text: FM 7-100.1________________________________________________________________________________
  region and slow or alter the enemy’s deployment progress by attacking ports,
  airfields, railheads, and other infrastructure. The OPFOR tries to maintain
  air superiority as long as possible without losing excessive aircraft to the
  extraregional forces. During this limited time of marginal airspace dominance,
  it can use its aviation forces to support the ground forces’ transition to adaptive
  operations by performing security, support, and deception missions. The
  OPFOR transitions to maintaining local air superiority and even air parity to
  support the ground transition to adaptive operations.
  8-72. Transition operations can also be a shift from adaptive operations
  to regional operations. In this case, the OPFOR uses its aviation assets to
  regain air superiority once the air dominance of the extraregional force has
  diminished. This process may be initiated by establishing and maintaining
  local air superiority in a given area, followed by establishing air superiority
  over the entire region.
  ADAPTIVE OPERATIONS
  8-73. During adaptive operations, the OPFOR has realized that the domi-
  nance of the airspace by the extraregional enemy has severely limited the
  employment of its aviation forces in the conventional manner. The OPFOR is
  not willing to lose its aviation assets and will find creative means to use its
  air power during limited windows of opportunity. The primary concern,
  though, is to preserve combat power in order to remain a dominant force
  within the region after the extraregional force has departed.
  8-74. As the OPFOR transitions to adaptive operations, it relies more on
  helicopter operations and less on fixed-wing assets for ground attacks.
  This allows the OPFOR to keep the fixed-wing assets in sanctuaries, while
  helicopters use flight profiles minimizing the risk against enemy air defense
  systems. Because helicopters do not require runways, they provide the
  OPFOR the means to attack quickly from more dispersed locations.
  8-75. During adaptive operations, the OPFOR can employ operational shielding
  to protect its aviation assets. Helicopters will be more dispersed than in regional
  operations. Fixed-wing assets may be shielded by positioning them in relative
  safe areas of the regionsuch as neighboring neutral countries, areas of high
  civil population, and areas that may cause high collateral damage if attacked.
  8-76. The centralized control of aviation assets may be elevated to a higher
  level during adaptive operations. Because of the high risk associated with fly-
  ing missions against the extraregional force, theater and OSC commanders
  may retain the authority to determine what targets are valuable enough to
  risk aviation assets. This elevation of employment authority also allows for
  windows of opportunity to be recognized or created in a timely manner using
  other assets found at these levels.
  8-77. In addition to scrutinizing the target selection, the theater or OSC
  commanders closely analyze the mission planning. During adaptive opera-
  tions, the OPFOR commander is more likely to plan and execute missions:
  during periods of limited visibility, within specified ranges, and with minimal
  numbers of aircraft. The objective of every aviation mission during adaptive
  operations must support a strategic goal.