Mark Michael McLeod

Aerospace Policy Integration: USAF Operational Impacts in the Age of Space Mark Michael McLeod

Publisher Marketing: How will limited budgets affect the future exploitation of air and space? This question is extremely relevant to Air Force planners today. Some are now suggesting the integration of existing air and space policy, in an effort to maximize limited resources. This paper seeks answers to these questions through analysis of each public policy, offering three effects integrated policy may have on future Air Force operations. Public policy is all about what you can do for citizens. Determining the probable success of policies is not easy, given our political system, and the difficulty in capturing costs and assigning values to perceived benefits. For these reasons, this paper uses political science based administrative and values analysis tools to extrapolate success. The analysis of national air policy found it highly effective. The second analysis, an extrapolation of expected results for space policy, uncovered a lower chance for success. This was based on a comparison of the two case studies, which highlighted resource availability as an important success determinant. This formed the basis of arguments for integrated policy, and all subsequent doctrine recommendations The research supports arguments for adopting an integrated policy, and provides the rationale for three changes to Air Force doctrine, roles and missions; transfer of the responsibility for close air support, reevaluation of space launch support activities, and modification of the requirements for base operability and defense. Divestiture of these functions better focuses the Air Force on its unique core competencies in the future.