Bryan K Luke

Will Close Air Support Be Where Needed and When to Support Objective Force Operations in 2015? Bryan K Luke

Publisher Marketing: The United States Army recently released a white paper on Concepts for the Objective Force. This force will be capable of simultaneous engagement by air-ground maneuver elements at operational and tactical distances by employing future advanced lift, reconnaissance, and attack aviation supported by both joint fires and suppression of enemy air defenses. The battles, engagements, and major operations of 2015 are expected to occur on non-linear battlefields with friendly forces involved in widely dispersed non-contiguous unit operations. The Objective Force concept is highly dependent on airpower (both transport and attack) to successfully conduct these non-linear and non-contiguous operations. Current airpower doctrine though, is based on a linear battlefield with close, deep, and rear areas. Will this disconnect result in airpower not being where and when it's needed on the battlefield of 2015? This monograph specifically examines the history, current doctrine, and emerging concepts on how Close Air Support (CAS) is defined, employed, and controlled to determine if CAS will be where it's needed and when to facilitate effective Objective Force operations in 2015. The answer to this question is no unless the definition, doctrine, and integration of CAS with the ground component scheme of maneuver is improved. To arrive at this conclusion, the monograph first conducts a detailed examination of the history of CAS during the Korean War, Vietnam Conflict, and Desert Storm to discover "why" CAS doctrine has developed along the lines that it has. This endeavor is an attempt to discover the potential implications for CAS doctrine development in the future. Second, the adequacy/ suitability of current CAS doctrine is examined by conducting a comparison of Army, Air Force, and joint doctrines to discover potential doctrinal disconnects that may exist. Finally, the feasibility of developing and implementing a joint CAS doctrine by 2015 that recommends an increase in the integr