Short answer is this when you lead with technology you lose.

Backround: I was reading a NOVA interview of General Van Riper and he was talking about this very subject. He said we should figure out the concepts for how we will fight the enemy and develop the technologies to support our fighting concepts. And he went on to point out that when you lead with technologies first you will probabaly end up loosing and I think he is correct in that. Hence my objection to Gray's conclusion about leading with technology.


911 was an Air Strike....they had a fighting/attack concept first and then just developed/stole the technology to accomplish it.

Finally this is not an attack on Gray I like his stuff at least what I have read. I don't think this paper was balanced and it was largley inconclusive IMHO.

Now my opinion for what the Air Force concepts should be.

Clear the Skies.....Hold the Skies......Build an Air Bridge to the Objective. Now develop technologies that support that.