Tailoring the Tactical Air Control System for Smaller-Scale Contingencies

Although deterrence of nuclear war clearly remains the highest national priority, US military forces are likely to be called upon to defend US security interests through a variety of operations and contingency actions in a global environment characterized by political instability; proliferation of increasingly lethal, sophisticated weapons; and a significantly reduced US military presence abroad. Exploiting air power in this new environment requires appropriate command and control, which, in most contingency situations, will be provided by Tactical Air Command's tactical air control system (TACS). A TACS designed for smaller-scale contingencies should provide commanders the same measure of control and flexibility as afforded by larger, more complex systems designed primarily for theater-level war. Success, however, may depend upon the ability to rapidly trim the TACS to an acceptable size.