# 3/5/26 Robert Pape on the Limits of Air Power

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/scott-horton-show-just-the-interviews-970238/3-5-26-robert-pape-on-the-limits-of-air-power
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/scott-horton-show-just-the-interviews-970238/3-5-26-robert-pape-on-the-limits-of-air-power.md
Podcast: [Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews](https://stenobird.com/podcast/scott-horton-show-just-the-interviews-970238)
Published: 2026-03-08T01:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://scotthorton.org/interviews/3-5-26-robert-pape-on-the-limits-of-air-power/
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/SCHM7799285962.mp3?updated=1772932037
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/scott-horton-show-just-the-interviews-970238/episodes/3-5-26-robert-pape-on-the-limits-of-air-power
Duration seconds: 2063

## Resource

Scott interviews author and scholar Robert Pape about the insights he’s gained from his decades of extensive research into the strategic effectiveness of air power in war. Pape argues that, while modern precision bombs are remarkable at carrying out their tactical functions, they alone are not enough to win wars. And further, the obsession with tactical bombing campaigns can distract decisionmakers from the political dynamics that primarily determine how wars end. Discussed on the show: Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War by Robert A. Pape The Escalation Trap Robert A. Pape is Professor of Political Science and Director of the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats and the author of Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War. Follow him on Twitter @ProfessorPape Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show! For more on Scott's work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott's other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott's books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/47jMtg7 (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/3tgMCdw Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/3HRufs0 Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott’s full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Inc…

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