Tactical Air Research Articles

Ensuring High-Quality Professional Training for Future Tactical Air Force Pilots in Combat Flight through the Pedagogical System's Effectiveness Justification

This article presents an in-depth analysis of the efficacy of the pedagogical system in providing high-quality professional training for prospective tactical air force pilots. The study encompasses the evaluation of cognitive, operational, motivational and conative, and physical components of professional training for combat flights through an extensive pedagogical experiment. Two distinct groups, namely the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG), comprising a total of 190 participants, were established for the experiment. The assessment of professional readiness among KNAFU student pilots for combat flights involved the examination of criteria, indicators, and levels associated with each component. The experimental process entailed both quantitative measurement and qualitative interpretation of the outcomes. The study uncovered noteworthy enhancements in professional training for future tactical air force pilots, encompassing intellectual domain, simulator training quality, operational proficiency, motivational and conative aspects, physical capabilities, and psychophysiological elements. These findings contribute to the progression of military pilot education and carry positive implications for public health. By refining the training programs and pedagogical approaches for military pilots, the implemented measures can indirectly impact public health by ensuring the deployment of highly skilled and mentally resilient pilots to safeguard national security. This study underscores the interdependence between professional training for tactical air force pilots and broader public health objectives, underscoring the significance of holistic education and training approaches in the military domain.

A physical demands analysis to identify and delineate critical physical tasks for physically demanding US air force occupations.

Military physical fitness tests and standards often lack a scientific basis. Contrary to this traditional-historical precedent, US Air Force researchers use a "Two-Tier" health (Tier 1) and performance (Tier 2) approach to develop evidence-based criterion physical fitness tests, standards, and training. This study specifically and only addresses a physical demands analysis, the first step in a six-step process to develop Tier 2 occupationally specific, operationally relevant physical fitness tests and standards, and training guidance. This study conducted a physical demands analysis to identify and delineate occupationally specific, operationally relevant critical physical tasks for eight physically demanding US Air Force occupational specialties. A comprehensive five part physical demands analysis reviewed duty tasks, conducted focus groups, assessed incumbents, observed operational tasks, and interviewed senior leaders to detail critical physical tasks. The physical demands analysis delineated duty tasks to critical physical tasks for Special Tactics (556 to 40), Pararescue (981 to 50), Tactical Air Control (415 to 44), Special Operations Weather (586 to 50), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (1107 to 39), Security Forces (1286 to 25), Fire and Emergency Services (802 to 39), and Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (1099 to 25). The study approach proved efficacious for conducting a thorough physical demands analysis to identify and delineate occupationally specific, operationally relevant critical physical tasks for eight US Air Force physically demanding occupations. Critical physical tasks provide basis for the next overall research process step, developing physical task simulations to link to predictive physical fitness tests and training guidance.

Impact of an Integrated Human Performance Support Group: Evaluation of Air Force Special Warfare Candidate Training and Musculoskeletal Injury Outcomes Over Eight Fiscal Years.

The Special Warfare Training Wing and Special Warfare Human Performance Support Group (HPSG; all-co-authors) were established in fiscal year (FY) 2019 to consolidate and oversee all Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR) training and provide embedded medical and human performance support to candidates with the goal of improving graduation rates and the longevity of the AFSPECWAR operator. The purpose of this manuscript is to assess the impact of the HPSG on AFSPECWAR graduation rates, musculoskeletal injury (MSKI) incidence, and cost. Graduation rates, MSKI incidence (including incidence density and cumulative incidence probability), and MSKI-related health care costs were assessed across all AFSPECWAR training pipelines spanning 8 FYs 2015-22, including Indoctrination, Assessment, and Selection Courses (Selection); Tactical Air Control Party (TACP); Special Tactics (ST), and Guardian Angel (GA). A total of 5,728 distinct candidates were assessed over the time frame. There were significant decreases in attrition when comparing the HPSG era (FY 19-22) with the prior 4-year period for the ST (47% vs. 82% graduates) and TACP (34% vs. 41% graduates) training pipelines. The corresponding Selection (36% graduates) and GA (80% graduates) pipeline attrition rates remained stable. MSKI incidence rates (both incidence density and cumulative incidence probability) overall were not significantly different when comparing the pre-HPSG and HPSG time frames; however, they varied between the two time frames by course. GA candidates had a decrease in MSKI during the apprentice course in the HPSG era compared with the pre-HPSG era (2.4-1.0 cases per 100 trainee weeks; P < .001), which corresponds to a nearly 20% reduction in the cumulative incidence probability (i.e., proportion of trainees injured) after 10 weeks of course. For ST and TACP courses, however, significantly increased incidence of MSKI was observed when comparing the two time frames (P < .001), while for Selection courses, the rates remained stable. A significant reduction in the cost of MSKI-related management (62% total relative value units, 83% total costs) was observed. The impact of the HPSG on attrition, MSKI incidence, and cost-of-care was not consistent across all training pipelines; however, taken together, there were no increases in attrition, and the cost of MSKI management was significantly lower.

