Photograph Source: Deror Avi – CC BY-SA 4.0

For the past 80 years, the United States and Israeli air power have owned the global and Middle Eastern skies, respectively, but wars are typically won with ground power, not air power. World War II was won against Germany with ground power, particularly Soviet ground power, and the United States hasn’t been on a winning side since, with the exception of the war with Iraq in 1991 (Desert Storm). Other U.S. wars have been fought to a standstill (Korea 1950-1953) or to something less than victory over decades of fighting in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Israel has engaged its Arab neighbors in a series of wars over the years, but currently finds itself surrounded by hostile states and borders, where it fears the deployment of ground forces that result in unacceptable losses. U.S. national security has been diminished in recent years despite U.S. dominance in air power, and the same could be said for Israeli national security in view of hostilities with Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, and Yemenis.

Nevertheless, the United States and Israel continues to count on air power to provide a measure of safety despite the absence of formidable adversaries in the air. The problem is that the heavy reliance on air power translates into disproportionate civilian losses, blandly referred to as collateral damage. Israel and the United States deceitfully claim that air power reduces the need for........

© CounterPunch