Air Power in Counterinsurgency: Asymmetric Advantage or Strategic Vulnerability?

10.30 am - 11.30am

The seminar will look at the employment of Air Power in counterinsurgency operations using current operations in Afghanistan as the contemporary case study but also drawing on historical precedent.  It will examine how air power is tasked and applied despite a complex Command and Control construct.  It will cover kinetic and non-kinetic effects and look not only at offensive air power but at ISR, EW, air mobility and rotary operations.  It will also explore the rebirth of a nation’s air force by looking at current and future developments in the Afghan Air Force.  It will draw out many lessons which if not properly learned could create enduring problems for Air Power in future years.  The seminar will also try to glimpse the future and look at the challenges posed by the hybrid threat and the factors which could precipitate future conflict in the near to mid-term.

Air Commodore Paddy Teakle, DSO, OBE, RAF -
Assistant Director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre, NATO

 Air Commodore Paddy Teakle was born in Beckenham, Kent in 1960 and following schooling at Sullivan Upper Grammar School in Northern Ireland joined the Royal Air Force in 1978.  On completion of Officer Training at RAF Henlow, he undertook navigator training at Number 6 Flying Training School, RAF Finningley and on graduation was posted to the Vulcan force. After a short time on Vulcans at RAF Scampton, he joined the Victor Force at RAF Marham where he participated in Op CORPORATE (Falklands War).  In 1985, he converted to the Tornado GR and was posted to XV Sqn at RAF Laarbruch, from where he completed the Tornado QWI Course in 1988.  During Op GRANBY (Gulf War I), Air Commodore Teakle flew 21 operational missions from Bahrain.  Promoted to Squadron Leader in 1991 he held the position of Tornado Desk Officer at HQ RAFG and HQ 2 Gp before returning to the frontline in 1994, where he was the Flight Commander responsible for the introduction of ALARM onto IX(B) Sqn at RAF Bruggen.

In 1996, he attended No 20 Course at the Joint Service Defence College, Greenwich and following a year with the Al Yamamah project in London, he was promoted to Wing Commander and posted to Incirlik, Turkey as DCFACC for Operation NORTHERN WATCH.  On his return he went to the Air Warfare Centre, RAF Waddington where he was responsible for Offensive Air Doctrine at the operational level.  In March 1999 he deployed to the 5ATAF CAOC at Vicenza, where he was Chief of Strategy for Op ALLIED FORCE (Kosovo Campaign) for which he was made an OBE in the 2000 New Years Honours list. 

In September 2000 he took up appointment as OC 31 Sqn at RAF Bruggen.  The Sqn, which was the last RAF fast jet sqn to be based overseas, was repatriated to RAF Marham in August 2001.  During Op TELIC (Gulf War II) he commanded the Combat Air Wing at Ali Al Salem for which he was awarded a DSO in the Operational Honours List. 

Following a short time on the directing staff of the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham, he was promoted to Group Captain and took up the post of Director UK Joint Force Air Component (JFAC) in 2003 from where he deployed to Islamabad, Pakistan as Deputy CFACC for the NATO Earthquake Relief Mission in 2005.  In 2006, Air Commodore Teakle was posted to NATO as A3 Division Head at ACC Ramstein.  Promoted to Air Commodore in February 2009 he completed a one year tour in Kabul, Afghanistan as Director of Air Operations for ISAF before taking up his current appointment as Assistant Director Transformation at the Joint Air Power Competence Centre, Kalkar, Germany, in May 2010.  His next appointment, from May 2011 will be as Director of the CENTCOM Combined Air and Space Operations Centre in Al Udeid, Qatar.