Christoph 
Müller 
The use of electricity is part of the history of aviation from the very beginning. From the first electrically-powered airship in 1883 to an electric-powered helicopter used as a tethered air observation platform in 1917. [...]

The Future of Air Power and the Future of European Defence Industry

By Dr. 
Holger H. 
Mey 
The JAPCC turns 15 – fifteen years dedicated to competence in air power! Unlike sea and land power, both of which also represent geostrategic terms, air power is much less related to the ‘classical’ notion [...]