"Centralized Control, Decentralized Execution"; "Airpower not effective in penny packets"; "Concentration of force" etc, etc...
Just raided my copy of AP 3000, point being that Trenchard, Douhet, Mitchell et al hacked air power theory early last century and the central tenets still hold true. Armchair Generals / ACMs / ex COs 1RIR should either make the effort to understand airpower before spouting off or simply STFUp.
The RAF lead the way in being the first independent air arm and the rest of the world eventually followed so I think we probably got it right.
I don't want to have a go at the army and I hold the AAC in high esteem, however I've seen what happens when the Brigadier has "a Puma on the front lawn" doing nothing when it could well be doing something useful for someone else. Imagine the chaos with a gaggle of Hercs, Harriers, Sentinels etc sat on some brass-hats capacious lawn while some other poor bugger in a different AOR is crying out for air.......
This cannot be allowed to happen.
