Airstrike Policies?

[Chris Albon]

I am doing a bit of side research into the effects of airstrikes, and I was wondering if a SWC member knew where I could get my hands on information on the policies/guidelines/rules etc.. etc.. governing airstrikes (for any nation).

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Entropy]

Hello!

First of all, it's important to define what you mean by "airstikes" which is a general term laymen use that covers pretty much any ordnance delivered from the air to the surface. According to US doctrine, however, an airstrike is "An attack on specific objectives by fighter, bomber, or attack aircraft on an offensive mission. May consist of several air organizations under a single command in the air." The key word there being offensive.

So, depending on what you mean, the "rules" can vary considerably. For example, a deep strike on a command-and-control facility in the enemy's rear will have different rules and procedures than direct close air support (CAS) to a ground unit.

That said, a good place to start are the various joint US military publications. There are several in there that cover specific types of air operations or contain sections that deal with air support to different various operations.