Publication

2013 - RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, California

Language

English

Word Count

3,750 words, Guess

Page Count

15 pages

Identifiers

Classifications

  • DDC358.4/142
  • LCCUG632 .M84 2013

Alternate Titles

  • Strategic options for employing no-fly zones

Description

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.

Subjects

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