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AIR FORCE DOCTRINE PUBLICATION (AFDP) 3-03COUNTERLAND OPERATIONSAIR INTERDICTION FUNDAMENTALSLast Updated: 21 October 2020The Air Force defines air interdiction (AI) as air operations conducted to divert,disrupt, delay, or destroy the enemy’s military potential before it can be broughtto bear effectively against friendly forces, or to otherwise achieve joint forcecommander’s (JFC’s) objectives, and conducted at such distance from friendlyforces that detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement offriendly forces is not required.When the joint definition for air interdiction was last updated the meaning of thedefinition was inadvertently changed. The current joint definition for AI is definedas “air operations conducted to divert, disrupt, delay, or destroy the enemy’smilitary surface capabilities before they can be brought to bear effectively againstfriendly forces, or to otherwise achieve objectives that are conducted at suchdistances from friendly forces that detailed integration of each air mission withthe fire and movement of friendly forces is not required” (Joint Publication 3-03,Joint Interdiction). As written, the definition implies the “objectives” are conducted atsuch distances from friendly forces, instead of the correct meaning that the “airoperations” are conducted at such distances from friendly forces. This is to be correctedduring the next revision of JP 3-03.When conducted as part of a joint campaign, AI needs the direction of a singlecommander who can exploit and coordinate all the forces involved. The air componentcommander is normally the supported commander for the joint force commander’s(JFC’s) overall AI effort. When designated as the supported commander, the aircomponent commander conducts theater-wide or joint operations area- (JOA-) wide AI,in accordance with the JFC’s overall theater objectives. The air component commander(aided by the component and Service liaisons) recommends theater or JOA-widetargeting priorities and, in coordination with other component commanders, forwards theair apportionment recommendation to the JFC. The air component commander plansand executes the interdiction effort in accordance with the JFC’s guidance. Because ofthe air component commander’s theater/JOA-wide perspective and joint planningcapabilities, the JFC may also delegate the air component commander with6

responsibility for planning and coordination of all theater/JOA-wide interdictionoperations outside of land component commanders’ areas of operations. 11Interdiction operations employ means that can create both lethal and nonlethal effects. Not all airinterdiction falls under the category of counterland. History has many examples of airpower interdictingthe enemy’s air or sea lines of communication; these are actually counterair or countersea missions eventhough they may have an interdiction effect at the operational level. Additionally, some interdictionmissions may be considered a subset of strategic attack or counterspace operations.7

AIR FORCE DOCTRINE PUBLICATION (AFDP) 3-03COUNTERLAND OPERATIONSCLOSE AIR SUPPORT FUNDAMENTALSLast Updated: 21 October 2020Close air support (CAS) is defined as air action by aircraft against hostile targetsthat are in close proximity to friendly forces and that require detailed integrationof each air mission with the fire and movement of those forces (Joint Publication 309.3, Close Air Support). CAS provides supporting firepower in offensive and defensiveoperations to destroy, disrupt, suppress, fix, harass, neutralize, or delay enemy targetsas an element of joint fire support. The speed, range, and maneuverability of airpowerallows CAS assets to attack targets that enable the ground scheme of maneuver. Whenconditions for air operations are permissive, CAS can be conducted at any place andtime friendly forces are in close proximity to enemy forces and, at times, may be thebest means to exploit tactical opportunities.Although in isolation CAS rarely achieves campaign-level objectives, at times itmay be the more critical mission due to its contribution to a specific operation orbattle. CAS should be planned to prepare the conditions for success or reinforcesuccessful attacks of ground forces. CAS can halt enemy attacks, help createbreakthroughs, destroy targets of opportunity, cover retreats, and guard flanks. To bemost effective, CAS should be used at decisive points in a battle and should normallybe massed to apply concentrated combat power and saturate defenses. Elements of thetheater air control system (TACS) should be in place to enable command and control(C2) and clearance to attack in response to rapidly changing tactical circumstances. Influid, high-intensity warfare, the need for terminal attack control, the unpredictability ofthe tactical situation, the risk of collateral damage and friendly fire, and the proliferationof ground-based air defenses make CAS especially challenging.CAS requires a significant level of coordination between air and ground forces toproduce desired effects, avoid excessive collateral damage, and prevent friendly fire.CAS employment should create effects that support the ground scheme of maneuver.The fluidity of the ground situation that exists within close proximity usually requiresreal-time direction from a joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) to ensure targets ofhighest priority to the ground commander are struck. Additionally, when friendly forcesare within close proximity, the more restrictive, terminal attack control measures arerequired to integrate CAS with ground maneuver and joint fires. The integration ofairpower and ground maneuver is an important factor for mitigating friendly fireincidents. Thus, Airmen should consider three key factors when employing CAS: the8

