The Illusion of Air Power: Why Trump's War Strategy Won't Succeed in Iran The latest skirmishes between the United States and Iran have led many to question the effectiveness of President Donald Trump's war strategy, which relies heavily on air power.
A closer examination of history reveals a more profound issue at play: the limitations of air power itself. Experts have long debunked the notion that air power can win wars without ground troops.
University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape's 1996 book "Bombing to Win" analyzed 33 strategic air campaigns since World War II, demonstrating that air power alone is unlikely to achieve its four purported objectives: punishment, relentless damage, decapitation, or denial.