WINTER 2008 - Volume 55, Number 4 WWW.AFHISTORICALFOUNDATION.ORG WINTER 2008 - Volume 55, Number 4 WWW.AFHISTORICALFOUNDATION.ORG From Satellite Tracking to Space Situational Awareness: Features The USAF and Space Surveillance 1957-2007 Rick W. Sturdevant 4 Precision Aerial Bombardment of Strategic Targets: Its Rise, Fall, and Resurrection Daniel L. Haulman 24 Operation Just Cause: An Air Power Perspective Stetson M. Siler 34 The P–51 Mustang: The Most Important Aircraft in History? Marshall L. Michel 46 Book Reviews The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 By Rick Atkinson Reviewed by Curtis H. O’Sullivan 58 The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 By Rick Atkinson Reviewed by Grant T. Weller 58 Gunning for the Red Baron By Leon Bennett Reviewed by Carl A. Christie 58 Clash of Eagles: USAAF 8th Air Force Bombers versus the Luftwafffe in World War II By Martin W. Bowman Reviewed by Anthony E. Wessel 59 Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivalries that Ignited the Space Race By Matthew Brzezinski Reviewed by J. Ron Davis 59 Danger Close: Tactical Air Controllers in Afghanistan and Iraq By Steve Call Reviewed by David J. Schepp 60 A Tale of Two Quagmires: Iraq, Vietnam, and the Hard Lessons of War By Kenneth J. Campbell Reviewed by John L. Cirafici 60 Risk and Exploration: Earth, Sea, and the Stars By Steven J. Dick & Keith L. Cowing, Eds. Reviewed by Steven Pomeroy 61 Under the Guns of the Red Baron: Von Richtofen’s Victories and Victims Fully Illustrated By Norman Franks, et al. Reviewed by Jerry Hoblit 61 Band of Sisters: American Women at War In Iraq By Kirsten Holmstedt Reviewed by Laura E. Johnson 62 The Development of Propulsion Technology for U.S. Space-Launch Vehicles, 1926-1991 By J. D. Hunley Reviewed by Rick W. Sturdevant 63 In Defense of the Bush Doctrine By Robert E. Kaufman Reviewed by Stephane Lefebvre 63 Lockheed F–35 Joint Strike Fighter: Design and Development of the International Aircraft By Gerard Keijsper Reviewed by Sherman N. Mullin 64 Surrounded by Heroes: Six Campaigns With Division HQ, 82d Airborne Division, 1942-1945 By Len Lebenson Reviewed by Stu Tobias 64 Harrier II: Validating V/STOL By Len O. Nordeen Reviewed by Tom Telizcan 65 Hiroshima: The World’s Bomb By Andrew J. Rotter Reviewed by Scott A. Willey 65 Bader’s Last Flight: An In-depth Investigation of a Great WW II Mystery By Andy Saunders Reviewed by Daniel J. Simonsen 66 Apollo Moon Missions: The Unsung Heroes By Billy Watkins Reviewed by Joseph Romito 67 The History of Air Intercept (AI) Radar and the British Nightfighter, 1935-1959 By Ian White Reviewed by Stetson M. Siler 67 Departments Books Received 68 The President’s Message & Awards Banquet 70 News, In Memoriam & History Mystery 74 COVER: “Fortress on the Plains” is a life-size metal silhouette honoring the men, women and aircraft of World War II. The sculpture portrays the world famous Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” along with support personnel, air and ground crews. (Continued on page 3.) The Air Force Historical Foundation The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation Winter 2008 Volume 55 Number 4 Publisher Alfred F. Hurley Editor Jacob Neufeld Technical Editor Robert F. Dorr Air Force Historical Foundation Book Review Editor P.O. Box 790 Scott A. Willey Layout and Typesetting Clinton, MD 20735-0790 Richard I. Wolf (301) 736-1959 Fax (301) 981-3574 Advertising Tom Bradley E-mail: [email protected] Circulation On the Web at http://www.afhistoricalfoundation.org Tom Bradley Officers, 2007-2008 Board of Directors, 2007-2008 President/Chairman of the Board and Col Kenneth J. Alnwick, USAF (Ret) Air Power History (ISSN 1044-016X) Chair, Executive Committee Lt Gen Richard E. Brown III, USAF (Ret) is produced in March, June, September, Lt Gen Michael A. Nelson, USAF (Ret) Lt Gen Russell C. Davis, USAF (Ret) and December by the Air Force Historical 1st Vice Chairman CMSgt Rick Dean, USAF (Ret) Foundation. Gen John A. Shaud, USAF (Ret) Lt Gen Marvin R. Esmond, USAF (Ret) Prospective contributors should consult the 2nd Vice Chairman and Chair, Gen Ronald R. Fogleman, USAF (Ret) GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS at Development Committee Brig Gen Alfred F. Hurley, USAF (Ret) the back of this journal. Unsolicited manu- Maj Gen Silas R. Johnson, Jr., USAF (Ret) Maj Gen Silas R. Johnson, Jr., USAF (Ret) scripts will be returned only on specific Treasurer and Chair, Lt Gen Timothy A. Kinnan, USAF (Ret) request. The Editor cannot accept responsi- Finance Committee Mr John F. Kreis bility for any damage to or loss of the man- Lt Gen Richard E. Brown III, USAF (Ret) Maj Gen Charles D. Link, USAF (Ret) uscript. The Editor reserves the right to Chair, Membership Committee Lt Gen Michael A. Nelson, USAF (Ret) edit manuscripts and letters. Maj Gen Charles D. Link, USAF (Ret) Mr