Air Policing - Case Studies of Employment and Evolution of British Air Policing from 1919 to 1934, Covering Inverted Blockade, Third Afghan War, Somaliland, Mesopotamia, and Comparison to Iraq COIN

Currently, the United States finds itself in a very similar predicament to what Great Britain experienced after emerging from the First World War as she set about the governance of a growing empire during the interwar period. With the stated intent of reducing forces in Iraq while still maintaining adequate capability commensurate with achieving the political ends, some air-minded proponents are asking whether the air policing policy developed and implemented by Great Britain during the interwar years offers any relevancy for addressing the contemporary Iraqi situation. Specifically, does air policing offer a means to mitigate the corresponding reduction in capability associated with the drawdown of conventional United States ground forces in Iraq? In response to this question, this study examines case studies depicting the employment and evolution of British air policing operations spanning the years from 1919 to 1934. The case studies trace the origins, development, and mature employment of British air policing doctrine including the doctrine of Interference and the Inverted Blockade across the Third Afghan War, Somaliland, Mesopotamia, and Aden. While this study determines that the British doctrine of the Inverted Blockade is unsuitable for contemporary Iraqi COIN operations, and the doctrine of Interference offers only minor utility, employing air power in close coordination with ground forces and in direct support of local governance was extremely effective. Air strikes, when conducted with controlled discretion vice reckless abandon, were a significant factor for engaging the most ardent opposition and preventing friendly forces from falling prey to the element of surprise; preventing tactical defeats from having strategic consequences and preserving political will. The ability to rapidly transport and resupply small ground force teams proved essential to conducting rapid decisive actions, provided for increased security and freedom from attack, and reduced the requirement for ground-based logistical support. Perhaps more importantly, the ability to transport civilian governing personnel across the physical vastness of the governed territory rapidly was also extremely effective; making politics local. Psychological operations conducted from aircraft were effective at communicating and reinforcing government directives, influenced behavior without the use of force, and demonstrated government presence and resolve; even in the most remote areas of the mandates. Reconnaissance, when conducted in close coordination with ground teams, provided actionable intelligence, enabled overwatch of small unit teams, and permitted observation of otherwise unreachable sections of territory.