Tactical air control party
A tactical air control party, commonly abbreviated TACP, is a small team of military personnel who provide coordination between aircraft and ground forces when providing close air support.
Australia
Australian TACPs are provided by the RAAF and are responsible for the coordination of air assets in support of deployed Army units.Canada
The Royal Canadian Air Force TACP is the principal air liaison and control element aligned with land force manoeuvre units from battlegroup to corps. The primary mission of a TACP is to advise the respective ground commanders on the capabilities and limitations of air power and to assist the ground commander in planning, requesting, coordinating and controlling air effects. In the Canadian Armed Forces, tactical air control parties and joint terminal attack controllers are not the same thing. A RCAF TACP operates like a coordination centre that integrates air assets into the battlespace, conducts stack management of tactical airspace, and maximizes joint fires integration. The JTAC, however, conducts target correlation and executes the terminal attack control procedures from a forward position or a command post. A TACP can coordinate and approve the airspace for an airstrike, but cannot execute the terminal attack control procedure unless they are a qualified and certified JTAC. TACPs provide strike coordination, routing safety of flight, airspace deconfliction, aerospace management, net-centric capabilities, flight advisory, maximize joint fires integration, coordinate airstrikes beyond coordinated fire line among other capabilities. The TACP is responsible to the JFACC and responsive to the designated supported commander who is usually the ground commander; two primary responsibilities:- The TACP advises the ground commander on aerospace matters and enable the safe, effective, and efficient integration of aerospace capabilities with surface forces to achieve the tasks, missions, intent, and desired end state.
- The TACP also provides an intermediate-level aerospace C2 capability for airspace and aerospace assets and enable the safe, effective, and efficient execution of aerospace operations at the tactical level.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom Armed Forces, TACP personnel may come from the Royal Marines, Army or RAF Regiment. Every TACP has four members; one officer and one senior NCO, who are trained forward air controllers, and two signallers, who are responsible for communication equipment and assist in tasking aircraft to FACs in forward positions. The FAC's role is to guide attack aircraft and fast jets to the correct target by providing descriptions and locations to the pilots via a range of telecommunications equipment. FACs and TACPs in the United Kingdom are trained at the Joint Forward Air Controller Training and Standardisation Unit.Prince Harry, the fifth in line to the British throne, served as a TACP commander in Afghanistan.
United States
Air Force TACP
A USAF TACP airman integrates and operates with a conventional United States Army combat maneuver unit or special operations unit, including Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas, the 75th Ranger Regiment, Navy SEAL teams, and Joint Special Operations Command Tier 1 special mission units. TACPs are responsible for advising ground commanders on the best use of air power, establishing and maintaining command and control communications, and providing precision terminal attack guidance of U.S. and coalition fixed-wing and rotary-wing close air support aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire.Marine Corps FAC
Traditional Marine Corps infantry battalions each have an FAC, who is a Marine Corps naval aviator or naval flight officer acting liaison between their fighter/attack jets and attack helicopters and the infantry battalion. A Marine Corps FAC is commonly referred to as the air officer. Underneath him, he has two other FACs and three joint terminal attack controllers. Ideally the three FACs come from three different aviation backgrounds: one tactical jet pilot or NFO, one tactical helicopter pilot, and one assault support pilot. Ideally, the three JTACs come from an artillery background.In addition to the three FACs and three JTACs, the infantry battalion also has eight joint fires observers distributed among the rifle companies.