text: Chapter 9
  Air Defense Support
  The OPFOR system of air defense includes assets and actions at the stra-
  tegic (national), operational, and tactical levels. The focus in this chapter
  is on air defense of maneuver forces at the operational level. However, op-
  erational-level air defense does not exist in isolation from the overall sys-
  tem of OPFOR air defense. For more information on tactical-level air de-
  fense, see FM 7-100.2.
  ALL-ARMS AIR DEFENSE
  9-1. The main objective of air defense is to prevent enemy air action from in-
  terfering with mission accomplishment of the entire force. For the OPFOR,
  air defense is not just a particular organization or branch of service. It is a
  mission.
  9-2. To do this, the OPFOR uses a combined arms and joint approach, involv-
  ing not only air defense units, but also other forces such as
  • Aviation.
  • Special-purpose forces (SPF).
  • Rockets and surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs).
  • Artillery and mortars.
  • Infantry.
  • Engineers.
  • Affiliated forces.
  These forces are often used in combination or participate separately in at-
  tacking targets, which in effect achieves a combined result.
  9-3. Against a sophisticated enemy, the OPFOR recognizes that it will have
  to adapt the operations and tactics employed by air defense units to improve
  their chances of success. It also views the creative and adaptive use of other
  arms to accomplish air defense objectives as part and parcel of the overall air
  defense effort. This practical application of the combined arms concept calls
  for the simultaneous employment of several arms, in some cases including air
  defense systems, to achieve an effect against the enemy air threat that will
  render greater results than the use of air defense assets and systems alone.
  9-4. The extent to which the concept of all-arms air defense can be applied is
  limited only by the commander’s and staff’s knowledge of the enemy air
  threat, capabilities of their own systems, and their ability to apply that
  knowledge to come up with innovative solutions. The air defense-related
  activities of all arms are part of an overall campaign to defeat or at least
  degrade enemy air capabilities. The results may produce effects at the
  strategic, operational, or tactical levels.