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Air force infantry and special forces units are infantry and special forces units that are part of a nation's air force. Airmen assigned to such units are trained and equipped for ground combat operations. ==Rationale== The main rationale for such units is for force protection. Aircraft are most vulnerable when on the ground, to offensive counter air operations, and most cannot operate without fixed infrastructure, consumables, and trained personnel. An adversary may hope to achieve air supremacy or protect itself from air attack first by attacking airbases, aircraft and other assets on the ground. Such attacks can be made by, for example, aircraft, cruise missiles and short range ballistic missiles. However, an adversary at a numerical, technological or other disadvantage may choose to attempt to disrupt flight operations by aiming to overrun enemy air bases as early as possible, using blitzkrieg like tactics, for example Operation Barbarossa, or through the use of special forces and unconventional attacks, for example the September 2012 Camp Bastion raid To protect against attacks against airbases, and from being overrun, some air forces have a force dispersal doctrine that sees aircraft dispersed to secondary and emergency air bases, such as highway strips, and, as was the case with the Royal Air Force's vertical take off Harriers, dispersals in forest clearings. However, when dispersed in such a way, aircraft and personnel are even more vulnerable to surprise ground attacks. To defend against ground attacks, most air forces train airmen in basic infantry skills and, where necessary, air force infantry units are created. Other than base and asset defence roles, air force infantry units may have other roles such as Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defence, training other air force personnel in weapon skills and basic ground defence tactics, as well as providing leadership to other airmen in base defence roles. In addition to protecting their home bases and dispersals, air force infantry forces will also provide force protection when air expeditionary forces are deployed abroad and of airheads during air bridge operations, usually being the first air force personnel on the ground.〔 page 22, ISBN 978-0-9552189-7-2〕 Moving towards the special operations spectrum of operations, is assaulting, capturing and securing of airfields for use by one's own aircraft, Not all air forces possess their own ground units and whether or not they do or is sometimes due to other factors such as political considerations and inter-service rivalry. Such units act as a force multiplier allowing the secure operation of forward airbases and thereby increasing the availability and responsiveness of aviation assets If an air force is confident that airbase defence by ground crew and other airmen with small arms is adequate for self-protection, then air force infantry units will not be found. Some air forces also possess special operations capable forces, who perform roles on land in support of air force operations. These include units and individual personnel who operate independently or, with other military units. The chief missions in such units are SWAT operations, combat search and rescue, including rescuing downed aircrews in hostile territory; long-range reconnaissance and forward air control in support of air to ground operations, for example illuminating targets for attack by laser guided bombs. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Air force infantry and special forces units」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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