SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Over the past year, the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing has conducted over 5,500 precision airstrikes in support of U.S. Air Forces Central Command missions in the Middle East, Central Asia and Northern Africa.
Each airstrike is a culmination of a very detailed targeting process, established and driven by military Intelligence.
“Intelligence collection comes from a myriad of sources including imagery, signals, humans, and open source information,” said Capt. Laura, Chief of Combat Intelligence for the 380th AEW.
Imagery is gathered from a number of resources including the high-altitude Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platforms assigned to the 380th AEW, collecting an average of 12,800 battlespace images a month. Signals intelligence is gathered through radar capabilities utilized by command and control assets also assigned to the Wing, such as the Airborne Warning and Control System.
According to Laura, the length of the targeting process depends on the complexity of the target, some taking days or weeks while others take only a few hours or even minutes. Laura used a Da’esh training compound to explain the more complex targeting process of observing the personnel and equipment going in and out, as well as activity around an area of interest.
“Studying patterns of life around a point of interest is important when trying to identify a target as hostile,” said Laura. “Being able to study who is going in and out of the area, what vehicles come and go are all indicators that help intelligence specialists determine the nature of a potential target. Even the smallest of clues can point us in the direction of where we need to be looking for the bad guys.”
For immediate target development, Laura discussed a person walking out of a building with a mortar tube as an example.
“This is generally captured near real time and vetted through the appropriate channels to ensure we are not just targeting a person carrying an umbrella compared to a mortar tube,” said Laura. “Regardless of the type of target, intelligence processes ensure the lowest amount of collateral damage possible and that we adhere to the Law of Armed Conflict at all times.”
According to Laura, the three Intel functions within the 380th AEW use an Air Tasking Order assigned by the Combined Air Operations Center to drive the focus of the analysis process. A Combat Intelligence Cell will take a strategic look at how operations may be impacted by the intelligence gathered. The Weapons and Tactics team focuses on the operational perspective by determining how the Wing fits into the overall battle plan, what weapons should be used and how they should be employed. Lastly, squadron Intel teams examine the tactical perspective and how the intelligence gathered will impact the pilots flying the mission.
“Without our Intelligence experts we can’t deliver offensive airpower,” said Col. Paul Birch, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group commander. “The process begins and ends with Intel, and Intel supports each intervening step. Every bomb we drop is carefully calculated and deliberate in order to prevent civilian casualties, and that precision is driven by our Intelligence processes.”