Denying Flight: Strategic Options for Employing No-Fly Zones

Karl P. Mueller

RAND Corporation

RAND Corporation

关键词: Syria;    Peacekeeping and Stability Operations;    Air Warfare;    Military Strategy;    United States Air Force;   

DOI  :  10.7249/RR423
ISBN  :  9780833081780
RP-ID  :  RR-423-AF

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

美国|英语

来源: RAND Corporation Published Research

【 摘 要 】

In recent years, discussions about external military intervention in local conflicts have often included consideration of no-fly zones (NFZs) as a policy option. In the past two decades, the U.S. Air Force has participated in three contingencies involving NFZs over Bosnia, Iraq, and Libya, and NFZ proposals have been proffered for some time as an option for intervention in the Syrian civil war that would avoid placing Western troops on the ground. This paper provides a preliminary look at NFZs as a strategic approach in such situations. It evaluates the possible objectives of NFZs, including (1) preventing the use of airpower, (2) coercing adversaries, (3) preparing future battlefields, (4) weakening potential enemies, (5) political posturing, and (6) signaling or creating commitment, and discusses the potential utility and probable limitations of each.