The Incorporation of Aviaton Assets to Help Support Ground Operations in the Battlefield

The case study and presentation used for this Joint Operations paper was about Operation Odyssey Dawn (OOD). I will describe two operational-level successes and two failures experienced during the operation. I will offer clear proposals, that if implemented could have prevented those failures.

The United States Air Force controls and operates numerous satellites for global positioning, missile warning, communication and meteorological purposes along with reconnaissance aircraft. Through a combination of satellite imagery and reconnaissance aircraft, identifying and collecting intelligence on guerilla military targets and movements would be the first objective in the conflict. Once targets are identified, bombing campaigns could commence from regional Air force bases in the Area of Operations (AO), softening up guerilla forces in advance of the next stage of the military engagement, the ground campaign. Air force tankers such as the HC-130, KC-135 and KC-10 would need to be deployed to offer in flight air refueling for the F-15, F-16, F-22 and A-10’s departing from regional Air force bases. The Air Force also

1. Purpose: To Provide Information Regarding Present Status of Available Allied Air Power and Options Following Landings.

The argument of the research is the aging tanker fleet remains in high demand with increased military presence and reliance on CONUS basing to accomplish Overseas Contingency Operations. Diminishing the aerial refueling requirements for the C-5M is a necessity for Air Mobility Command to accomplish Rapid Global Mobility vision. Accordingly, the new Reliability Enhancement and Re-Engining Program for the C-5M has significantly contributed to meeting and exceeding airlift requirements as a new weapon system without the need of aerial refueling. The C-5M range has increased from “3800 nautical miles to 4800 nautical miles with a payload of 120,000 lbs.” reducing the need for enroute stops to the area of operations. For that reason, aerial refueling can be directed where needed, as in supporting fighter aircraft to extend loiter time and payloads as a force multiplier for AOR commanders. However, some critics contend, “aerial refueling represents a single point of failure for any rapid global mission, a capability critical to the

During the Vietnam War the US relied on the helicopter as never before. The helicopter’s role in combat expanded enormously in this War, as thousands of “choppers” rapidly transported personnel throughout the War Zone. In addition, heavily armed helicopters offered effective close air support for ground operations. Mobility and firepower would be keys for American operations in Vietnam, and the helicopter provided an abundance of both. Thousands of missions were flown to resupply and reinforce troops on the ground, to evacuate US and South Vietnamese wounded, and to offer countless other services in pursuance of the War effort.

When it comes to succeeding at anything, it is important to plan, prepare, and rehears the outcome. In a combat zone, this becomes even more important because lives and the success of the mission depend on it. This was not the case however, during a fight called Operation Anaconda. The purpose of this paper is to point out what went wrong with the lack of planning, coordination, rehearsal, and preparation between Air and ground communications, and how it proved to be critical during Operation Anaconda. The ending results were a delayed execution and several friendly casualties.

The ground movement is the most underappreciated form of transportation that the team currently employs. The National Afghan Trucking (NAT) contract is the only form of ground movement available in Afghanistan. Contracted trucking is critical in the movement of vehicles and other large pieces of equipment. The amount of equipment and supplies that can be moved through this contract dwarf the rest of the asset combine. The downside to NAT is the lack control military forces have in convoys’ movements. The situation

One of the bigger scenes in which Air Support is mentioned is Patton’s meeting with some representatives from the RAF, where he then asks for more Air Support so he can press onward. But, they say it must be his own incompetence because they have air superiority. That statement is then followed up by an air attack on the place where they are.

World War I War Strategies Compared to World War II War Strategies The strategies, weaponry, and war tactics used in World War I and World War II differ in many ways. World War I took place from 1914-1918 and World War II took place from 1939-1945.

mission command support. The last element of the CAB that I will discuss is the

Sometimes the military’s strongest supporters will become its biggest obstacles to progress. That’s very true once their passion is grounded in reminiscences of warfighting practices currently overtaken by time. A case in purpose is that the contestation encompassing retirement of the Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II, a plane formed throughout the warfare with one mission in mind: providing shut air support to forces on the bottom. At the time, troopers were querulous that the Air Force wasn’t sufficiently committed to shut air support, therefore the service came up with a plane that did solely that — a slow however extremely survivable tank killer engineered around one in every of the foremost deadly cannons ever mounted on Associate in Nursing craft.

This is a great example of the importance of Army aviation as it applies to our sustainment role on the battle field. Ever since Vietnam we in the lift community have provided the Ground Force Commander the ability to sustain operations in remote areas where the only method of movement to and from is by air. This has given our Military a great tactical advantage because we can now stage and sustain operations from virtually anywhere denying our enemy the freedom to maneuver and allowing them no safe haven. Along with this Army Aviation allows for rapid resupply over long distances on the battlefield. If the ground troops get into a fight and start to run low on ammunition, water, fuel, etc. we provide that ability for rapid resupply to

I chose this book for my first book review for a few reasons. First, to bring to light and to honor the memory of Command Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley, who recently passed away on October 10, 2012. He is a true inspiration to be followed; a career U.S. Army Infantry Soldier, a Sergeant Major, and key leader during the Battle of Ia Drang. He fought in every major Airborne Operation of World War II, including Operation Husky, D-Day, and Operation Market Garden. He

Prior to the wars in OIF/OEF, Army attack and reconnaissance assets focused solely on the deep attack mission (Smith, 2005). This lead to a redevelopment of some Vietnam era tactics to help combat the asymmetric threat of OEF. The Kiowa Warrior’s avionics suite allowed for communications with friendly ground units, fire support nets, and higher headquarters; this allowed for the Kiowa aircrews to have greater situational awareness than AH aircraft initially (Smith, 2005). Operations in OEF called for the Kiowa aircrews to eschew the traditional scout role and focus more on the lower ground units. This new focus shifted the Kiowa to conducting more security operations for convoy commanders and small unit patrols. The small size allowed aircrews to land and talk directly to the supported unit, known as Air-to-Ground Integration (AGI) (Smith, 2005). The Kiowa aircrews would push in front of ground units until contact was made, and then, operate over the top of or behind the friendly unit. This gave the Kiowa’s protection, as well as, provided over watch of the protected unit (Smith, 2005). While extremely effective in the recon and security role, the Kiowa is also greatly hindered by lower station time than other assets; this limitation created a need for forward arming and refueling points (FARPs) close to operations, which required detailed planning from operations staffs (Smith, 2005). The

On the military scene, drones are used both for reconnaissance and attack missions. Civil uses are many and continue to grow. There are drones to fight fires, search and rescue, patrolling of roads, the filming of movies, etc. They are especially useful to work in dangerous or inaccessible areas.