need for flexible, real-time targeting guidance; the avoidance of affecting friendly groundforces in close proximity to the target; and compliance with rules of engagement (ROE)and the law of war.DETAILED INTEGRATION AND RELEASE AUTHORITYIn the definitions of air interdiction (AI) and CAS, the requirement for detailed integrationis a key difference between the two missions. When targets are not in close proximity tofriendly forces, detailed integration may not be required because the possibility offriendly fire is lower. Since AI should not require detailed integration, aircrew employmunitions according to the ROE and target identification standards set forth in theaterguidance, without the need for additional clearance. AI release authority may bedelegated to the aircrew conducting the mission. Beyond the fire support coordinationline (FSCL) this delegation would come from the air component commander or anauthorized element of the theater TACS. For AI release authority short of the FSCL (i.e.,within fire support coordination measures such as a kill box), the air support operationscenter (ASOC) normally coordinates with the air operations center and acts as the AirForce C2 element. Although AI release authority is delegated to the aircrew, this doesnot preclude off-board target cueing or terminal guidance operations from specialoperations forces, Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, strike coordination,and reconnaissance, ASOC, or intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissanceplatforms.Conversely, CAS requires detailed integration because friendly forces are in closeproximity to the engagement. The ground commander is the release authority within thearea of operations (AO) and usually does not delegate it to the aircrew with the possibleexception of a forward air controller (airborne). The ground commander delegates thisrelease authority to personnel trained as JTACs in direct support of his or her element,who in turn provide clearance to CAS aircraft.9

AIR FORCE DOCTRINE PUBLICATION (AFDP) 3-03COUNTERLAND OPERATIONSTYPES OF AIR INTERDICTION AND CLOSE AIR SUPPORTLast Updated: 21 October 2020Counterland missions are either scheduled or on-call. Scheduled missions result frompreplanned requests during the normal air tasking cycle and allow for detailedcoordination between the tactical units involved. Preplanned requests may result insorties in an on-call status (either airborne or ground alert) to cover periods of expectedenemy action, respond to immediate requests, or attack emerging targets. Scheduledair interdiction (AI) missions use detailed intelligence to attack known or anticipatedtargets in an operational area to generate effects that achieve the joint forcecommander’s (JFC) objectives. Scheduled close air support (CAS) missions arenormally provided to a specific ground unit or operation.With the appropriate commander’s approval, scheduled AI or CAS missions can be retasked to provide CAS or attack time-sensitive targets via the dynamic executionprocess. Threats, aircrew qualifications, weapons load, and weapons fusing should beconsidered when re-tasking missions. Commanders and planners should carefullyconsider the balance between effectiveness and efficiency of keeping a portion of airassets in reserve when identifying airborne and ground alert missions. Immediaterequests may result from situations that develop after the suspense for preplannedrequests in a particular air tasking order (ATO) period. Dynamic execution provides aresponsive use of on-call or dynamically re-tasked counterland missions to exploitenemy vulnerability that may be of limited duration. However, dynamic execution mayreduce success because of reduced time for mission preparation and target study.The following are types of counterland missions, followed by the corresponding TheaterBattle Management Core Systems mission-type codes: AI/AI is a mission scheduled to strike particular targets in response to JFC orcomponent target nominations. GAI/GINT is the AI term used to identify an on-call mission placed on ground alert toprovide responsive AI throughout the theater in respons

counterland airpower cued by SOF teams routed Taliban forces throughout Afghanistan until Kabul itself fell just days after Mazar-i-Sharif. Within two weeks, Coalition forces took control of Afghanistan by relying on the powerful combination of counterland airpower and distributed ground forces using small-unit tactics.