Book excerpt: The role of the Air Force is to defend the US and protect its interests through airpower, guided by the principles of joint operations and the tenets of airpower. Airpower is the ability to project military power or infl uence through the control and exploitation of air, space, and cyberspace to achieve strategic, operational, or tactical objectives. Airpower exploits the third dimension of the operational environment, the electromagnetic spectrum, and time to leverage speed, range, flexibility, precision tempo, and lethality to create effects from and within the air, space, and cyberspace domains. From this multi-dimensional perspective, Airmen can apply military power against an enemy`s entire array of diplomatic, informational, military, and economic instruments of power, at long ranges and on short notice. The Air Force Operations & Planning SMARTbook covers the fundamentals, principles and tenets of airpower; airpower operations (Air Force missions, roles & functions); command and control (AOC, AFFOR & JFACC); planning for operations (AFOPE, JOPPA, joint air tasking cycle, OODA); targeting and assessment; and agile combat support (ACS)! *** Find the latest edition of this book and the rest of our series of military reference SMARTbooks at the publishers website: www.TheLightningPress.com ***