Robert S Barr

Can Airpower Counter the Asymmetric Threat? Factors Influencing the Employment of Airpower Against International Terrorist Threats Robert S Barr

Asymmetric threats have risen to the forefront of United States national security concerns in recent years. International terrorism is one such threat that continues to be a chief concern for the U. S. at home and abroad. Airpower provides unique capabilities in the areas of dominant maneuver and precision engagement that can be leveraged against this particular threat to national security. Technological advancements in airpower weapons such as cruise missiles, tactical aircraft (including stealth/low observability bombers), and standoff precision weapons make them "the weapon systems of choice" when preemptive or retaliatory kinetic strikes are ordered against terrorist targets. Even though advancements in technology have increased the successfulness of these weapons, further advances in Precision Guided Munition (PGM) technology are warranted. More important however, are the ancillary factors that can negatively influence the military's ability to counter the asymmetric threat.