Close Air Support

This is any air action against hostile targets, which are in close proximity to friendly forces. These missions require detailed integration with fires and the movement of those forces.

In the future, asymmetric conflict scenarios are as likely as direct engagements with a peer or near-peer adversary. In addition, these conflicts will more often take place in urban areas. All of which pose challenges for the future of CAS, and require a modification of the Alliance’s current CAS operations model. It needs to adapt to potential war scenarios by incorporating these variations in exercises and realistically evaluating new technologies, assets, competitors, and environments to establish Joint Air Support.

Providing CAS to joint forces remains a crucial mission in the context of joint force operations.

Featured Publications

Close Air Support Command and Control

Digitally Enhanced CAS Operations
By Lt Col 
Osman 
Aksu 
Today’s military operations are becoming more complicated with the increasing number and variety of options available to commanders at all levels. The expansion of military activity beyond the Air, Maritime, and Land domains to Space [...]

Potential Game Changer for Close Air Support

Enhancing UAS Role in Contested Environments
By Lt Col 
Osman 
Aksu 
The NATO Strategic Foresight Analysis Providing CAS to joint forces remains a crucial mission in the context of joint force operations. However, peer adversary capabilities, including the threat posed to Alliance platforms from Air Defence [...]

Air-Land Integration – Bridging the Gaps in Joint with Force Education and Training

Practical Solutions for Air-Land Interoperability in NATO
By Lt Col 
Sarah V. 
Fortin 
By Lt Col 
Pasquale 
Masone 
In military and industry circles, it is very common to hear technology promoted as a joint and interoperable capability without much attention being paid to the people employing those capabilities. No matter how much faith [...]

Subject Matter Expert

Major

Erhan GĂ¼leç

Subject Matter Expert 
Close Air Support

Major Erhan GĂ¼leç graduated from the Turkish Air Force Academy in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering and was stationed as an Intercept Controller (IC) at the Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) of Diyarbakir, Turkey. Following his Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering, in 2013, he joined the Airborne...

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