Analysis of Potential Threats to the Critical Infrastructure of the 31st Tactical Air Base, in the Context of the Security of the Poznan Agglomeration

The main purpose of the article is an attempt to analyze the potential threats to the critical infrastructure of the 31st Tactical Air Base in Poznań-Krzesiny in terms of the security of the Poznań agglomeration. The main threats that may occur have been indicated in the context of military, non-military, asymmetric or hybrid activities. In addition, the mortgage effects of the actions taken, which can have a measurable impact on the safety of the Poznań agglomeration, were discussed and presented. An additional thread in the article is the indication of the existing threats that took place in the area of the Poznań-Krzesiny military airport, which could threaten the functioning of the critical infrastructure located in the area of the 31st Tactical Air Base and the critical infrastructure located in the area of the Poznań agglomeration.&#x0D; The article does not contain any information or data defined as classified information in accordance with Ustawa z dnia 5 sierpnia 2010 r. o ochronie informacji niejawnych.

A Comparative Study of Heavy Metal Pollution in Ambient Air and the Health Risks Assessment in Industrial, Urban and Semi-Urban Areas of West Bengal, India: An Evaluation of Carcinogenic, Non-Carcinogenic, and Additional Lifetime Cancer Cases

Air pollution is an immense problem due to its detrimental health effects on human populations. This study investigates the distribution of particle-bound heavy metals and associated health risks in three diverse areas (Durgapur as an industrial complex, Kolkata as an urban area, and Bolpur as a semi-urban region) in West Bengal, India. Twenty-one (84 samples) sampling sites were chosen, covering industrial, traffic, residential, and sensitive zones. The respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) samples were collected using a portable Mini-Vol Tactical Air Sampler, and heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, and As) were analyzed using ICP-OES. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks were assessed using exposure concentration (EC), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and additional lifetime cancer cases. The results highlight variations in heavy metal concentrations across the regions, with industrial areas exhibiting higher levels. Principal component analysis (PCA) unveiled distinct metal co-variation patterns, reflecting sources such as industrial emissions, traffic, and natural contributors. The sum of non-carcinogenic risks (HI) of all heavy metals exceeded the US EPA’s risk limit (HI&lt;1) in both Kolkata and Durgapur, except for Bolpur. Similarly, the sum of cancer risk in three distinct areas exceeded the USEPA limits (1.00E-06). The Monte Carlo simulation revealed the 5th and 95th percentile range of cancer risk was 9.12E-06 to 1.12E-05 in Bolpur, 3.72E-05 to 4.49E-05 in Durgapur and 2.13E-05 to 2.57E-05 in Kolkata. Kolkata had the highest additional lifetime cancer cases compared to Bolpur and Durgapur. This study provides information on the complex connections between heavy metal pollution and possible health risks in industrial, urban, and semi-urban regions.

The Bulgarian Land Forces in the Cold War

During the Cold War, information in Western open sources about Bulgarian Land Forces’ war plans, organisation, and order of battle was absent or very general, until the last years of the 1980s. Yet there is much more information now available after 30 years, and this is a very valid topic for research. Bulgaria was drawn into Soviet war planning for the elimination of capitalism. Bulgaria’s planned part in this was helping to seize the Turkish Straits, either with or without the use of tactical nuclear weapons. It now appears that there would have been two Fronts advancing in this area, one predominantly Soviet Odessa Military District forces to seize the Turkish Straits, and the other more heavily Bulgarian in composition attacking towards central Greece. Both would have been supported by tactical air forces and, if the circumstances dictated, nuclear weapons. Later, with the commitment of strategic reserves, it was hoped to develop the offensive in depth towards the Syrian border. The forces formed to carry this mission out were reorganized repeatedly from 1945-55, as the Communist Party tightened its control over the country. The organisation of the Land Forces was much more settled after the early 1960s. Bulgarian history will be better served by more open debate over these issues.

Musculoskeletal injuries in US Air Force Tactical Air Control Party trainees: an 11-year longitudinal retrospective cohort study and presentation of a musculoskeletal injury classification matrix

IntroductionLittle is known of the epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) in US Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR) Tactical Air Control Party trainees. The purpose of this longitudinal retrospective cohort study...

Innovative Integration of Severe Weather Forecasts into an Extended Arrival Manager

In the H2020 project “Satellite-borne and INsitu Observations to Predict The Initiation of Convection for ATM” (SINOPTICA), an air traffic controller support system was extended to organize approaching traffic even under severe weather conditions. During project runtime, traffic days with extreme weather events in the Po Valley were analyzed, an arrival manager was extended with a module for 4D diversion trajectory calculation, two display variants for severe weather conditions in an air traffic controller primary display were developed, and the airport Milano Malpensa was modelled for an air traffic simulation. On the meteorological side, three new forecasting techniques were developed to better nowcast weather events affecting tactical air traffic operations and used to automatically organize arrival traffic. Additionally, short-range weather forecasts with high spatial resolution were elaborated using radar-based nowcasting and a numerical weather prediction model with data assimilation. This nowcast information was integrated into the extended arrival manager for the sequencing and guiding of approaching aircraft even in adverse weather situations. The combination of fast and reliable weather nowcasts with a guidance support system enables severe weather diversion coordination in combination with a visualization of its dynamics on traffic situation displays.

