By 1945, air reconnaissance was widely recognized as a vital, indispensable component of air power, in contrast to its status before the war.
Notes on verification
Claim mirrors Wikipedia phrasing and is corroborated by independent sources (Smithsonian, War History Online, US Naval Institute Proceedings) documenting the pre-war neglect and wartime rise of aerial reconnaissance's strategic importance. [tier=silver indep_score=0.833 clusters=3 claim_tier=notable]
Sources
- Aerial reconnaissance in World War II (wikipedia)
- https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/transformed-aerial-reconnaissance.html (corroboration)
- https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Aerial_reconnaissance_in_World_War_II (corroboration)
- https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/d-day-aerial-photography-action (corroboration)