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Email this citationCIAO DATE: 11/03
Catastrophic Interdiction: Air Power and the Collapse of the Iraqi Field Army in the 2003 War
Carl Conetta
September 2003
Abstract
This report analyzes an important aspect of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): the interdiction of Iraqi ground units by coalition air forces. Based on air campaign statistics, observations from the field, and the experience of past air campaigns, the report assesses the likely impact (in terms of combatant casualties) of coalition air attacks on the Iraqi army in the field. Our approach is a comparative one that views the OIF air interdiction campaign in light of the experience of the 1991 Gulf War. Among the issues we explore is the contribution of coalition air power to the ca ta st ro ph ic co ll ap se of th e Ir aq i R ep ub li ca n G ua rd an d r eg ul ar ar my.
Excluded from our analysis are close air support missions, offensive counter-air missions, military infrastructure attacks, and attacks on strategic targets (including political targets). Also excluded are attacks by coalition ground forces, including associated rotary-wing aviation. These are examined in a subsequent report to be released 1 October 2003.
For the purposes of the present report, air interdiction of ground forces is distinguished from the close air support mission by its focus on targets that are some distance from one's own troops. Functionally speaking, close air support missions help decide the immediate battle, while air interdiction missions shape the battlefield and help determine tomorrow's battle.
