Air Power

We examine the evolution of military air operations in the 21st Century.




UK Ministry of Defence / Crown copyright 2021


Our research looks at the current and future capabilities and limitations of air power. The ability to deliver force from the air with unrivalled precision, at great range and in a matter of hours almost anywhere in the world has been the West’s greatest military advantage since the later stages of the Cold War. However, declining defence budgets, long development and procurement timescales and rapid proliferation of technology are threatening the West’s ability to control the skies.

We explore what this global trend means, as well as the doctrinal, strategic and ethical implications of novel technologies such as lasers, railguns, autonomous weapons systems and multi-spectral detection systems.

UK Ministry of Defence / Crown copyright 2021

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