Overview
Responsiveness, as a subset of agility, represents air power’s ability to exploit speed, range and altitude to be able to rapidly contribute to the desired effects. Whether that be the dynamic retasking of an airborne asset or the ability to scramble assets to respond to a new task. For example, an aircraft can use altitude to safely loiter above an objective, out of the range of ground fires, to be best positioned for a quick response to an emerging target. Air power can also contribute to the rapid deployment or redeployment of military capabilities from one part of a theatre of operations to another, or in between theatres, thus enabling timely responses to changing situations. When time is essential, especially for military effects needed over a significant distance, air power often provides the most viable option due to its responsiveness.