iarjhssIARJHSSIARJHSS2708-6267https://doi.org/10.47310/iarjhss.2021.v02i02.024Air Warfare in the Struggle to Defend Indonesian Independence: Strategy and Impact of Coercive Power by Means of Air Strike against the Dutch on 29 July 1947PennyRadjendraSyamsulMaarifSyaifulAnwarUniversitas Pertahanan IndonesiaAir warfare has a critical role and become an integral part of modern warfare because it is able to provide tactical and strategic advantages. During the struggle to defend Indonesia's independence, air warfare also constituted an important part of the war against the Dutch, especially during the Dutch Military Aggression I in 1947. This research analyzes air warfare in the early days of Indonesian independence, particularly regarding the strategies used and the impact they had. The analysis was carried out using historical methods and theories regarding air warfare. The air warfare that adopted the denial strategy was quite successful and had a big impact. The air warfare was believed to have succeeded in increasing the morale of the Indonesian fighters against the Dutch and at the same time showing the Dutch that the Indonesian military was strong enough to fight back. The air attack also strengthened Indonesia's diplomacy in the international community to gain recognition of its sovereignty after the proclamation of independence on 17 August 1945.