A Time-Critical Targeting Roadmap
Abstract
Recent operations in Iraq, Kosovo, and Afghanistan have highlighted the fact that the U.S. military possesses very limited capability to engage and destroy time-critical targets. Although the U.S. military has been fortunate enough to adjust for this shortfall in the past, there is reason to believe that the prosecution and destruction of fleeting targets involving weapons of mass destruction will become extremely important in the near future. This applied research paper identifies critical shortfalls in the Time-Critical Targeting (TCT) mission as it exists today, identifies alarming trends in the TCT mission, and offers solutions for both the mid and far-term. A trend currently developing among commanders is the reliance on Global Positioning System (GPS) guided weapons to engage time-critical targets. Not only is this trend dangerous, but it undermines the efforts of many to bring true TCT capability to the battlefield. Emerging technologies, especially in the areas of Advanced Targeting Recognition (ATR) and the Global Information Grid (GIG), offer the greatest promise of prosecuting time-critical targets in under 15 minutes by the year 2008. A far-term goal is to reduce the TCT timeline to single-digit minutes by the year 2015. This can be achieved by improving upon near-term capabilities and fielding both hypersonic weapons and Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) technology. This research also shows that improvements in the TCT Command and Control (C2) process will also significantly reduce the TCT timeline for both the mid and far-term.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA420658
Entities
People
- G. Wilson
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College