Handbook

Almost from the inception of powered flight, Western states have found air power to be an especially useful means of dealing with irregular forces. Whether quelling rebellious tribes in far flung colonies or pursuing bandits across border regions, air power in its many forms has been an important component of irregular warfare. In this course our underlying concern is to explore the use of force in the international environment, particularly its use by states against non-state actors. The context for this examination is the use of air power in small, irregular and unconventional wars, since 1917. Wars against bandits, rebels, insurgents, terrorists and guerrillas. The course will investigate the historic use of air power through colonial and post-colonial settings to consider finally the challenges such wars pose for the employment of air power today. This course may be taken as an IPS or a History unit at stage 2 or stage 3.