Air Force FIFTY
TWO DAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPOWER SYMPOSIUM
April 23-24, 1997...Las Vegas, Nevada

Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, U.S. Air Force chief of staff

The Instrument of Global Security

Let me begin by thanking the Air Force Association and its sponsors for doing so much for the U.S. Air Force's golden anniversary celebration. Certainly their support of the Global Air Chiefs Conference and the Golden Air Tattoo has been outstanding.

All of us in U. S. Air Force blue are very grateful for this support because this entire event is really a tribute to the men and women of the Air Force, both past and present.

Ten years ago, a gathering of air chiefs such as this would not have been possible. When you look at the changes that have occurred during this period you have to include not only those that have geopolitical dimensions, but also the changes that have taken place inside the heads and the minds, the attitude and the perspective, of those of us who at one time were poised on opposite sides. But today we join in what has truly been a historic gathering of airmen from around the world.

A few of our speakers over the last couple of days talked about the demise of the Soviet bear, and each time that occurred, I wondered about the impact that phrase might have on some of those folks who previously served as part of the Warsaw Pact or the Soviet Union. I was reminded we have one of those Soviet bears who is still very much alive today, and I have asked him to take some of my time and perhaps share with us his perspective on how it is one can change attitudes, outlook and perspectives so we can join as part of this brotherhood of warriors.

I have asked my friend, the commander in chief of the Russian air force, Gen. Petr Deynekin, to come forward and share a couple of thoughts before I close out the symposium.

GENERAL DEYNEKIN:

Secretary (of the Air Force Sheila E.) Widnall, General Fogleman, dear friends. Airmen of Russia have asked me to convey our sincere appreciation to our colleague, General Fogleman, for inviting us to this celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force, and for bringing together, in a family style, people devoted to the sky and their serious duty.

General Fogleman, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the fact that 50 years ago the U.S. Air Force liberated itself from the command of the Army and received permission to flourish independently. I think this is precisely what allowed you to become one of the best forces in the world.

Our friendship goes back to the remote past, to the very beginning of aviation. The best minds of America, Russia, Germany and France together have created what is now the entire spectrum of air power. Let us remember the glorious names of (Charles) Lindbergh, (Igor) Sikorsky, (Brig. Gen. Billy) Mitchell, (Brig. Gen.) Chuck Yeager and many others.

In two months, Russia and the United States will be commemorating the 60th anniversary of the first non-stop flight of a single-engine aircraft across the North Pole, from Moscow to America. The flight took more than 63 hours.

There is nothing which unites people more than aviation. The Russian people will never forget the American assistance on lend-lease during the second World War. Over 15,000 aircraft of different types were supplied to our Air Force, including 5,000 P-39 Cobra fighters. And today, the Cobra maneuver is an example of superior fighter performance by the MiG 29. This speaks not only for the wonderful aerodynamics of the aircraft, but also of the high reliability of the engine. When air flows into their exhaust rather than their intake, the engine does not stop, but continues to run smoothly.

During the war, more than 52,000 German aircraft were destroyed by Soviet pilots. More than 2,000 Russian aces were decorated with a gold star, Hero of the Soviet Union.

The joint endeavors of the U.S. and Soviet Air Forces are widely known. For example, American fighters and bombers from Great Britain and Italy in Operation Frantic landed on Soviet airfields to refuel, rearm and fly new missions against a common enemy.

Then during the Cold War years when NATO deployed the cruise missile in Europe, the Russians answered by flying near American shores in strategic bombers. The F-15 was the best fighter of those years, and (retired Air Force Gen.) Maj. (Merrill A.) Tony McPeak escorted in his F-15 an enemy craft, a Bear, which was piloted by Captain Deynekin.

We met again in the American skies in May 1992. But this one was different. This was a flight of friends and not enemies. There I was once wing to wing, and now flying shoulder to shoulder in space.

At the turn of the 21st century, my generation is finishing its service and leaving aviation. I am leaving in December, and during my service I have seen the triumph of victory, the agony of the Chechen Wars and endured the undeserved criticism of the press.

In conclusion, our desire is to advocate friendship between the Air Force and the peoples of all our countries -- regardless of their NATO membership. Let us not have fear, but respect for one another, and then surely the entire world will enjoy peace.

