Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
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B BOOkSHelf www.vanguardcanada.com octoBer/noVeMBer 2014 39 leaflets to educate and inform the local population and, in emergen- cies, provide medical evacuation (air "medevac") for fast transport of peacekeep- ers and local civilians to hospitals. Aerial observation, the second capabil- ity, can be as simple as a pilot viewing the ground while transporting personnel and goods. But to verify complex peace agree- ments and to prevent the spread of deadly conflict, the United Nations needs dedi- cated surveillance flights, sometimes ob- serving raging battles from above. Since many of the violations and atrocities in armed conflicts are carried out at night, the United Nations also must overcome the night barrier by using airborne night vision equipment, which few missions have done. Such devices can spot and help stop night attacks and the smuggling of arms, precious minerals, and human beings. While peacekeeping is meant to de-esca- late violence, it is sometimes necessary to use force to stop force. When attacked, UN peacekeepers have a right to defend them- selves, including the right to call in close air support. Furthermore, in the twenty- first century, UN missions have a respon- sibility to protect civilians under imminent attack or threat, requiring rapid and force- ful responses, sometimes delivered by air. Such a combat capability is sometimes called "kinetic air power" or aerial fire- power; this is the third of the core capa- bilities. The armed helicopter, the Mi-35, has become an iconic and somewhat ironic symbol of robust peace operations. Once an instrument of suppression and dictator- ship, the Russian-made helicopter is now used by the United Nations as an instru- ment to prevent aggression and oppres- sion, proving its worth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia and the Côte d'Ivoire. The combat ca- pability of the Mi-35 is usually applied only when a firefight erupts or an attack is under way, but the mere presence or sound of the heavily armed helicopter can serve as a powerful deterrent. That is the power of presence. Parties are less likely to violate peace agreements if they know that violations will be met with UN resistance backed up by robust UN air power. The mission of peacekeepers is, howev- er, very different from that of warfighters. Rather than gain victory on the battlefield, the United Nations seeks a negotiated set- tlement so that the conflicting parties can live in peace for the long term. In his arti- cle "Peacekeeping at the Speed of Sound," John Hillen observes that UN peacekeep- ing emphasizes "restraint, perseverance and legitimacy as opposed to offense, surprise and mass." Using all the facets of air power can facilitate negotiations and a sustainable peace. Aircraft are sometimes used for relaying communications, bouncing signals from the ground to locations much further from their origin. Of course, aircraft also need to communicate their own informa- tion, including what they observe from the air and a host of flight details. In addition, aircraft can broadcast messages electroni- cally to the wider public through radio, television and the Internet. Alternatively, they can jam unwanted signals, such as hate radio broadcasts that inflame conflict. (This is usually done by saturating the par- ticular radio frequency with white noise.) Sometimes aircraft are used as mobile relay stations to pass communications to other aircraft or ground forces. From these core capabilities a host of UN air functions are developed. For ex- ample, UN commanders sometimes place themselves aboard helicopters to oversee the movement of their troops and to ob- serve any hostile or opposing forces. In an- other example, airborne search and rescue crews use aerial surveillance to locate lost persons and air transport to bring them quickly to a hospital or back to base. Simi- larly, the interdiction of illegally trafficked people and contraband involves surveil- lance (that is, spotting the illegal traffickers or goods) and the transport of troops to bring traffickers to custody and seize their ill-gotten gains. It can also involve com- bat, if the traffickers put up a fight. There were only a few precedents in UN history where the United Nations used combat air power. The first part of the book considers an early, important, and fascinat- ing case study involving combat: the leap in air power made by the United Nations in the Congo (1960–1964). The Congo operation proved irresistible as a prime case study for the development of UN air pow- er. In some ways the mission carried out activities unsurpassed by any peacekeeping mission to the present day. For instance, it was the only mission (so far) to use bomber aircraft. In its multidimensional application of air power it was a forerunner of the many peace operations in the post-Cold War world. The mission saw the creation of the UN's first "Air Force", which expanded in number and type of aircraft as the world or- ganization became embroiled in a battle to maintain law and order, and prevent seces- sion in that new-born country. While not exactly "winged angels", the aerial UN peacekeepers are important agents of protection and support. They are an attempt to bring the better angels of human nature to the fore. UN air power is a celestial and material representation of humanity's concern for humanity. This book shows how air power can save lives, alleviate suffering, and build global secu- rity. But these aerial applications can be as complicated and as challenging as they are fascinating. For more information about Air Power in UN Operations, see http://unairpower.net