Forward air control

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A forward air controller (FAC) is a qualified individual who, from a forward position on the ground or in the air, directs the action of military aircraft engaged in close air support of land forces.

Forward Air Controller as an official acronym that came from World War 2 when the Allies were rapidly advancing across France and the Low Countries towards Germany. British and American fighter planes were making Fighter Ground Attack (FGA) missions through low level bombing and strafing German military targets and logistic targets.

Military targets are in the Forward Edge of the Battle Area (FEBA) where the enemies are in direct contact and behind enemy lines in camps, storage areas and lines of communication, which is known as air interdiction and does not require an FAC.

Enemy targets in the FEBA are de facto close to friendly forces and therefore at risk through proximity during an FGA attack. The danger is twofold if the pilot cannot identify the target clearly and is not aware of the locations of friendly forces.

The allies in Western Europe comprised of mainly British and American forces with armies and air forces at work in the campaign. There were therefore three separate elements to friendly forces; the British Army, the British Royal Air Force and the American Army, which had a land element and the United States Army Air Force (USAAF); the USAAF became the United States Air Force (USAF) after World War 2.

All land forces camouflage themselves, which is designed to degrade the ability of the enemy to identify targets and the land battle can be constantly moving, as it was in Europe in World War 2, adding the difficulty of promulgating accurate ground force locations of both friendly and enemy forces.

It was recognised that co-ordination between ground and air forces would improve target acquisition and provide added security for friendly forces so the concept of the Forward Air Controller came into being. From the beginning the FAC was working in the Joint Force environment and since 2004 the term FAC has been superceded by "Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC)" in the USAF.

The United States Marine Corps has the capability to provide ground and air forces from within its own resources and when doing so are not operating in a Joint Force environment and they retain the term FAC.

The primary function of an FAC is the safety of their own troops but is trained to identify and designate targets using a data transmission, laser or direct positive voice radio control. Military forces only had a radio in World War 2 so the FAC used his eyes and voice to direct the pilot and the pilot used his ears and eyes to accurately attack the target.

FACs were initially ground personnel but later FACs operated both on the ground and from within aircraft operating in the FEBA. FACs were designated as Primary or Secondary depending upon their appointment. A Primary FAC is a designated FAC unit titled Primary Forward Air Controller (PFAC) operating a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). Secondary FACs have another primary appointment but could use their FAC training and qualification when appropriate and includes company level commanders and helicopter pilots. TACPs were appointed to forward units and as Air Liaison to tactical ground unit headquarters.

The USA operated specialist dedicated airborne FAC team, known as Misty in Vietnam. These teams piloted F-100Fs, and were founded by Colonel Bud Day.

Major improvements in technology in the 1980s/1990s brought the laser, GPS and battlefield data transfer into service, which enables FGA to be constantly updated by the FAC/JTAC throughout the attack, which reduces the danger to friendly forces and increase the accuracy of the weapons being delivered.

The United States services signed the JTAC Memorandum of Agreement in late 2004 when joint Fighter Ground Attack (FGA) Close Air Support (CAS) operations have to be controlled by someone who has been trained to the minimum "joint" standard and be qualified by their service to (for all intents and purposes) legally control Close Air Support. The British standardise FAC (JTAC) operations at the Joint Forward Air Control Training Standards Unit (JFACTSU)[1]. The USA and Great Britain are members of NATO and the standards referred to are ratfied across NATO enabling qualified and appointed FACs to control FGA of any NATO country when authorised to do so.

[edit] United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is the only United States service to refer to its JTACs as FACs. The USMC requires that:

FACs must be winged aviators with at least 2 years operational flying experience.
FACs must have attended and graduated from the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group (EWTG) Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) course.

At the completion of the TACP course Aviators are granted the 7502 FAC MOS and are considered certified and qualified JTACs.

Non-aviator FACs in the United States Marine Corps must meet the following requirements:

They must be a Staff Noncommissioned Officer or above, and must have a combat arms Military Occupational Specialty.
To be eligible for JTAC training the individual be in or slated to serve in a JTAC billet per unit T/O's.
Must complete JTAC primer course at EWTG (Soon to be a distance learning program).
Must attend and graduate from EWTG TACP (Certified but not qualified) at this point the Marine is authorixed the 9986 Skill designator.
Must complete the 300 level training syllabus after TACP school per the USMC TACP T&R (Qualified JTAC)