Current Issue Articles
PM Air Traffic Control
Air Traffic Services / By Mr. John B. Traylor: While flying across the nation to your vacation or business location, have you considered the vast network of air traffic controllers that ensures your flight departs and arrives safely? The same air traffic control (ATC) is needed for Army aviation aircraft, and Army air traffic controllers must have the best systems available to ensure that all Army Aviation operations take off and return safely. The AN/TPN-31 Air Traffic Navigation, Integration, Coordination System (ATNAVICS) at FOB Wolverine, Afghanistan./PM ATC COURTESY PHOTO Army ATC is a critical enabler to all Aviation operations, providing...
Learn More3-58th Aviation Regiment
Air Traffic Services / By MAJ Archie L. Smith: With U.S. Army Europe’s (USAREUR) ongoing force structure transformation and the onset of Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI), one would think executing a unit relocation from Europe back to the U.S. would be a simple operation. This operation would be all the easier, considering the unit has an authorized Modified Table of Organization & Equipment (MTOE) strength of only 71 personnel. However when the 3rd Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment (an airfield operations battalion) received orders to execute a unit relocation from Illesheim, Germany to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, it was anything but...
Learn MoreSomething Different in Advanced Individual Training
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By LTC Daniel L. Isabell and CPT Justin M. Kuhlmann: Experience is often what separates the victor from the vanquished. As such, coordinating and resourcing realistic training that best replicates the adversities of combat will always be one of the cardinal objectives of any commander. The current situations in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere show us that the modern battlefield remains as dynamic and fast paced as always. Inexperienced or poorly trained armies have a tendency to approach combat reactively, practically ceding the position of relative advantage to their opponents. On the other hand, challenging, realistic...
Learn MorePM UAS – Posturing for Force 2025 and Beyond
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By COL Courtney P. Cote: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), although used earlier, gained their operational birth in the Balkans and then UAS grew up during the Global War on Terrorism. Today UAS and the situational awareness they provide continue to experience an insatiable demand in support of current operations around the globe. Perhaps a fair comparison to what the UAS brings to current Army operations is what the helicopter brought to air mobility operations in Vietnam. In order to posture the Army’s UAS fleet for Force 2025 and Beyond it must establish a firm foundation with...
Learn MoreDeveloping Common Standards to Improve Interoperability
Unmanned Aircraft Systems / By Mr. Shad Reese: Unmanned Systems (UxS) have become an important and integral component of the U.S. military’s warfighting arsenal. Thousands of these systems have been acquired by the Services and employed in combat operations around the globe, but unfortunately, most of these systems were purchased with proprietary control systems. This limits the Department of Defense’s (DoD) levels of interoperability and our ability to seamlessly operate, communicate and share critical intelligence across the Joint Commander’s battle space. A paradigm shift is needed to push the unmanned systems interoperability envelope by developing common standards and promoting the...
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