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MORE COMPLEX AIRCRAFT

1. General suitable and Effectiveness. It is the inability to deal adequately with small, fleeting targets that accounts for most of the inadequacies in air support. The development of highly sophisticated electronic equipment for new attack aircraft like the A2F is one approach to the problem. When equipment like side looking and terrain clearance radar is perfected and used in conjunction with some of the newer guided weapons, it will provide a really formidable all-weather capability.

Developments along this line are desirable because of the great improvement in total effectiveness they will permit especially in bad weather and at night. The price will be high, however, in maintenance and logistic support as well as in initial cost. Moreover, it doesn't solve the basic problem. Relatively large numbers of aircraft are required to find and destroy numerous small targets.

Even if the effectiveness of these new developments is granted, it seems fairly obvious there would seldom be enough of these specialized aircraft to meet all requirements. Integration with the ground scheme of maneuver would be especially difficult, if the supported units were small and separated and the aircraft were based in a sanctuary some distance away. Discrimination and survivability are also problems. In short, the use of new type aircraft with sophisticated electronic equipment will provide a valuable capability, but will not meet all requirements for dealing with multiple small fleeting targets.

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