<p>If the hypothetical war went down the conventional route, the first exercise for the US Air Force would be to render its enemy's air defense network unusable. This rolling back is absolutely vital to any air actions which may follow, as demonstrated by the Gulf War. Key nodal points of the network would have been singled out for attack in the first wave, which would likely be the job of the F-117s. Using tanker support as far as friendly airspace would allow, they would set off singly into hostile airspace and attack the control centers of the air defenses, denying the enemy any centralized control of the network. Using their low-observables technology, the F-117s would create maximum surprise.
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<p>Following behind would be the main thrust of the counter-air forces. Defense suppression aircraft would attempt to punch holes through the front line of defenses using missiles (F-4G) and jamming (EF-111A) to knock out SAM radars, and so create a safe corridor through which strike aircraft could flow. F-111s, F-15Es and further F-117s would be used to take out additional air defense sites and other vital strategic targets. The anti-airfield mission would be important to hinder the ability of the opposing air force to launch aircraft against this first wave of attacks. Any that did manage to take off would be engaged by F-15s flying as either escorts with the main strike forces or on sweeps in particular sectors to 'sanitize' them of enemy air activity.
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<p>This rolling back of an air defense system is an ongoing task, and in the longer term requires considerable destruction of airfields and equipment to prevent facilities being repaired and brought back on line. In the Gulf War a sustained campaign of hardened shelter take-downs was required to prevent the Iraqi air force ever becoming a threat. In a Central European conflict, the tactical nuclear weapon was considered as the most effective anti-airfield weapon, but would have led to a dangerous reduction in the all-out nuclear war threshold.
