The Air Force has released its new strategic plan, in which it delineates “scalable choices that are unlimited by distance or time and span the entire range from humanitarian assistance to nuclear strike.” The Air Force, it says, provides “persistent, lethal, overwhelming air, space, and cyberspace power massed and brought to bear anywhere, anytime.” The 32-page “Air Force Strategic Plan 2006-2008” outlines the service’s strategic choices, three priorities by which it will judge every choice, and its seven goals.
When Lt. Col. Dustin Johnson was ordered to deploy to the Middle East last year, he and his fellow F-22 Raptor pilots prepared for an unusual challenge. As the U.S.’s premier air superiority fighter, the F-22 was designed to take on advanced enemy aircraft, capable of maneuvering stealthily and cruising at…