OODA Loops

The advent of aviation offered new perspectives on the world and transformed the skies into a new theatre of warfare. Few figures influenced this arena as profoundly as U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd. An accomplished fighter pilot renowned for his prowess in air-to-air combat, Boyd went on to influence the design of combat aircraft and revolutionise fighter pilot training. He developed the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act), a framework for gaining strategic advantage that continues to inform thinking across disciplines far beyond the military. Drawing on photographs from the Archive of Modern Conflict, disparate images are assembled into a grid, reflecting Boyd’s systematic approach to strategy and the archival origins of the images.

Collaged grid of several black and white images of clouds in different formations and lighting.

Collage of black and white photos of clouds, airplanes, and a person in an aircraft cockpit wearing goggles and a cap.

Black and white aerial collage of river meanders, lakes, forests, and farmland divided into a grid.

A collage of black and white photographs featuring planes flying in the sky, mountainous landscapes, and aerial views of terrain.

A collage of black and white aerial and military aircraft photos, including formation flying planes, a fighter jet, parachuters, cityscapes, and landscapes.

Black and white collage of military aircraft flying in formation during flight, with pilots in the foreground.

Black and white collage of military aviation scenes, including fighter planes flying in formation, a pilot inside a cockpit wearing a helmet, aircraft tail fins, and aerial views of clouds and mountains.

A collage of black and white aerial photographs showing aircraft formations, cityscapes, rivers, bombs, and clouds.

A collage of aerial black and white photos showing forest canopy, with one image depicting explosion and smoke, and one showing aircraft flying above mountains.

A collage of black and white vintage-style photographs featuring airplanes and aircraft in flight, including formations, smoke trails, and aerial views.

A collage of black and white photographs capturing scenes from a mid-20th-century air show or parade, featuring airplanes in formation and smoke trails, parachutists, balloons, military personnel, and human cannonballs.

A black and white photograph of a crowd of people watching an air show with planes emitting smoke trails in the sky.

A collage of black-and-white photographs showing parachutists jumping from aircraft, deploying parachutes, and landing, with sky, clouds, and terrain in the background, including one soldier in uniform and a group of parachutists in formation.

Collage of black and white images depicting crashed airplanes, destroyed aircraft wreckage, and scenes of airplane accidents.

Black and white photo collage of soldiers parachuting over a landscape with mountains.

A black and white collage showing large balloons with a group of people beneath.

OODA Loops on display during Fotografia Europea Festival in Reggio Emilia, Italy, 2024.

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