United States Air Force Precision Engagement against Mobile Targets : Is Man In or Out?

By Major Keith J. Kosan, USAF

Book Id: WPLBN0002170719
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.3 MB
Reproduction Date: 10/22/2012

Title:	United States Air Force Precision Engagement against Mobile Targets : Is Man In or Out?
Author:	Major Keith J. Kosan, USAF
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, Military Science, Airpower
Collections:	Authors Community, Technology
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Air University Press

Member Page:	Air University Press
Citation APA MLA Chicago Keith J. Kosan, Usa, B. M. (n.d.). United States Air Force Precision Engagement against Mobile Targets : Is Man In or Out?. Retrieved from http://www.self.gutenberg.org/

Description
Recent airpower operations revealed a deficiency in the United States Air Force’s (USAF) ability to precisely attack mobile targets at standoff ranges with minimal collateral damage. Future airpower operations will be executed in politically sensitive strategic environments and thus will require the ability to precisely destroy mobile targets that may have been strategically placed by an adversary in areas with a high risk of collateral damage. Current air-to-ground guided weapon systems, including man-in-the-loop guidance weapon systems, have limited “collateral reduction” capabilities; and future autonomous precision standoff weapon systems may increase the risk and uncertainty associated with collateral damage due to technology limitations. The acquisition of a precision standoff man-in-the-loop weapon system through the modification of current weapon systems or the acquisition of a new weapon system may provide the USAF a critically needed air-to-ground capability against mobile targets in a high-risk collateral damage environment.

Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION . . . . 1 2 THE NEED FOR PRECISION ENGAGEMENT AGAINST MOBILE TARGETS . . . . 5 3 USAF TARGET IDENTIFICATION AND GUIDED WEAPON SYSTEMS CAPABILITIES . . . . . 23 4 FUTURE WEAPON SYSTEMS CAPABILITIES . . . . . 35 5 LEGAL ISSUES, ACCOUNTABILITY, FLEXIBILITY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SHORTFALLS, AND ACQUISITION RISK MANAGEMENT . . . . 53 6 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . 65 GLOSSARY . . . . . 69