The Role of Joint Air Power in NATO Deterrence [antikvár]

Moderator's ForewordDear Reader,It is my great privilege and pleasure to act as the moderator once again for the Joint Air Power Compétence Centre's (JAPCC) annual conference, which will take place over the period 10-12 October 2017 in Essen, Germany.The theme for this year's Conference is:'The Role of Joint Air Power in NATO Deterrence'The issue of deterrence was raised extensively in the previous two JAPCC conferences, both in the context of strategie communications and with regard to NATO's ability to operate in a degraded environment. It is there-fore entirely appropriate that this year's Conference has been dedicated to deterrence and, specifically, to consider the role of joint air power in delivering deterrent effect.During the Cold War, there was arguably far greater discussion ofE and understanding of - the theory of deterrence, with nuclear deterrence being well studied and grasped by senior military and political leaders. Over recent decades, which have seen NATO's involvement in expe-ditionary, out of area opérations, it could be argued that 'deterrence' is an area where understanding has waned. Are the constituent parts of an effective deterrent posture well enough understood by senior political leaders, most of whom lack the previous military experience of theirfore-bears? Can we really deter non-state actors? Does effective deterrence rely on one's potential adversary possessing a degree of rationality? What if such rationality is absent? What does all this mean for joint air power and the air capabilities that NATO should be focussing on in both the short and longer term?