My dear friend, General Fogleman, thank you for giving me the opportunity to express my personal feelings on this important occasion.

Thank you, Petr. And thanks to all the air chiefs and their delegations. Your presence and participation was key to the success of this event.

I particularly want to thank those chiefs who served as your representatives in presenting papers at the opening session, starting with Air Chief Marshal Michael Graydon (Royal Air Force) who served as the moderator. I think his introduction to the challenges of air power and coalition operations set the stage for the entire symposium.

Lt. Gen. Ben Droste (Royal Netherlands Air Force) reminded us of the importance of understanding the need for a clear political objective and agreements on matching the military means to resolve a crisis.

Lt. Gen. Abdulaziz Henaidy (Royal Saudi Air Force) reminded us in coalition operations the sum of our force is greater than the parts. But some parts, such as logistics, are traditionally undervalued. Additionally, his presentation reminded us of the important role played by host nation support and multilateral and bilateral operations. The significant contributions made by the Gulf Cooperative Council states, by Turkey, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Italy, in support of United Nations operations over the past few years are but a few examples of this cooperation and support.

Gen. Fernando Rojas (Chilean Air Force) provided a non-traditional, but ingenious vision of a framework to address the issue of showing our national leaders and the public the value of air and space activities to the development and the prestige of our country.

Maj. Gen. Cable trübl (Czech Air Force) shared an example of how cooperation in airspace management and control can become a catalyst for cooperation and development for an entire region.

Maj. Gen. Nick Leshan (Kenyan Air Force) reminded us of the importance of knowing the region and the real needs of people we are trying to assist. He also emphasized the need to consult with host nation leaders before planning and executing humanitarian operations.

Maj. Gen. Goh (Yong Siang) (Republic of Singapore Air Force) gave us a clear picture of how a decision to use international engagement can accelerate and further the development of an air force and a nation.

These great presentations were followed and enhanced by the messages of President Bush and Lady Thatcher -- two international leaders who have seen and appreciated the role of air and space power in global affairs, and its value to national and international peace and stability.

Dr. Allen Toffler challenged us to understand the environment in which we live and the changes that are at work around the globe. His message was for us to prepare for the future, and not the past, a message that should not be lost on airmen.

Representing the aerospace industry, Phil Condit reminded us great things only happen when we are faced with challenges of great magnitude, and we choose to meet the challenges head on and not shrink from our responsibility. Now is such a time, a defining moment.

Our secretary, Dr. Sheila Widnall, gave a concise and clear presentation of the vision and plan of the U. S. Air Force on how we will move into the 21st century.

Gen. Howell Estes, (commander, Air Force Space Command), presented the U.S. perspective on the importance and the potential of space -- today and tomorrow.

We most recently heard from our former secretary of defense, Dr. Bill Perry, as he described the interrelationship between a national security strategy, air power and technology.

These have been very thought provoking and very professional presentations. All of them tell us since man's first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., in 1903, the debate over air power and its value to national and international security has led to a new understanding of the realities of this national asset.

As Sir Michael Graydon said yesterday, "Air power has come of age and can now wield a decisive influence in a wide range of types of operations."

Today we consider the role of air and space power and what it will do in the future for global security; and when we do this, the possibilities seem endless.

As I said yesterday, air and space assets operate in a medium that surrounds the earth and touches 100 percent of the earth's population, political capitals and centers of commerce. Because of this, around the globe there is a growing realization the advances in air and space capability are combining with the revolution in information technology to usher in a new era. Clearly, we are in an age in which air and space power is in the ascendance.

Just as the Roman legions of ancient times dominated the affairs of those centuries, and the European fleets in the age of sail dominated affairs of commerce and warfare in the 1600s, the 1700s and the 1800s, during the first quarter of the 21st century world commerce, conflict and peace will be determined by air and space power.

Recognizing we are entering an era where information and awareness dominance present an even more decisive role for air and space power, two years ago the U. S. Air Force updated its planning for the first quarter of the 21st century. We framed our analysis on the current national security strategy of the United States which was so aptly described by Dr. Perry. That is a national security strategy of engagement and enlargement. Engagement so that we hopefully can shape events around the world so as to prevent crises and conflict. But if we are unable to prevent crises and conflict, we must have the power to deter open warfare. But let no one misunderstand us, because in the end, we will be prepared to go to war if required.

