Comparative advantage

The RAAF and the age of air power

Looking back in twenty-five years’ time, Western military historians are likely to describe the previous seven decades – that is, the period from 1970 to 2040 – as the age of air power. With the priceless benefit of hindsight, they will define the period as having started with the Israeli Air Force’s remarkable series of victories against Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan, followed by the equally remarkable series of air campaigns led by the United States Air Force in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Central Asia.

And while making predictions is a risky business, given the current balance of international military power, it is not too much of a gamble to suggest that air power will remain the West’s greatest military comparative advantage and weapon of first choice from now until at least 2040.