US Air Force Strategist Calls For New Approach Of 'Mutual Denial' Amid Ukraine Conflict

US Air Force Lieutenant General Clinton Hinote argued on Tuesday that the Ukraine-Russia conflict could be instructive to the United States in demonstrating that the "mutual denial" of airspace is strategic

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2022) US Air Force Lieutenant General Clinton Hinote argued on Tuesday that the Ukraine-Russia conflict could be instructive to the United States in demonstrating that the "mutual denial" of airspace is strategic.

"It may well be that mutual denial is good, i.e. it deters our potential adversaries from moving against our friends," Hinote, who is USAF's Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration, and Requirements, said at an Atlantic Council talk. "If that's true, we need to have a military that can achieve mutual denial ... even on the doorstep of our adversaries."

He argued that Ukraine, which had "clearly denied (Russia) air superiority," allowing it to stay in the fight, was an example, raising implications for America's NATO allies.

Hinote also noted that America's other key adversary, China, saw air, maritime, and information superiority as prerequisites for military success, arguing that mutual denial in these three domains was critical. "Our military has to be able to convincingly show Russia and China specifically that we are going to deny the things they need to be successful ... Our potential adversary never gets to the point ... where they're ready start something that we don't want to see started."

Ultimately, Hinote concluded that since the US military wanted the status quo to remain intact, it needed to ensure its capabilities reflected this, rather than pursuing its current model of extending airpower into another country and going after centers of power.