EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

The U. S. Air Force helps protect and preserve the United States as a free nation. It helps assure the physical security of the United States as a democracy and protect U. S. interests abroad. The basic military strategy of the United States is the deterrence of war. A credible deterrent across the full spectrum of conflict requires a strong military posture. The increased investment in military capability over the past few years has produced improvements in readiness, sustainability,

modernization, and force structure programs.

The United States has global interests and commitments. The security interests of the United States, its allies, and friends continue to be challenged by the sustained growth and complexity of Soviet military power, Eastern bloc and surrogate exploitation of regional conflicts, and instabilities in many areas of the world.

The Soviets continue to modernize their strategic nuclear, theater nuclear, conventional forces, and their capabilities for projecting military power. Together with clients and surrogates, they are attempting to weaken the ties between the United States and its allies and extend their influence in the Third World. Soviet military capabilities further impede the peaceful resolution of Third World problems, and contribute to regional instability in ways that promote wider conflict.

Air Force strategy seeks to deter attacks against the United States and its allies, limits Soviet capabilities for coercion, and provides the flexibility to respond appropriately to aggression. Therefore, the Air Force

must be capable of meeting regional challenges as well as threats of global dimension. Readiness, sustainability, and sound force dispositions are imperatives of the Air Force posture.

U. S. interests are best pursued within a stable, peaceful international community. Armed conflicts, international terrorism, illegal narcotics trafficking, and regional instability adversely affect the United States and its allies with potential global implications. These challenges have led to development and procurement of a modern Air Force and the need for collective approaches to security.

The Soviet Union, using military power as its principal tool, continues its efforts to influence international events through misleading information, foreign aid, negotiations, the introduction of Soviet equipment and personnel, and the use of surrogate forces. The continuing Soviet buildup of nuclear and conventional forces has global significance. Soviet military capabilities puts great pressure on U. S. and allied defensive strategies and threatens international stability. The United States and Soviet Union could inflict unprecedented damage on each other by the use of strategic nuclear forces. Nevertheless, the Soviets have continued to develop strategic offensive and defensive capabilities in an effort to reduce the credibility of the U. S. deterrent, to increase the coercive options available to the Soviet leaders, and to diminish the options open to the United States and its allies.

The Soviet's heavy dependence on military capabilities, along with their expansionist policies, continues to threaten the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and serves to maintain pressure on the Eastern bloc to ensure Warsaw Pact cohesion. In addition, the Soviet Union has broadened the scope of its military

activity outside Europe, as shown by its aggression in Afghanistan; extensive maritime operations, especially from facilities at Cam Ranh, Vietnam; and the general buildup of air and naval forces in the Pacific. The Soviets continue to expand their use of space for military purposes. These activities, along with increased Soviet support and employment of surrogates throughout the underdeveloped world, provide challenges to the West.

The Air Force's strategy is designed to meet the challenges of U.S. security interests. Such interrelated factors as U.S.-Soviet relations, relative strengths of major nations, global military balance, mutual defense treaties, arms control agreements, and current regional military situations must be considered in the formulation of strategy and the development of our forces to support it. Air Force levels and strategy must be adequate to confront a wide range of challenges, from lowintensity conflict to threats involving modern conventional and nuclear forces. These security requirements form the basis for Air Force strategy to support the more comprehensive national security objectives. We seek to deter war while maintaining a secure environment within which the United States, its allies, and friends can pursue legitimate interests. This strategy of deterrence is manifested in the priorities for our development and acquisition budget.

Our priorities are developed to provide balanced improvements for the strength of our forces across the spectrum of possible conflict. Our success depends on getting the most from the resources we have and our people remain our most critical asset. The Air Force has long recognized the need for a well-qualified acquisition community and is a leader in