No Longer Swinging Behind the Pitch: A Historical Case Study of Doctrinal Transitions in US Army Aviation   [open pdf - 499KB]

From the thesis abstract: "Following sixteen years of counterinsurgent warfare, the US Army is in the midst of doctrinal transition. This transition is a response to emergent characteristics of potential adversaries. For the last thirty years, the US Army has benefited from a technological disparity with the conventional militaries of competing nations. Within the last ten years, this technological gap has closed significantly. This development, along increasing anxiety for the potential of large-scale combat operations, corresponds to an uneasiness with the preparedness of US forces to combat such a threat. This monograph examines the preparation and role of army aviation in future conflict specifically in the context of concerted preparations consistent with the army's transition to Unified Land Operations."