Adequacy of Procedural Control as the Basis of Army Airspace Command and Control (A2c2) Doctrine

There is consensus within the U.S. Army that the Army Airspace Command and Control (A2C2) system is ineffective in coordinating airspace users to accomplish assigned missions. The two comprehensive studies completed within the past decade cite the basic reasons for its failure as the Army's inability to follow its own doctrine. However, critically lacking within the studies is an analysis of the validity of the doctrine itself. The current basis of A2C2 doctrine is the primary reliance upon procedural control, essentially de-conflicting airspace through the use of graphical control measures. The question this monograph addresses is not how should the Army improve its current A2C2 doctrine, but should the Army continue to rely primarily on procedural control as the basis of its A2C2 doctrine? In determining the validity of procedural control as the basis for A2C2 doctrine, this monograph is divided into three major sections. The first section addresses what current A2C2 doctrine is and why it came to rely on procedural control. The second section examines the Army's adherence to current A2C2 doctrine based on the Army's Title 10 responsibilities to organize, train and equip its forces. The third section evaluates the adequacy of procedural control if it were properly organized, trained and equipped.