Persistent Close Air Support

Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS)

Program utilizes the A-10 as a demonstration platform.
Type Close Air Support
Place of origin  United States

Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) is a DARPA program that seeks to demonstrate dramatic capability improvements in close air support (CAS) capabilities by developing a system to allow continuous CAS availability and lethality to Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs).[1]

The program will give JTACs the ability to visualize, select, and employ munitions at the time of their choosing from optionally manned/unmanned aerial attack platforms.[2]

PCAS will be demonstrated using an A-10 modified for optionally manned operation, however this program does not seek to remove pilots from the cockpit of A-10s or other manned military aircraft.[3] Technologies developed under this program will transition to both current manned aircraft and the MQ-X next-generation unmanned aircraft.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS)". DARPA. http://www.darpa.mil/tto/programs/pcas/index.html. Retrieved August 10, 2010. 
  2. ^ "Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) Proposer's Day Workshop Announcement". Federal Business Opportunities. August 2, 2010. https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=bd6ee05a3f1087c53a5fe09402c179bc&tab=core&_cview=0. Retrieved August 10, 2010. 
  3. ^ Scott Fontaine (August 1, 2010). "Air support could come from unmanned A-10s". AirForceTimes. http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/07/airforce_closeair_073110/. Retrieved August 10, 2010. 
  4. ^ Graham Warwick (August 4, 2010). "Closing the Loop on Close Air Support". Aviation Week. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3A27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3Adefbc5fe-3ed3-413b-b6bb-7428897ad7c7. Retrieved August 10, 2010. 

External links