Joint Air Attack Team Tactics

Joint Air Attack Team Tactics (JAATT) was a doctrine,^[1][2][3] taught by the US military Tactical Air Command "in a combined arms team concept of operations" through TRADOC. The tactic was founded on both the A-10 and the OH-58 aircraft. "Using nap-of-the-earth flying techniques, helicopters can use even small terrain features for concealment. The helicopter-borne Forward Air Controller (FAC) has better survivability than his fixed-wing FAC counterpart, near the forward edge of the battle area."^[4]

A Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II in flight on 1 September 1980; this aircraft was assigned to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, which was based at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge until the end of the Cold War in 1993

Synopsis

Simulated OH-58C Kiowa helicopter and simulated fuel blivets during a deception operation on 10 November 1990 carried out by the XVIII Airborne Corps Deception Cell. This simulated forward arming and refueling point (FARP) at TL 139512 in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia was approximately 45 kilometers northwest of An Nuariya.

General Donn A. Starry at the Combined Arms Center was responsible for the promotion of the doctrine.^[5][6] During his time at Fort Leavenworth the Center released many instructional films.^[7]

The idea was to "locate, engage and destroy tanks and other armoured vehicles" and was taught from November 1978.^{[8][9][10][11]}

The Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) worked together with TAC through the joint Air-Land Force Applications Agency at Langley Air Force Base, on a variety of projects. The two services continued development and training of JAATT, a team concept that had proved effective in providing Air Force A-10 aircraft and Army attack helicopters a much higher degree of survivability than when each operated independently. The Applications Agency prepared a draft joint counter-air and air defense interim operational concept, and representatives of the two services agreed to a joint operational concept for suppressing enemy air defense.^[5]

The British Army would seem to have adopted these tactics,^[12] especially in conjunction with the American base at RAF Bentwaters.^[13] The husband of US Senator Kelly Ayotte was a key instructor of this doctrine while he served from 1990 with the Massachusetts Air National Guard.^[14]

References

1. "J". International Encyclopedia of Abbreviations and Acronyms in Science and Technology, Part I, A-Z. 2008. p. 177. doi:10.1515/9783110971774.177. ISBN 978-3-598-23515-3.
2. General, The Comptroller (22 February 1984). "How Well Do The Military Services Perform Jointly In Combat? DOD's Joint Test-And-Evaluation Program Provides Few Credible Answers" (PDF). GAO/C-PEMD-84-1. General Accounting Office.
3. "Army Aviation" (PDF). HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY. July 2015.
4. Kistler, CPT Charles E. III; Tway, MAJ Duane C. (17 October 1979). "The FAC and The Future ("FAC IT")". Air Land Bulletin. 1979. Air Land Sea Space Application (ALSSA) Center.
5. "Force Development, Doctrine, and Training". Department of the Army Historical Summary: FY 1980. Center of Military History, United States Army. 1983.
6. Press On! Selected Works of General Donn A. Starry, Volume 1. Fort Leavenworth KS: Combat Studies Institute Press, US Army Combined Arms Center. September 2009. p. 385.
7. "Audiovisual Catalog". Norfolk, VA: Armed Forces Staff College, Film Library. National Defense University. 1983.
8. United States Army Aviation Digest, Volumes 24-25. U.S. Government Printing Office. June 1978. p. 10.
9. Miller, LTCOL Retsae H. (March 1979). "Air Superiority at the Treetops". Military Review: Professional Journal of the United States Army. LIX (3): 2–9.
10. Smith, MAJ Ross L. (8 June 1979). CLOSE AIR SUPPORT - CAN IT SURVIVE THE 80s ?. Fort Leavenworth KS: ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE.
11. Hutchinson, Jim S. (8 June 1979). The Aerial Fire Support Team. Fort Leavenworth KS: ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE.
12. "The Complete MOD Abbreviation Database". Daysack Media. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
13. "8th Aviation Battalion". usarmygermany.com. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
14. "CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE" (PDF). S1192. 1 March 2012.