AIR POWER: THE NAVY VISION
Rear Admiral (LH) Giorgio GOMMA
Director of the Naval Aviation Department ITN General Staff
and Commander of the Italian Fleet Air Arm
THE AIR POWER
THE U.K. DOCTRINE
“The ability to project power from the air and space to
influence the behaviour of people or the course of
events”
Gen. Giulio Douhet
1869-1930
THE U.S. DOCTRINE
“The ability to project military power or influence
through the control and exploitation of air, space
and cyberspace to achieve strategic, operational or
tactical objectives"
“In order to assure an adequate
national defense, it is necessary
— and sufficient — to be in a
position in case of war to conquer
the command of the air”
THE BEGINNING…
27 June 1913
FOUNDATION OF THE ITALIAN
NAVAL AVIATION
LT Mario CALDERARA
(ITALIAN PILOT’S LICENSE NR. 1)
THE FIRST NAVAL-LAUNCHED AIR RAID
Seaplane Carrier
“Wakamiya”
(Imperial Japanese Navy)
5 Sept. 1914
THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY
“The turning
point”
June 1942
The Aircraft Carrier
as “Capital Ship”
in a naval battle
SUMMARY OUTLOOK
AIR POWER: THE CONCEPT
AIR POWER: THE CAPABILITY SPECTRUM
AIR SUPERIORITY/SUPREMACY
SITUATIONAL
SURVEILLANCE
RECONNAISSANCE
AWARENESS
AIR INTERDICTION
DETERRENCE/STRIKE
AIR POWER: THE PERSISTENCE
THE SCENARIO
ITALY: A MARITIME NATION
11TH MERCHANT FLEET IN THE WORLD
3RD FISHING FLEET IN EUROPE
THE FUTURE SCENARIO
THE WIDER MEDITERRANEAN SEA
BOSPHORUS
GIBRALTAR
SUEZ
HORMUZ
BAB EL MANDEB
STRATEGIC CONCEPTS
PRESENCE AND SURVEILLANCE
PROJECTION OF CAPABILITIES
AT SEA AND FROM THE SEA
MARITIME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
VTS
AIS
ARES
VMS
MCCIS
V-RMTC
MARITIME POWER AND NAVAL AIR POWER
THE ABILITY TO PROTECT
TRADE AND PROJECT
POWER FROM THE SEA
“THE INFLUENCE OF
SEA POWER UPON
HISTORY”
(A.T. MAHAN – 1890)
NAVAL AIR POWER
IN THE SPENDING REVIEW….
NAVAL AIR POWER
A CRITICAL ELEMENT FOR
POWER PROJECTION AND
NATIONAL SECURITY
THE EXPEDITIONARY POWER OF NAVAL FORCES
UNRESTRICTED AT SEA
SELF - SUSTAINED
SELF - CONTAINED
MOBILE C2 CENTER
FLEXIBLE & SCALABLE
POLITICAL INSTRUMENT
MOBILE BASE
SEA BASING
THE CAPABILITY TO USE THE SEA FOR DETERRENCE,
ALLIANCE SUPPORT, COOPERATIVE SECURITY,
POWER PROJECTION AND OTHER FORWARD
OPERATIONS
THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER
NATION’S RANK INDICATOR
NAVAL AIR POWER PILLAR
HQ IN THE OPEN SEA
EARLY ENTRY FORCE
ENABLER
THE DUAL–USE ROLE
HUMANITARIAN
ASSISTANCE IN THE
WHITE CRANE OPS
MCC’S AIR EFFECTORS
NAVAL AVIATION
AIR POWER
CONTRIBUTION
TO MARITIME
OPS
MARITIME PATROL
COMPONENT
SPACE COMPONENT
MCC’S AIR EFFECTORS
NAVAL AVIATION
AIR POWER
CONTRIBUTION
TO MARITIME
OPS
MARITIME PATROL
COMPONENT
SPACE COMPONENT
NAVAL AVIATION AND NAVAL AIR POWER
AN EMBEDDED FLEET
FORCE MULTIPLIER
THE NAVAL AVIATION
A SHIP WEAPON SYSTEM
COST-EFFECTIVENESS
MULTIROLE
THE SAILORS OF THE NAVAL AVIATION
NAVAL AIR POWER ≠ AIR POWER + NAVAL POWER
PROJECTION OF CAPABILITIES
AFGHANISTAN
LEBANON
LYBIA
CASE STUDY - ENDURING FREEDOM 2001
1.000 FLIGHT HOURS FW
8 AV8B + 5 SH3D + 3 AB212
M.I.O./L.I.O. + OPERATIONAL SORTIES TO AFGH.
CASE STUDY - LEONTE (LEBANON) - 2006
NON-COMBATANT EVACUATION (NEO)
UNIFIL TROOPS REINFORCEMENT
LIFTING OF ISRAELI NAVAL BLOCKADE
CASE STUDY - UNIFIED PROTECTOR 2011
Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR
ITS
NAVE
GARIBALDI
GARIBALDI
REDUCED TRANSIT TIME
COST-EFFECTIVENESS
PERSONNEL
INSERTION/EXTRACTION
REDUCED VULNERABILITY
AREA
AREA
DI OF
OPERAZIONI
OPERATIONS
R/V R/V
AV8B
AV8B WITH
CON TANKERS
TANKERS
CASE STUDIES OUTCOME
THE FUTURE
INTEROPERABILITY AS A
FORCE MULTIPLIER
INFORMATION SHARING
C4ISTAR TO ENABLE COMMON
OPERATIONAL PICTURE
CONCLUSIONS
WHAT IF MAHAN AND DOUHET WERE HERE TODAY?
QUESTIONS ?