Tech Orders,

File: aacep_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 59




                    ENGINEERING AND SERVICES IN THE GULF WAR
                                       BY
                             DR. RONALD B. HARTZER
      
       Air Bases And Aerospace Operational Art.
       
       One of the keys to the successful prosecution of the air war
       during Operation Desert Storm was the availability, reliability
       and capability of the network of bases to support the application
       of air power. These bases were the platforms from which aircraft
       operated and the homes for the people who directly supported these
       aircraft. Bases were an indispensable component in the development
       and execution of aerospace operational art in the Gulf War. The
       availability of air bases meant that fit 'Charles A. Homer'
       Commanders US Central Air Forces (CENTAF) could plan and direct
       the air campaign with confidence and flexibility. Because of the
       nature of modern air warfare an aircraft flying a single
       operational sortie must rely on other aircraft for refueling
       combat air patrol etc. These often come from several bases and
       the unavailability of one Of these bases could mean an important
       piece of the sortie equation would be missing.
       While air power is inherently flexible it has always depended
       upon fixed installations. Throughout the history of the Air Force f
       air bases have become more sophisticated complex, and time
       consuming to construct. In World War II engineers constructed
       these bases in terms of battalion days. Because of the limited
       range of some of the fighter aircraft commanders wanted bases as
       near the front as possible. These bases followed the front lines
       across Europe and the Pacific. During the Korean and Vietnam Wars,
       Air Force engineers and contractors took months to construct
       airfields for jet aircraft and large transports. As weapon systems
       have become more sophisticated and technologically advanced the
       support tether has grown correspondingly. Air power required a
       tremendous supporting infrastructure at the bases. As the number
       of bases has decreased since world Ear II the remaining
       Installations have become more infrastructure dense. Aircraft were
       designed and procured that operated from long, smooth runways and
       were maintained in large modern hangars using complex test
       equipment with extensive electrical power requirements. But in
       August 1990 the most technologically modern air force in the world
      was ordered to deploy half-way around the world and operate from
      bases with no infrastructure that were little more than a runway
      surrounded by sand. Questions arose about the viability of the Air
      Forces weapon and support systems in such an Forces. Bases
      had to be established to enable the aircraft to operate efficiently
      and the supporting forces to perform their duties. Air Force Civil
      Engineers, whose primary wartime training had centered on
      
       .