Sea-Based Airpower--The Decisive Factor in Expeditionary Operations? Norway 1940, Falkland Islands 1982

This essay examines the British sea-based aviation in support of two modern amphibious campaigns: the British campaign in Norway in 1940 and the Falkland Islands War in 1982. Expeditionary maneuver warfare (EMW) operations and sustainable littoral power projection will require versatile and flexible sea-based airpower to establish local air superiority over the fleet. Whereas land-based aircraft can attack fleets from great distances, current land-based fighters cannot protect the fleet from attack without extended aerial refueling. When air superiority cannot be maintained over the fleet, as evidenced in Norway and the Falklands, Naval Forces become prey to land-based airpower. Power projection from the sea occurs as a result of maintaining local air superiority, not in spite of it. Until a space-based system capable of providing air superiority for ships at sea is fielded, 'Legacy Platforms' such as aircraft carriers and their embarked air wings, despite their high cost, will remain essential Naval Warfare Platforms. Further, however, and perhaps of greatest importance to this study, amphibious forces ashore cannot rely on aircraft carrier (sea-based) air support if a credible land-based aircraft or missile threat to supporting aircraft carriers exists.