Photo By Joseph Danielewicz | A thumbnail graphic for AFLCMC's "Leadership Log" podcast, episode 117. (U.S. Air...... read more read more
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Air Force engagements in recent years have often been focused on combating non-state actors. In these conflicts, tracking pods repeatedly showed their ability to monitor and neutralize targets from a variety of platforms. Future conflicts will likely be multidimensional and there will be a strategic premium for the Air Force’s ability to detect and positively identify adversaries.
The pacing challenge of near-peer competitors requires the Air Force to enhance existing systems and approaches. Reflecting its importance, moving target engagement is one of Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s Operational Imperatives (OI No. 4).
Lt. Col. Juan Ramirez, Materiel Leader for the Avionics Branch, Agile Combat Support Directorate, explains the aspects of moving target integration and tracking (MTI).
Targeting pods were used throughout the Global War on Terror and against non-state actors, Ramirez explains in the “Leadership Log” discussion. “We really needed to have a good ability to look down from high up in the sky, get good fidelity on a target on the ground, be able to apply weapons to that target in several different ways,” along with tracking objects from the sky.
However, future fights are likely to require different tactics. Instead of being able to visually see the intended target, beyond line of sight targeting will increase in importance. In this anticipated environment, “You're launching weapons and you can't even see with your naked eye what you're shooting at,” Ramirez says. Targeting pods and related hardware are being enhanced to meet these challenges.
While newer generations of fighters are increasingly being added to the Air Force, Ramirez hopes acquisition professionals continue to keep the current fleet in mind and continue to find ways to enhance its utility.
“For everybody who's working on different programs, if it's a very legacy system, try to think of different ways to be creative and be able to communicate what are the opportunities that we have with this existing system other than just letting it waste away and then be retired, because while we're waiting for those sixth gen platforms that get here, we still need to be able to fight and win today.”
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.16.2024 17:47 |
| Story ID: | 476373 |
| Location: | WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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