Army Aviation's Objective Force for the 21st Century

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Army Aviation's Objective Force for the 21st Century

P. L. Wiggins

The attacks of 11 September provide compelling evidence that the strategic environment remains dangerous and unpredictable. Uncertainty marks the global war on terrorism, and our soldiers continue to be involved in smaller- scale contingencies and conflicts. Yet, the potential for large-scale conventional combat operations will continue to lurk just beneath the surface. Adaptation or change will naturally focus on the adversary's view of our perceived centers of gravity and methods of operation, and will focus on our vulnerabilities. Today's aviation organization was designed to confront a well- known conventional adversary. The collapse of the Berlin Wall not only signaled the end of the Cold War but also signaled the urgency for aviation transformation. The emerging strategic environment that characterizes the 21st Century demands an Aviation Objective Force anchored on advanced technologies and capable of effective response against both modernized conventional and unconventional forces employed in accordance with asymmetric strategies and tactics. This paper provides a guiding vision and solution for the development of an Aviation Objective Force that will meet the requirements of the Objective Force in the 21st century.