Air Power, Insurgency and the “War on Terror” - Prof. Joel Hayward's ...

<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Power</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Insurgency</strong>: Early RAF Doctrine
<strong>the</strong> avoidance of harm to innocent members of <strong>the</strong> community”. 67 This goal, it could
be argued, would st<strong>and</strong> up equally well today as overall guidance regarding <strong>the</strong> way in
which air power should be applied in current counter insurgency operations. Whilst it
certainly should not be concluded that our predecessors had all <strong>the</strong> answers, it would also
be foolish not to at least recognise that <strong>the</strong>y had thought about, <strong>and</strong> practised, operations
in this area over a protracted period, <strong>and</strong> at <strong>the</strong> very least it would be prudent to consider
<strong>the</strong> lessons that <strong>the</strong>y thought it worth formally recording. Bearing that point in mind, <strong>the</strong>
last words in this chapter, <strong>and</strong> those with <strong>the</strong> strongest sense of déjà vu about <strong>the</strong>m, most
appropriately come from that final pre-war presentation:
Finally, I would like once more to stress <strong>the</strong> attitude of mind we
should adopt when approaching this subject … Let us remember
that we <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Army alike are instruments of <strong>the</strong> Government
we serve. We may differ in character, but we are <strong>the</strong>re for <strong>the</strong> same
purpose – to defeat <strong>the</strong> forces of disorder <strong>and</strong> lawlessness – <strong>and</strong> we
are <strong>the</strong>re to help each o<strong>the</strong>r. It is up to each service to be expert in
its own particular sphere <strong>and</strong> to its comm<strong>and</strong>ers <strong>and</strong> staff officers to
give impartial advice to <strong>the</strong> political authorities – <strong>the</strong> users – before
any operation is undertaken, <strong>and</strong> to be ready with that advice as
<strong>the</strong> situation develops. This means <strong>the</strong> closest co-operation between
all three, both in peace <strong>and</strong> during actual operations, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
recognition by <strong>the</strong> Army <strong>and</strong> ourselves of <strong>the</strong> paramount position of
<strong>the</strong> Government, in whom alone is vested <strong>the</strong> right to decide upon
<strong>the</strong> form specific operations … shall take. 68
44
<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Power</strong>, <strong>Insurgency</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> “War on Terror”