The value of British air power

At its heart, air power leverages height, speed, and reach to create effects across the operational spectrum.

While the UK publishes ‘bite-sized’ guides to its Joint Doctrine Publication (JDP) 0-30, the keystone document on air power, we aim to explain its essence in more straightforward terms. While JDP 0-01, UK Defence Doctrine, outlines the broad principles and philosophies underpinning the use of the Armed Forces, JDP 0-30 focuses specifically on air power and its unique capabilities. Let’s explore it!

This article is the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the UK Defence Journal. If you would like to submit your own article on this topic or any other, please see our submission guidelines. 

The Core Roles of Air Power

Air power revolves around four core roles, each essential to achieving strategic and tactical objectives:

1. Control of the Air
   Securing dominance in the air is the foundation of all operations, ensuring freedom of action for friendly forces while limiting or denying the adversary’s use of the air domain. Without control of the air, maritime and land operations are far more vulnerable to attack.
2. Attack
   Air power provides the ability to deliver precision strikes, often with overwhelming force, to influence adversaries and shape events. This role covers a wide range of operations, from strategic bombing to close air support for troops on the ground.
3. Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)
   Modern aircraft equipped with advanced sensors provide rapid and extensive intelligence-gathering capabilities. This helps decision-makers anticipate threats, understand the battlespace, and execute well-informed strategies.
4. Air Mobility
   The ability to move personnel, equipment, and supplies quickly over long distances is indispensable. Air mobility ensures that operations are sustained and forces are deployed or recovered efficiently, even in austere or contested environments.

Why Air Power is Unique

Air power’s unique ability to exploit height, speed, and reach allows it to operate beyond traditional barriers. Aircraft can traverse borders, bypass terrain obstacles, and reach remote or heavily defended locations with precision. Its global nature ensures access to any point on Earth, providing policymakers with an agile and timely tool for responding to crises.

According to the doctrine paper:

“The basis of air power is its exploitation of height, speed, and reach within the air environment, which facilitates the four core roles of air power: control of the air; attack; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); and air mobility. Control of the air underpins all air operations because it secures freedom of action in the air domain, while limiting or denying its use by an adversary. The use of overwhelming force through an attack from the air lies at the heart of the ability of air power to influence the behaviour of actors and the course of events.

The speed of aircraft enables highly responsive ISR solutions; their reach gives them the ability to fly long distances and cover vast areas, collecting information from a variety of sensors. Air mobility provides the ability to deploy, sustain and recover personnel and equipment quickly, often over significant distance. Modern, multi-role aircraft afford a significant degree of simultaneity, whereby a single aircraft can perform more than one role during the same mission.

Command and control envelopes all four air power roles and it is essential for the effective delivery of air power. Centralised control and decentralised execution is the UK’s preferred method for air command and control as it enables tactical flexibility whilst ensuring unity of effort at the operational level. Air operations are best delivered under the command of a single air commander, the joint force air component commander.”

Effective command and control are essential for maximising air power’s potential. The UK employs a “centralised control, decentralised execution” model, which enables tactical flexibility while maintaining strategic oversight. Air operations are typically directed by a single air commander through tailored command systems such as the RAF’s 11 Group or the deployable UK Joint Force Air Component Headquarters.

Integration Across Domains

Air power does not operate in isolation. It works most effectively when integrated with land, maritime, space, and cyber capabilities. This cross-domain synergy ensures that the Armed Forces can deliver coordinated and decisive outcomes.

International cooperation is also vital. The UK’s interoperability with NATO allies allows for the pooling of resources, such as aircraft from multiple nations working together under a shared air tasking cycle. This ensures that air power can be applied with precision and efficiency at the operational and tactical levels.

A Keystone Capability

Air power is a cornerstone of the UK’s ability to project influence and respond to global challenges. Whether securing airspace, launching precision strikes, or providing humanitarian relief, it ensures that Britain remains a key player on the world stage.

Through its unmatched combination of speed, reach, and versatility, air power continues to be a vital, important and equally load bearing cog keeping us safe.

At the UK Defence Journal, we aim to deliver accurate and timely news on defence matters. We rely on the support of readers like you to maintain our independence and high-quality journalism. Please consider making a one-off donation to help us continue our work. Click here to donate. Thank you for your support!