These sound like strong words, but it was the reality of this situation that allowed us to frame our analysis on the current national military strategy and to carry it forward. We named the document the U. S. Air Force looks to for its vision, "Global Engagement -- A Vision for the 21st Century Air Force." The title was not selected lightly. It was chosen to emphasize the global and strategic nature of our Air Force.

We have heard and seen how air and space forces have unparalleled access and provide global situation awareness to our national command authority. This gives nations the ability to find and target strategic centers of gravity, to move directly to areas of the world that need humanitarian assistance. As air leaders, it is our responsibility to understand the full potential of air and space power.

In the case of the United States, our senior leadership is united in understanding to provide the United States the full range of capabilities and options needed to protect and defend our country and its vital interests, and contribute to general global security in a variety of situations. We must, as we have in the past, look to the new advances in technology and hardware. At the same time, we must never lose sight of the fact the real strength of our forces have been, are today, and will be tomorrow the men and women who serve -- the veterans, the active duty, the civilians, the industry.

As my friend, Air Vice Marshal Tony Mason of the Royal Air Force so aptly reminds us, of all the resources required to have an air and space force, that is infrastructure, communications, command and control, equipment, aircraft and spacecraft and people, only people gain in value over time. Everything else becomes obsolete and dated. But our people, if properly trained, equipped, and led constitute the brainpower that increases in value.

As Secretary Widnall points out, when we look out into the first quarter of the 21st century, we see the combination of the revolution in information technology and advanced sensor systems, with aviation -- both air-breathing and space-based assets -- making it possible to find, fix, or track, target and engage anything of significance on the face of the earth in near real time. We are not there today in near real time, but we will be there. It will be possible for all of us within the first quarter of the 21st century.

This change, this fundamental change, will cause one of those dramatic shifts in the nature of warfare, but it will also change the nature of commerce and travel and international relations. The last time such a change occurred was in the immediate post-World War II period.

Indeed, the event we celebrate, the 50th anniversary of the U. S. Air Force, was spawned by a clear recognition by the Congress of the United States that air power and the role it had played during World War II had changed the nature of warfare forever.

From its feeble beginnings in World War I, through the struggles of the inter-war years, airmen kept the promise and the potential of air power alive. But it was really in the crucible of combat during World War II the true power and potential of air power was forged in fire, emblazoned on the minds of the citizenry of nations around the world.

From those experiences the Congress of the United States passed a law making the Air Force a separate service. In the intervening 50 years, not only have we seen the capabilities of our air forces move forward across the entire spectrum, but we have seen our nation become an aerospace nation, and we have watched the globe shrink through international air travel.

Dr. Toffler gave us a peek at the future when he described the coming impact of the revolution in information technology when combined with the inherent characteristics of air power: speed, range, flexibility and lethality. The utility of this fundamental change for good or evil is to a great extent in the hands of the leaders who are present in this room -- the air chiefs, the civilian political leaders and our aerospace industry leaders.

So in closing, I would like to thank all the air chiefs for coming and making this such a worthwhile and historic event. Your attendance at this conference was one of the most meaningful and sincere statements you could make about your desire to use air and space power for the betterment of the world.

In my case, I have seen war and I have seen peace, and I prefer peace. I think all of us who have ever seen war feel the same way.

We share a common experience, a perspective on warfare that only those who fly can appreciate. Our view extends beyond the horizon. It is measured in minutes, not hours and days, because we travel at hundreds of kilometers per hour, not tens of kilometers. This perspective bonds us together in a brotherhood of warriors and patriots with unique insights into the capabilities and possibilities of air and space.

Let us use the friendships we have built here to explain and advocate not only the decisive role of air and space in terms of warfare, but what it can provide to our nation in peace.

It has been my distinct pleasure and honor to be the chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force at the time the secretary and I could host this symposium. I'm not sure when such another occasion might occur. As airmen, I would encourage all of us to remember in the year 2003 the world will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers. And each of our nations has a rich history and a heritage of aviation during that 100 year period.

I hope as the air forces of our countries look back from that 100th anniversary celebration they will remember there was a time, as a result of the end of the Cold War and the shaping of a new world, that airmen were drawn together by their common beliefs, their respect for one another and their great faith in the future.