Article

2014-10-03 Iraq

Airstrike Agreement Keeps US Air Controllers Away From Combat

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Posted by Besoeker 2014-10-03 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 This is nuts. FACs (as they used to be known) are combat trained troops, and they are, outside of the PJs, the best ground grunts the USAF has - at least the ones SOCOM uses. And they are vital eyes on the ground in every combat unit I've seen.

This whole "do it with a drone" is still unproven, and apparently ineffective because airbreathing overhead assets are not a flexibly tasked as a well trained guy on the ground with a radio, binocs and a laser, who can get into observation points and see things the overhead might miss from 5000+ feet

Posted by OldSpook 2014-10-03 09:04|| 2014-10-03 09:04|| Front Page Top

#2 No direct observation of the enemy. No ground troops to do survey and BDA. No use of manned aircraft if a drone is available.
This is the stupidest approach I've heard since..., wait.
Is McNamara in the building?

Posted by ed in texas 2014-10-03 09:57|| 2014-10-03 09:57|| Front Page Top

#3 UAV's are an amazing tool, but they have a very difficult time identifying dead enemy combatants, retrieving pocket litter, laptops, document exploitation (DOCEX), weapons, and other items which intelligence analysts find useful.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-10-03 10:17|| 2014-10-03 10:17|| Front Page Top

#4 Soo....Joe is with Ali, Ali tells Joe the target, Joe cell phones Bob, Bob talks to command, command talks to lawyers, lawyers gather strike packages, strike packages go to prez, prez confirms, lawyers confide with country's reps, then if approved, Ali reconfirms strike, then action made?

Please tell me I'm crazy on this flow chart.

Posted by swksvolFF 2014-10-03 12:11|| 2014-10-03 12:11|| Front Page Top

#5 No. Joe is not allowed to be on the ground because our commander-in-chief with his non-existent military experience has deemed it so. Therfore Ali has to phone Joe in the clear. ISIL wouldn't be intercepting cell calls, now would it. ~

Posted by Martin de Medici6501 2014-10-03 12:31|| 2014-10-03 12:31|| Front Page Top

#6 The JTACs then check the suggested targets with live stream video from intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets overhead "so that we know where the front lines are" to plan strike missions

So much for rapid response. Then again, I suspect it's more a matter of avoiding one Shiite militia using airstrikes to take out another militia.

Posted by Pappy 2014-10-03 12:41|| 2014-10-03 12:41|| Front Page Top

21:15 ed in texas
21:00 James
20:52 USN, Ret.
20:51 James
20:46 JosephMendiola
19:49 linker
19:44 Barbara
19:29 ed in texas
19:26 ed in texas
19:23 Alaska Paul
18:43 Bright Pebbles
18:40 Bright Pebbles
18:33 SteveS
18:31 Silentbrick
18:28 OldSpook
18:26 BrerRabbit
18:24 OldSpook
18:04 USN, Ret.
18:04 bigjim-CA
18:01 bigjim-CA
18:00 USN, Ret.
17:58 SteveS
17:58 bigjim-CA
17:55 bigjim-CA