Factors Contributing to the Enhancement of Air Defense Combat Capability in Response to Aerial Threats

Examining the nature of military threats and the outcomes of recent wars in the West Asia region, along with the rapid advancement of military technologies—particularly in relation to the characteristics of aerial threats—has made scientific and systematic attention to air defense an unavoidable necessity. Combat capability constitutes the primary factor in the execution of missions within any military organization and encompasses three dimensions: physical, non-physical, and force-multiplying. These dimensions play an undeniable role in strengthening the combat capability of the armed forces, including air defense units.
Rapid and complex transformations, together with the continuously evolving nature of aerial threats, have further intensified the need to enhance air defense combat capability in order to effectively counter a wide range of aerial threats, thereby elevating its strategic importance.
The objective of this study is to identify and explain the most significant factors contributing to the enhancement of air defense combat capability in proportion to aerial threats. Given the priority of air defense within the defense doctrines of most countries, as well as the adoption of extensive aerial offensive strategies by adversaries as their primary operational approach, the authors have sought to address this issue through systematic research.
This applied–developmental study adopts a mixed-methods approach and employs a descriptive–analytical methodology. The statistical population and research sample consisted of 60 participants, selected through a census method. The collected data were analyzed, followed by synthesis and evaluation. The findings indicate that the factors enhancing air defense combat capability in response to aerial threats comprise three main components: tangible components with 17 subcomponents, intangible components with 20 subcomponents, and force-multiplying components with 14 subcomponents.