In words attributed to Winston Churchill, war is a transport operation—he who transports best will win. Whether overland as when, in his Russian campaign, Napoleon led over 650,000 men to the gates of Moscow in 1812, at sea as at Midway, where no fewer than seven aircraft carriers went into battle several thousand miles from their home ports in 1942 or by air to resupply and defend Na San, in Indochina, at the end of 1952, possessing the capability to project greater force and power has tipped the balance of many a campaign. Land and sea transport allow large volumes of material and men to be moved, but slowly: projection by air is the fastest method and is able to overcome numerous risks and constraints. This capability now dictates the initial size of any military engagement into a theatre of operation—its reactivity, in large measure, its durability and resilience, too. Projection by air is therefore fundamental for the forces. Lire la suite

« La guerre est une opération de transport,
le meilleur transporteur en sortira vainqueur ». Lire la suite