British air doctrine

BRITISH AIR AND SPACE POWER DOCTRINE

BRITISH AIR AND SPACE POWER DOCTRINE
AP 3000 FOURTH EDITION

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AP 3000

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BRITISH AIR AND SPACE POWER DOCTRINE

AP 3000

BRITISH AIR AND SPACE POWER DOCTRINE
Fourth Edition

Air StAFF MiniStry oF dEFEncE

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AP 3000

CONDITIONS OF RELEASE
This information is Crown Copyright and the intellectual property rights for thispublication belong exclusively to the Ministry of Defence (MOD). No material or information contained in this publication should be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form outside MOD establishments except as authorised by both the sponsor and the MOD where appropriate. This information is released by the United Kingdom Government to a recipient Government for defence purposesonly. It may be disclosed only within the defence department of a recipient Government, except as otherwise authorised by the MOD. This information may be subject to privately owned rights. Photographs used within this publication are copyright of the MOD.

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FOREWORD
chiEF oF thE Air StAFF Air chiEF MArShAl Sir StEPhEn dAlton KcB Adc BSc FrAeS FcGi rAFAn agile, adaptable and capable air force that, person for person, is second to none, and that makes a decisive air power contribution in support of the UK Defence Mission
The Royal Air Force Vision

The dynamic, complex and often uncertain nature of the contemporary operating environment means that establishing a sound conceptual basis for air and space operations is arguably moreimportant than it ever has been before. Our continuing success in combat will increasingly depend both on the depth of our understanding of air and space power itself, and on our ability to recognise - and advocate to others - how its potential can best be unlocked so that it can make a decisive contribution to the Joint Campaign. Consequently, this new, fourth, edition of AP3000 provides theauthoritative direction necessary to underpin the conceptual component of the Royal Air Force’s fighting power in the twenty-first century by setting out the broad principles and philosophy for the application of air and space power in a clear and digestible format. It aims to demystify air and space power by distilling its essence into just four, fundamental roles, and then explains how these capabilitiesmay be used to influence behaviours and change the course events within a Comprehensive, inter-agency Approach to operations. While the RAF is the prime custodian of the United Kingdom’s air and space power capability and takes the conceptual lead in its delivery, AP3000’s title - British Air and Space Doctrine - reflects the inherently joint nature of air and space operations and the contributionof the other components. Since its inception ninety-one years ago, the RAF has provided a decisive air power capability to the Joint Force, while retaining a unique and independent ability to project national influence whenever and wherever it is required. The principles that underpin today’s RAF were equally evident in 1918, when Lord Trenchard’s vision of an independent air force was rooted inthe experience of expeditionary warfare and a tradition of joint operations, a willingness to embrace emerging technologies and, in particular, a deep-

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Our Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence

seated belief that the Service’s success depended on the training, education and development of its people. In this respect, little has changed: well-motivated andhighly quality personnel with the agility to adapt to a constantly changing operational environment remain at the core of the RAF’s effectiveness; the core values of respect, integrity, service and excellence provide the cornerstones of our capability. In this context, AP3000 has a vital role to play in providing the intellectual basis for our activities and helping to foster that peculiarly...