Chasing the Silver Bullet: U.S. Air Force Weapons Development from Vietnam to Desert Storm

Chasing the Silver Bullet: U.S. Air Force Weapons Development from Vietnam to Desert Storm

by Kenneth P. Werrell

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781588341167
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Press
Publication date: 03/17/2003
Pages: 346
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.18(h) x 1.27(d)

About the Author

Kenneth P. Werrell is a retired professor of history, former USAF pilot, and author of several books. He lives in Virginia.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 1. USAF Aircraft in Vietnam: Manned and Unmanned Chapter 3 2. USAF Munitions and Sensors in Vietname Chapter 4 3. The F-15: A Premier Air Superiority Fighter Chapter 5 4. The F-16: Lightweight to Multipurpose Fighter Chapter 6 5. The A-10: Supporting the Troops Chapter 7 6. Stealth: The "Invisible" Aircraft Chapter 8 7. Precision-Guided Munitions: Unprecedented Accuracy Chapter 9 8. A New Era for Strategic Airlift: Jet Aircraft Chapter 10 9. Command Controls: AWACS and JSTARS Chapter 11 10. Space: Employing the High Ground Chapter 12 11. USAF Technology in Action: Planning and Combat in the Gulf War Chapter 13 12. The Ground War: Victory in the Desert Chapter 14 13. What Air Force Has Done Better?

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Chasing the Silver Bullet: U.S. Air Force Weapons Development from Vietnam to Desert Storm 4 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 1 reviews.
Shrike58 on LibraryThing 7 months ago
While it's unfair to criticize this book for what it's not, Werrell begs the question by making the following statement himself towards the end that: "The USAF has consistently focused more on flying than fighting, more on airframes than air munitions." Substitute the phrase 'operations and strategy' for "air munitions" and you'll appreciate the limitations of this study, particularly when it becomes time to consider the performance of the USAF in Iraq versus Vietnam. That said, Werrell provides a useful compendium of case studies of the key aircraft that came into service in the wake of Vietnam, with the key overarching insight being that the challenge for the USAF remains to optimize performance so as to maintain operational flexibility. Perhaps for his next book Werrell will produce a work with the subtitle: The History of U.S. Air Force Operational and Strategic Thought. The need is there.