Rethinking the Combined Force Air Component Commander's Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Approach to Counterinsurgency

Abstract

Success in the COINs in Iraq and Afghanistan is critical to securing our nation's defense. Key to achieving victory are the synchronization and optimization of all resources the United States commits to Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. the CFACC must also optimize the effectiveness of the ISR provided to U.S. forces as these troops pursue their goals in the security arena of these COIN operations. Unfortunately, the air component finds itself ill-equipped to handle the ISR challenges of COIN because it still adheres to its heritage of major theater war, which emphasizes the detection and destruction of conventional targets, a lengthy planning process, and support to operational-level commanders. However, the COINs in Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, centered around lower-echelon commanders who face a multitude of different insurgent groups fighting with asymmetric means, differ greatly from major theater war. U.S. ground commanders, therefore, need flexible, time-sensitive ISR support from the CFACC to assist them in combating an unconventional enemy. The current CFACC collection management system does not meet the COIN needs of ground commanders, but truncating request timelines, adjusting the ISR tasking process to mirror the CAS-request process, synchronizing collection with ground operations, and codifying these changes in joint doctrine would greatly increase the system's utility. By revamping the ISR approach to COIN, the CFACC will increase the value of the intelligence provided to ground commanders and play a valuable role in assisting supported JTF, land, and special operations forces components as they establish security in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, developing a successful CFACC ISR methodology for COIN not only will benefit the current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also will serve the joint force well as it deals with the range of military operations in the long war and beyond.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA597402

Entities

People

  • Michael L. Downs

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Command And Control
  • Counterinsurgency
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Human Intelligence
  • Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Intelligence Collection
  • Joint Military Activities
  • Military Operations
  • Reconnaissance
  • Reconnaissance Aircraft
  • Surveillance
  • Task Forces
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.