Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

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The Command of the Air
By Giulio Douhet

Giulio Douhet is an advocate of both airpower and the scientific approach to warfare. In The Command of Air he claims that "to assure an adequate national defense, it is necessary -- and sufficient -- to be in a position in case of war to conquer the command of the air."

I find this terminology interesting. Economists are well-versed in necessary and sufficient conditions in the development of theoretical mathematical models.

While I agree with Douhet that it is necessary for nations to have air superiority to provide national defense, I'm not convinced that air superiority is sufficient.

Is command of the air, or air superiority, both necessary and sufficient for national defense? If not, what is required for sufficiency?

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B-2 Bombers Over South Korea →

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This seems like a game of tit for tat. Kim Jong Un makes threats, and the U.S. responds by sending B-2 bombers to fly over South Korea. Unfortunately for the U.S., this game is highly asymmetrical — the cost of a B-2 flight hour is higher than any other plane in the Air Force inventory.

Is tit for tat the proper strategy for the U.S. to use in response to North Korean provocations? Do military strategists study game theory?