Which military leader predicted that "future war will be conducted by a special class, the air force"?

The prediction that "future war will be conducted by a special class, the air force" is attributed to General Billy Mitchell, who was a key figure in the development of military aviation and is often referred to as the father of the U.S. Air Force. He strongly advocated for air power as an essential component of modern warfare, arguing that air superiority could decisively impact the outcomes of battles. Mitchell's foresight encompassed the belief that air forces would become a dominant and specialized branch of the military, leading to their crucial role in future conflicts.

In the context of military history, his views were revolutionary for the time as they foresaw a shift in warfare dynamics, fundamentally changing how military operations would be conducted. This emphasis on aviation not only shaped military strategy but also influenced the eventual establishment of the Air Force as an independent service branch.

The other individuals mentioned do not share the same focus on air power as Mitchell. General Robert E. Lee was a prominent Confederate general during the Civil War, and his expertise lay primarily in ground tactics rather than air strategy. Howard Hendricks was an educator and author, not a military leader, and Morris Janowitz was a sociologist known for his work on military organizations, but he did not make predictions