Air Force Doctrine Publication 1, The Air Force 1 Chapter 1 – WHY WE FIGHT WAR NATURE OF WAR War is one of the means used by nation-states, sub-national groups, or supranational groups to achieve their objectives. Conducting war from the air underpins the reason for the Air Force’s existence. Airpower is an instrument of national power and can be employed in warfare. There are three basic truths that the Air Force believes are fundamental to warfare War is an extension of politics by other means. War has been described as a violent clash of interests characterized by the use of force. The Air Force conducts warfare as an extension of our national policy. War is a complex and chaotic human endeavor. Uncertainty and unpredictability, sometimes called the fog of war, combine to create what Clausewitz called friction which makes simple operations unexpectedly, and sometimes even insurmountably, difficult. The tenets of airpower help Airmen apply airpower effectively within this environment.
