Air Superiority Does Not Ensure Conquest - For it is the Expensive (Therefore Limited) Option

Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), Apr 6, 2015 at 15:38

Wars in the modern context have been 'unconventional' for quite some time, a natural progression for centuries, ostensibly since the ability to inflict mass casualties in a brief period of time, the invention of gunpowder notwithstanding. An overwhelming threat of this existed for the first time right after the detonation of American nuclear power over Japan and the subsequent existential possibility by Soviet power that lasted for nearly forty years. After waning for a while after the fall of the Soviet oligarchy, it is now rearing its ugly head again, and this time the Russians are not alone.

Troops on the ground are indeed the preferred tactical means for holding territorial parity in challenged areas, as ISIS/ISIL/IS infamoulsy demonstrates to the shame of the Western powers in spite of the 'supposed' gains in rooting the Islamist terrorists from the ill-gotten conquests. Yet the dialogue does not seem to quantify how many troops on the ground are willing to be committed (US troops especially), since no one has the slightest idea how much more treasure and blood will be required to achieve stability (let alone peace) in the region.

As the region continues to devolve into the factiousness that has been the signature status quo for decades (if not centuries), the evident fact of the matter is that when Iran gains the upper hand over Syria, nothing of peaceful intentions will be the result, for one very good reason. Iranian revolutionary leadership will not allow Israel to go unmolested. Indeed, Israel is the Iranian leadership's main target- make no mistake (like the American Administrative Chief Executive seems intent on doing).

Eventually, troops on the ground to achieve the Iranian leadership's goal will continue until others who are supporting the removal of Israel from national stature start pouring in to effect the regional change the Iranian mullahs envisioned all those decades ago. The American participation in this may appear to be slight by certain observations, but this remains to be seen. What will be seen is that there will be only one solution to stem that tide, and air delivery may be just the ticket.

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