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File: aacep_01.txtENGINEERING AND SERVICES IN THE GULF WAR BY DR. RONALD B. HARTZER Air Bases And Aerospace Operational Art. One of the keys to the successful prosecution of the air war during Operation Desert Storm was the availability, reliability and capability of the network of bases to support the application of air power. These bases were the platforms from which aircraft operated and the homes for the people who directly supported these aircraft. Bases were an indispensable component in the development and execution of aerospace operational art in the Gulf War. The availability of air bases meant that fit 'Charles A. Homer' Commanders US Central Air Forces (CENTAF) could plan and direct the air campaign with confidence and flexibility. Because of the nature of modern air warfare an aircraft flying a single operational sortie must rely on other aircraft for refueling combat air patrol etc. These often come from several bases and the unavailability of one Of these bases could mean an important piece of the sortie equation would be missing. While air power is inherently flexible it has always depended upon fixed installations. Throughout the history of the Air Force f air bases have become more sophisticated complex, and time consuming to construct. In World War II engineers constructed these bases in terms of battalion days. Because of the limited range of some of the fighter aircraft commanders wanted bases as near the front as possible. These bases followed the front lines across Europe and the Pacific. During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Air Force engineers and contractors took months to construct airfields for jet aircraft and large transports. As weapon systems have become more sophisticated and technologically advanced the support tether has grown correspondingly. Air power required a tremendous supporting infrastructure at the bases. As the number of bases has decreased since world Ear II the remaining Installations have become more infrastructure dense. Aircraft were designed and procured that operated from long, smooth runways and were maintained in large modern hangars using complex test equipment with extensive electrical power requirements. But in August 1990 the most technologically modern air force in the world was ordered to deploy half-way around the world and operate from bases with no infrastructure that were little more than a runway surrounded by sand. Questions arose about the viability of the Air Forces weapon and support systems in such an Forces. Bases had to be established to enable the aircraft to operate efficiently and the supporting forces to perform their duties. Air Force Civil Engineers, whose primary wartime training had centered on .
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