Jacob Neufeld Address Letters to the Editor to: Chair, Services Committee Gen John A. Shaud, USAF (Ret) Maj Willard Strandberg, Jr., USAF (Ret) Lt Col Lawrence Spinetta, USAF Air Power History Chair, Technology Committee Maj Willard Strandberg, Jr., USAF (Ret) 11908 Gainsborough Rd. Vacant Col Jere Wallace, USAF (Ret) Potomac, MD 20854 Publisher Col Darrel Whitcomb, USAF (Ret) e-mail: [email protected] Brig Gen Alfred F. Hurley, USAF (Ret) Secretary and Executive Director Correspondence regarding missed issues or changes of address should be addressed Col Tom Bradley, USAF (Ret) to the Circulation Office: CORPORATE SPONSORS, 2008 Contributing Members, 2008 Air Power History Platinum Level ($20,000 or more) P.O. Box 790 Clinton, MD 20735-0790 The individuals and companies listed are con- Lockheed Martin Corporation Telephone: (301) 736-1959 tributing members of the Air Force Historical Fax: (301) 981-3574 Foundation. The Foundation Directors and Gold Level ($10,000 or more) e-mail: [email protected] members are grateful for their support and EADS North America contributions to preserving, perpetuating, Rolls-Royce North America Advertising and publishing the history and traditions of American aviation. Silver Level ($5,000 or more) Tom Bradley Pratt & Whitney P.O. Box 790 Clinton, MD 20735-0790 Col Kenneth J. Alnwick, USAF (Ret.) Booz Allen Hamilton (301) 736-1959; fax (301) 981-3574 Anonymous L-3 Communications e-mail: [email protected] CMSgt Rick Dean, USAF (Ret.) Brig Gen Alfred F. Hurley, USAF (Ret.) Bronze Level ($1,500 or more) Copyright © 2008 by the Air Force Maj Gen Charles D. Link, USAF (Ret.) Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Historical Foundation. All rights reserved. Col Kenneth Moll, USAF (Ret.) Rockwell Collins Periodicals postage paid at Hanover, PA Mr and Mrs Malcolm Muir, Jr. 17331 and additional mailing offices. Mr and Mrs Jacob Neufeld Postmaster: Please send change of Col Helen E. O’Day, USAF (Ret.) address to the Circulation Office. Gen W. Y. Smith, USAF (Ret.) 2 AIR POWER History / WINTER 2008 From the Editor In the lead article, Rick Sturdevant guides us on a complex journey “From Satellite Tracking to Space Situational Awareness: The USAF and Space Surveillance, 1957-2007.” He makes the fifty-year-long evolution easier to understand by presenting it in several distinct phases: 1957-1964, 1964-1971, 1971 -1998, and 1998 to the present. Sturdevant shows how space tracking and surveillance were affected by scientific advances, global political and military considerations, and inter-service rivalries among U.S. military departments. During the interwar years from 1919 to 1940, strategic air bombardment theorists assumed that existing technology would permit the bombers to “always get through” to their targets and destroy them with pinpoint accuracy. Unfortunately, however, that technology was not as yet available. Consequently, the theorists and planners abandoned precision bombing in favor of area bombing. In the second article, Dan Haulman tracks the “rise, fall, and resurrection” of precision air bombardment from World War II to today. By the summer of 1989, Panamanian dictator General Manuel Noriega and his underlings had annulled a free election, beaten up opposition candidates, and stepped up attacks against American troops and civilians. The last straw emerged in December, when the Panama Defense Forces killed a U.S. Marine Corps officer, prompting President George H. W. Bush to launch Operation Just Cause. In the third article, Stetson Siler, an Air Force officer assigned to U.S. Southern Command’s J-5, recounts his observations of Just Cause, in terms of the operation’s planning; command and control; coopera- tion and integration; and civil affairs. In the fourth article, Marshall Michel asks rhetorically whether the P–51 Mustang was “The Most Important Aircraft in History?” I had suggested that he might be less provocative by changing the sub- title to the most important fighter in World War II. But Michel declined (actually, he refused). I sent the manuscript to reviewers, some of whom leaned heavily in favor of the P–47. But Michel “hung tough,” rebutting all of the arguments that the Thunderbolt enthusiasts hurled at him. Michel has thrown down the gauntlet. If you have an opinion on this controversy, perhaps some other plane was more important than the P–51, I invite you to weigh in with a letter to the editor. Lt. Gen. Michael A. Nelson, the President and CEO of the Air Force Historical Foundation, reports on the October 6th Awards Banquet that highlighted the year 2008. (See pages 70 to 72.) He also confirms his decision to complete his five-year-long tenure on December 31st. Those of us who worked with General Nelson can attest to the splendid job he performed in leading the Foundation into the twenty-first century and putting it on solid fiscal ground.