Close Air Support
Air action by fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft against hostile targets near friendly ground forces, requiring detailed coordination to avoid fratricide.
Close Air Support (CAS) is the use of aircraft to attack enemy forces in close proximity to friendly troops on the ground. Because the targets are near, sometimes within a few hundred meters of, friendly positions, CAS demands precise coordination between the air crew and a ground-based forward air controller or joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) who directs the strike and ensures the bombs hit the right target.
The A-10 Thunderbolt II remains the iconic CAS platform, purpose-built around its 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon and designed with heavy armor protection to survive ground fire while loitering over the battlefield at low altitude. However, modern CAS is increasingly delivered by multi-role fighters like the F-16 and F-35, attack helicopters like the AH-64 Apache, and even armed drones like the MQ-9 Reaper, all using GPS-guided munitions for precision strikes.
The debate over dedicated CAS aircraft versus multi-role platforms has persisted for decades. Proponents of dedicated CAS argue that the A-10's low speed, heavy armor, and long loiter time make it irreplaceable. Critics counter that modern precision weapons allow any platform to deliver accurate CAS and that a dedicated, slow-moving CAS aircraft is too vulnerable in contested airspace where advanced air defenses are present.
Related Terms
Air Superiority
The degree of control over the airspace that allows friendly air and surface forces to operate without prohibitive interference from enemy air power.
Combined Arms
A tactical approach that integrates different combat arms, infantry, armor, artillery, engineers, and aviation, so that each element compensates for the vulnerabilities of the others.
PGM(Precision-Guided Munition)
Precision-Guided Munition is any weapon that uses a guidance system to steer itself to a specific target, achieving dramatically greater accuracy than unguided weapons.
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