Army aviation: the need for change
Abstract
Army Aviation is in a constant state of change to meet the requirements of the Army, and more importantly, the needs of the ground force commander. In the contemporary operating environment and the future Army Operating Concept of multi-domain battle, Army Aviation must hold to the edict that the successful accomplishment of the ground force commander's mission is the principal consideration for the employment of Army Aviation assets. Throughout history, much change occurred, from the US military's first use of aviation near the end of the Civil War to the current fight in support of the Global War on Terrorism. As the Army looks forward to multi-domain battle against a peer / near-peer threat, change is once again necessary as Army Aviation is not currently trained, led, nor equipped to combat such an enemy. This monograph provides a short history of Army Aviation focused between the end of World War II to the present to identify major changes to the organizational structure of Army Aviation and to explain our current force structure. The monograph then describes needed changes in terms of training, leader development, force structure, and the development of an armed aerial scout to better support ground commanders in today's contemporary operating environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 24, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1071573
Entities
People
- Geoffrey A. Whittenberg
Organizations
- School of Advanced Military Studies