A Framework for Air Operational Art

Operational Art is defined as ‘the application of creative imagination by commanders and staff—supported by their skill, knowledge, and experience—to design strategies, campaigns, major operations and organise and employ military forces.’ It is often referred to as a ‘bridge between strategy and tactics’ with a function of making tactical actions serve strategic objectives. Though, an important subject, operational art, surprisingly, has not been a regular topic of discussion in airpower literature. Additionally, there is also a tendency to explain ‘air operational art’ using the lexicon of land warfare. This often creates more misunderstanding, given the specific attributes and features of airpower. Air operational art, thus, needs more exploration and study, within the context of airpower theory. This paper is directed to this end.