Review in Air Power History

Air Power in UN Operations: Wings for Peace

Review: Cirafici, John, USAF. Air Power History 63.1 (Spring 2016): 48.

Abstract

The different authors explore the use of air power in peacekeeping/peacemaking and humanitarian efforts over six decades of operations. Seventeen essays present the different roles aircraft have played during UN mandated operations: airlift, aerial reconnaissance, air defense, close air support, aeromedical evacuation, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Early on, the UN discovered that it could be much more effective if it employed supporting aviation assets. [...]the use of aircraft began in the late 1940s with a minuscule presence of cargo and liaison aircraft supporting peacekeeping in Kashmir.

Full Text

A United Nations (UN) Air Force? The UN, of course, has no air force to call its own. With that as a starting point, this book makes interesting reading. In a collection of case studies written for the most part by participants in UN operations. The different authors explore the use of air power in peacekeeping/peacemaking and humanitarian efforts over six decades of operations.

Seventeen essays present the different roles aircraft have played during UN mandated operations: airlift, aerial reconnaissance, air defense, close air support, aeromedical evacuation, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Early on, the UN discovered that it could be much more effective if it employed supporting aviation assets. Thus the use of aircraft began in the late 1940s with a minuscule presence of cargo and liaison aircraft supporting peacekeeping in Kashmir. From that small beginning the role of air power took on greater and greater importance. It may come as a surprise to some readers that the UN first employed fighter aircraft in the early 1960s during combat in the Congo's breakaway province of Katanga. The UN continues to use combat aircraft during its current peacekeeping operations in eastern Congo.

Where have the aircraft come from? The UN is totally dependent upon assets provided by member nations and upon contracted airlift. In the earlier Congo operation, most aircraft, aside from those provided by the Canadians, came from neutral countries such as India, Sweden, and Ethiopia. In addition, the United States provided inter-theater airlift when the capability was otherwise unavailable. Several of the essays make it clear that the politics of the Cold War exacerbated already difficult operational limitations. The Soviets would often protest the inclusion of aircraft from NATO members. This impacted major contributing countries such as Canada. It also made the UN reluctant to request support from the United States. However, in later air operations following the Cold War such as Bosnia (1995), Kosovo (1999), and Libya (2011), NATO has been the central participant. This is all discussed in the later chapters.

This book is especially rich in the discussion of operations where Canada has been an important player. This is so for several reasons. Canada has always "stepped up to the plate" when the UN needed peacekeepers. Beyond that, most of the authors are Canadians who are speaking from a wealth of hands-on knowledge of air power employment during UN operations.

This study seeks to overcome the large gap in the studies of air power in UN operations and to address the challenges faced by this world organization. As an overview, it has achieved those goals. The authors have addressed important lessons learned and shortcomings in the UN's use of air power and have made recommendations for future operations.

I found this anthology to be a good resource for understanding the way air power has folded into UN operations and how the process is being improved. Having worked alongside UN forces in the Balkans, Africa, and the Middle East, I find the discussions spot-on and illuminating.

I was surprised by one odd error in the foreword written by the former UN force commander in Rwanda. In speaking about the infamous Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines, he cited the station as a major voice in the genocide committed by Tutsis against the Hutus. The station was actually identified by the UN war crimes tribunal as being responsible for inciting the Hutu to commit genocide against the Tutsi. Otherwise, this collection is informative and interesting.

AuthorAffiliation

Col. John Cirafici, USAF (Ret.), Milford Deleware