Higher Eyes in the Sky

During the past few years, Air Force leaders have begun to emphasize space operations. Global Engagement states that we will eventually transition from an Air and Space Force into a Space and Air Force and various leaders have opined that that air and space are "seamless." Air Force Chief-of-Staff General Fogleman introduced the concept that in the future, we will be able to "find, fix, target, track, and engage (F2T2E)" any target, anywhere on the earth. In order to actually accomplish F2T2E, the functions currently performed by the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) will need to migrate to space-based platforms. This thesis explores how such a migration would occur. Before examining space operations, the historical military need for moving target indicators (MTI) is examined, tracing the evolution from hot air balloons to our current AWACS and JSTARS aircraft.