Reflection on JTAC

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JTAC/FAC CONFERENCE
REFLECTION Lt-Gen Freek Meulman Vice Chief of
Defense / Former DCOM Air/Dir ACE ISAF X
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After one year in Afghanistan

• The Context
• Position and role DIR ACE
• C2 Challenges
• CAS/JTAC
• The issue then
• Improvements
• Projects current points of attention
• Considerations Conclusions

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ISAF X HQ
HQ ISAF
ALEPR
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ACE
DIRECTOR ACE
ADMIN NCO
MA
ADC
D/DIR ACE PLANS AND PROJECTS
COORDO
D/DIR ACE OPERATIONS
ADMIN
CHIEF ALE PLANS
CHIEF ALE PROJECTS
CHIEF AOCC
LNOs
CHF CURR PROJECTS
EW PLANS OFFICER
IDCC
JTAC CELL
SO LR PLANS
IDCC COS
SO CIS
SO ALE PROJECTS
RAOCCS
SPACE LNO
ADMIN ASSIST
CIS ADM
FLIGHT SAFETY
CIS TECH
DT CELL
ASFAO PLANNER
SO LR PLANS
ASOC
AIRSTRIKE LNO
AMCC LNO
AL UDEID
CRCC
SO AVIATION
CMBT OPS ASM
CMBT PLANS ATO
AVIATION
CAOC EMBED
AIRLIFT PLANNER
AIRSPACE
TARGETING EMBED
SR BCD LNO
ISRD INTEL ALO
AMCC SHAPE AIRLIFT LNO
ITAS
CJ 3/5 EMBED
BCD SO OPS
INTEL ALO
CJ2 EMBED
COMBAT REPORTS
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The issue then

• September 2006 incident
• Investigations
• JTAC report
• Main Concerns

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Importance of CAS

• Significance more recognised thru the years
• Last option to provide support within minutes
• Fully supportive for troops on ground
• Theatre wide
• Flexibility is the key

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TIC Statistics
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MANAS 10 xKC135 (US) 1xKC135 (ISAF/FR)
Air Assets (nov 08)
DUS
HRT 2 x RQ1B (ISAF)
TER
FEY
MeS 6 x Tornado (ISAF) 7 x LUNA UAV (ISAF)
BAF 18 X F15E (Nat) 14 X
A-10A(Nat)
MES
KDZ
KDZ 4 X LUNA UAV (ISAF)
MMN
PeK
-
KAL
BAF
QEN
PAR
BAM
ABAD
CHG
MLA
KAIA
JAF
WAR
HRT
GAR
Jalalabad 6 x MQ-1 (NAT)
GHA
KHO
SHA
QLT
TRK
FRH
BSN
KAF
FRH
904 EAW 8 X GR7/9 (ISAF) 2 X MQ9 (Nat)
ATF 4 x F16 (ISAF)
TF EAGLE ASSAULT 18 x MQ1
(Nat) 4 x MQ9 (Nat)
LKG
KAF
BAF 4 x F16 (ISAF)
6x Mirage 2000D (ISAF)
KAF (24 MEU) 6 x AV8B (NAT) 2 x KC130J (NAT)
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Challenges

• Language / experience
• Reactiontime / support as quick as possible
• No of TICs are increasing
• Provide 100 support for troops on the ground.
• Air assets for support becoming scarce
• Availibilty of air assets 24/7

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First steps to improvement

• JTAC Cell in HQ ISAF
• Create a solid JTAC structure
• Minimum requirements for JTACs
• Minimum equipment list
• Update documents
• Communicate with JTACs and RCs
• Introduction Rover for non US Forces
• JTAC WISE WEB page

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Were not there yet

• Ongoing Projects
• Current ISAF points of attention

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CAS Conclusions

• Importance of CAS is beyond doubt is team effort
• JTAC backbone of CAS operations
• Giant step forward since the beginning of 2007
• Continuous strive for improvement to provide
  effective support
• 100 of TICs supported very few exceptions
• Majority of TICS supported by assets FRAGed for
  other ops
• Leaves pre-planned operations without air cover
• CAS demand threatened to exceed asset
  availability
• Flexibility and creativeness required
• Result 100 TIC support
• Ops tempo in AFG
• Continually increasing, also in the future
• More assets JTACs required
• TICS inevitably WILL go unsupported if..

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Questions?