The airborne forward air controller: past accomplishments and future opportunities

John W. Ellis

Expert InsightsPublished 1978

Reviews the history of contributions made to military power by aerial surveillance and fire support forces. The need for aerial surveillance and fire support on the battlefield has increased as a result of the rise in the strength and quality of Warsaw Pact forces. This paper suggests a way to preserve critical functions and contributions made by men in the airborne surveillance and fire control roles, and at the same time to reduce their exposure to hostile action by removing their physical presence to safer locations. These goals would be met by utilizing the rapidly developing sensor and electronic technologies to provide a remotely-manned, real-time surveillance, acquisition, identification, designation and fire direction capability. The remainder of the paper describes functional components of the system, suggests how these could be integrated into a joint air-ground team, and speculates on some benefits that might flow from its implementation.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1978
  • Pages: 33
  • Document Number: P-6072

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Ellis, John W., The airborne forward air controller: past accomplishments and future opportunities. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1978. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P6072.html.
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