Research for Air Operation

AFP 110-31, 'International Law--The Conduct of Armed Conflict and Air Operations', is the first pamphlet published by the United States Air Force on the law of war. Its purpose is to explain the principles of the law of armed conflict, particularly as they apply to air operations. Chapter 5 of the pamphlet concerns 'Aerial Bombardment' and sets forth restrictions designed to protect civilian populations from unnecessary suffering. This paper addresses these concerns by applying the standards in AFP 110-31 governing aerial bombardment to two particularly controversial aerial campaigns of the Vietnam War--Lindbacker I and Linebacker II.

This Research Contribution describes a methodology for assessing enemy ability to trail friendly ships at sea. It consists of four parts. The first part treats the search for a lost quarry by shipborne helicopter or long-range reconnaissance aircraft. The second describes a Markov model yielding the fraction of time the ship is free of trail. The third part estimates enemy aircraft requirements to achieve specific search results. The last part presents and documents an APL program, TRAIL, that performs all required calculations.

Demands for more airspace and increasing activity in airspace already in use are growing while the amount of airspace available remains fixed. There are already conflicts between civil, general, and military aviation, and it is generally believed that further conflicts are inevitable. Current airspace use over the continental United States and projected use through 1980 are examined in this study. The needs for airspace for naval training are determined, and the effects on these needs of placing more and more airspace under positive control are weighed. Several recommendations concerning naval training policies and both general and civil aviation are made.