Current Issue Articles
Evolving UAS Integration Past, Present and Future
CWOB Update / By CW5 Frank Volpe: Prior to 9/11, the Army only had corps-level Hunter UAS. These ~two dozen aircraft were equipped with basic electro optical/ infra-red (EO/IR) capability and operated well above the coordinating altitude in restricted/combat airspace with little to no impact on rotary wing Aviation. VISUAL BY ANNE EWING Fast forward to today; UAS has grown to well over 8,000 aircraft of varying sizes comprised of both programs of record (PORs) and non-standard commercial off the shelf (COTS) systems. These UAS support maneuver units from 100ft Above Highest Obstacle (AHO) to 25,000 ft. MSL in both...
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Branch Chief’s Corner / By MG David J. Francis: There is a reason the Army has selected six priority systems as the centerpiece of the Army modernization strategy. An AH-64 Apache attack helicopter with the 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division hovers just over the tree line to mask itself against ground observation, as part of the culminating force on force exercise of Combined Resolve XII at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany Aug. 22, 2019. Combined Resolve is a biannual U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army Training Command-led exercise intended to...
Learn MoreThrottle Full Open!
President’s Cockpit / MG Jeff Schloesser, U.S. Army Retired: October was a busy month for us at AAAA, as we held our semiannual National Executive Board meeting on Sunday, 13 October, followed by an AAAA Past President’s reception. AAAA National President MG (Ret.) Jeff Schloesser welcomes members of the Army Aviation Congressional Caucus and Army Aviation senior leaders to the Congressional Caucus breakfast at the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC, October 17, 2019. / AAPI PHOTO BY BILL HARRIS At the board meeting we featured for the first time a conference call-in capability, and we received very positive feedback...
Learn MoreDelivering Systems in Support of Multi Domain Operations
PM UAS / By COL Scott Anderson: In December 2018, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) released TRADOC Pamphlet 525-3-1, “The U.S. Army in Multi-Domain Operations 2028.” This document serves as the first step in the doctrinal evolution for future operations of the Army of 2028 across all warfighting domains – air, land, sea, space, and cyber. It provides a foundation for continued discussion, analysis, and development of our warfighting methods to comprehend enabling the joint force on the future battlefield. This evolution of comprehension and understanding will guide organizational change, as well as inform decisions about future operational changes and...
Learn MoreThree Yards and a Cloud of Dust
Aviation Branch Maintenance / By CW5 Michael D. Cavaco: Over the last three to four years the Aviation Enterprise has made some impressive strides in increasing unit readiness. This success is due to several efforts, most importantly is the aviation leader and maintainers planning and execution of maintenance actions. This is just the beginning; I’d assess we are on the twenty yard line… our own twenty yard line. We can and must continue to drive down the field. Soldiers assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance) conduct 500 hours phase maintenance on an AH-64 Apache helicopter...
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