This United States Air Force manual, Air Force Annex 3-22 Foreign Internal Defense February 2020, provides the doctrine for Foreign Internal Defense (FID). It should guide us to effectively organize and employ through the complexities of counterinsurgency and steady-state operations, and help us re-learn the lessons of large-scale peer and near-peer conflict and competition in contested environments. As we continuously improve our airpower capabilities and capacities in air, space, and cyberspace, our ability to revolutionize FID and incorporate new concepts and technologies will identify the new best practices that shape future FID doctrine. The competition continuum that encompasses the range of military operations, from peacetime through large-scale combat, is always a consideration when determining the best practices for our Air Force. Consideration of peer and near-peer competition is a continuing necessity for doctrine as the Air Force supports the joint fight. Every Airman is an innovator and is integral to this continuous development process–we should all connect, share, and learn together to succeed. FID in a contested environment against a peer adversary requires the air component to be more adaptive, resilient, and agile in its deployment and employment plans and leadership philosophies.
FID is defined as participation by civilian agencies and military forces of a government or international organizations in any of the programs or activities undertaken by a host nation (HN) government to free and protect its society from subversion, lawlessness, insurgency, violent extremism, terrorism, and other threats to its security.
