PREFACE
This report represents the culmination of a concerted effort within
RAND’s Project AIR FORCE to examine the political, operational, logistical, and force protection issues associated with overseas basing
for the Expeditionary Aerospace Force. The result of this effort, presented here, is a strategy for global access and basing of U.S.
aerospace forces. This study builds on a body of previous RAND research relating to enhancing the United States Air Force’s expeditionary capabilities, including:
•
Paul S. Killingsworth, Lionel Galway, Eiichi Kamiya, Brian
Nichiporuk, Timothy L. Ramey, Robert S. Tripp, and James C.
Wendt, Flexbasing: Achieving Global Presence for Expeditionary
Aerospace Forces, MR-1113-AF, 2000
•
Robert S. Tripp. Lionel Galway, Paul S. Killingsworth, Eric Peltz,
Timothy L. Ramey and John G. Drew, Supporting Expeditionary
Aerospace Forces: An Integrated Strategic Agile Combat Support
Planning Framework, MR-1056-AF, 1999
•
Lionel Galway, Robert S. Tripp, Timothy L. Ramey, and John G.
Drew, Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces: New Agile
Combat Support Postures, MR-1075-AF, 2000
•
John Stillion and David T. Orletsky, Airbase Vulnerability to
Conventional Cruise-Missile and Ballistic-Missile Attacks:
Technology, Scenarios, and U.S. Air Force Responses, MR-1028AF, 1999.
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A Global Access Strategy for the United States Air Force
This work was sponsored by the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and
Space Operations (AF/XO) within the Air Staff and should be of interest to planners and operators within the Air Force. It may be of value
to policymakers elsewhere in the Department of Defense and the
U.S. government who are involved in arranging and maintaining relationships that can either facilitate or hinder other states’ cooperation with the United States in the full range of military operations.
Our research was conducted within the Strategy and Doctrine program of Project AIR FORCE. Comments are welcome and should be
directed to the Program Director, Edward Harshberger, or to the lead
author, David Shlapak (David_Shlapak@rand.org).
Primary research for this study concluded in late 1999, so events of
2000 and 2001 are not fully reflected here. However, nothing that has
transpired would, in our opinion, dramatically alter our conclusions.
Indeed, the terrorist attacks on the United States in September 2001
and the subsequent “war on terrorism” reinforce our main premise,
which is that the United States—and the Air Force—must prepare for
challenging contingencies in unexpected places at inconvenient
times.
PROJECT AIR FORCE
Project AIR FORCE, a division of RAND, is the Air Force federally
funded research and development center (FFRDC) for studies and
analysis. It provides the Air Force with independent analyses of policy alternatives affecting the development, employment, combat
readiness, and support of current and future aerospace forces. Research is performed in four programs: Aerospace Force Development; Manpower, Personnel, and Training; Resource Management;
and Strategy and Doctrine.