SOCOM: ‘Stretched Thin’ Forces Need New Armed Overwatch Solution

[rangerrebew]

 
SOCOM: ‘Stretched Thin’ Forces Need New Armed Overwatch Solution
March 25, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. special operations forces need a new armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft to fully support all its missions, Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 25.

“In many remote areas, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and close air support assets are stretched thin and come at high cost,” he said. “We continue to work with DOD to address this issue.”

SOCOM wants an armed overwatch system to provide “sustainable support” to activities fighting violent extremist organizations. SOCOM is seeking 75 armed overwatch aircraft that could deploy to remote areas and provide both ISR and attack capabilities to special operators. These aircraft would replace the Air Force’s U-28 Draco, an unarmed ISR platform.

https://www.airforcemag.com/socom-stretched-thin-forces-need-new-armed-overwatch-solution/

[sneakypete]

I agree. They need their own dedicated "spy in the sky" command to gather intel to both help the teams on the ground to avoid walking into ambushes,but to help provide info for tac-air to save the bacon of teams in trouble.

When you need this support,you need it NOW,and you don't need to be arguing with some USAF commander who may be hundreds of miles away and doesn't want to interrupt his own program to help someone else.

Command MUST be local or it is unreliable and operators WILL die.