Investigation of Indoor Air Quality in Natural Ventilated Classroom in Perlis

Indoor air pollutants have been linked to many health effects in humans and particularly children who are more vulnerable to the poor IAQ. This study presents quantitative assessment of IAQ in the selected primary schools in Perlis that is situated at northern peninsular of Malaysia. The objectives of this study was to investigate indoor air quality and comfort parameters in the natural ventilated school classroom in Perlis. A real-time monitoring method that was derived from Industry Code of Practice on IAQ 2010 by Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) was used in this research. IAQ monitoring was conducted using Aeroqual Series 500, Tactical Air Sampler, SKC Aircheck XR5000, Elitech Rc-4 and UT363BT Anemometer were carried out at two primary schools which are SK Seri Perlis and SK Putra. Selected parameters such as respirable particulates (PM10), total volatile organic compound (TVOC), formaldehyde (CH2O), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), temperature, relative humidity and velocity were measured for two months period. The IAQ monitoring results revealed that the air pollutants were recorded higher in SK Seri Perlis compared to SK Putra due to its location that is nearby roadside. The examined pollutants concentration such as PM10, CO, and O3 were within the acceptable limits of Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality (2010) by DOSH, while CH2O, temperature, relative humidity and velocity were detected higher than the acceptable limits.

Analysis and Evaluation of the FA-50 Capabilities for the Polish Air Force

Abstract FA-50 aircraft is a combat version of the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle jet trainer. The development of the FA-50 combat aircraft began in October 1997.The development phase finished in January 2006, during which 6 prototypes were built. It is worth noting that in October 2012, the FA-50 was awarded a military certificate issued by the Korean MAAC (Military Aircraft Airworthiness Committee) as the first military fighter-class aircraft. On 16 September 2022, the approval ceremony for purchasing the FA-50 by the Polish Air Force took place at the 23rd Tactical Air Force Base in Mińsk Mazowiecki.

An Optimized Solution to Long‐Distance Flight Routes Under Extreme Cosmic Radiation

AbstractDuring extraordinary space weather, cosmic radiation can be significant enough to pose a threat to aircrew health. Traditional methods of reducing massive cosmic radiation exposure include flight cancellation, lowering flying altitudes, and flight rerouting. However, flight cancellation can result in additional financial expenditures, while lowering flight altitudes and rerouting can consequently cause more fuel consumption or even violation of airspace rights. As a result, we use a multi‐objective optimization model to assign optimal flight altitude and speed to reduce the overall weighted sum of cosmic radiation and fuel consumption. The simulation scenario is based on a space weather event with dramatically increased cosmic radiation that occurs during a routine international flight from Tokyo to London. Our results show that the proposed model can reduce fuel consumption while satisfying cosmic radiation limits recommended by the Council of the European Union if the forecasts of cosmic radiation are sufficiently accurate. In addition, a Pareto frontier is provided as a tactical air traffic management guideline. Our study provides insight into future policymaking for air transportation during harsh space weather conditions.

SID: Powering the Display Industry for 60 Years

SID: Powering the Display Industry for 60 Years

The Lethal Range Testing of Effective 80mm Air to Ground Warhead

The air force is the most important weapon during wars and battles. Through it, armies can control and isolate enemy territory, carry out their own operations and missions, allow for the increased bombing, tactical air support for ground forces, parachuting, airdrops, and the passage of cargo planes. Countries are working to enhance their air force by increasing the number of their aircraft and providing them with the latest modern technologies in monitoring targets, accurate and efficient missiles. This paper will present a completely new design of 80 mm controlled fragmentation warhead for air to surface missile has been designed and tested, the results of the experiment showed a good performance for tactical characteristics such as lethal range which is about 19 meters.

A pilot study of the depression, anxiety and stress in Greek military personnel during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionThe ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a global health crisis which poses many psychological research challenges. The objective of this study was to evaluate the responsiveness and validity of depression, anxiety...

Current Problems of Joint Fire Support in the Polish Armed Forces

ObjectivesThe aim of this paper is to attempt to identify the main challenges faced by the Polish Armed Forces in the area of Joint Fire Support. The publication will present Joint Terminal Attack Controller’s point of view on the problems of Joint Fire Support in the Polish Armed Forces. Due to the complexity of the problem, the authors decided to limit the scope of presentation to the most visible difficulties in specific services.MethodsThe views presented here result from empirical research based on participatory observations that were conducted during numerous national and international training operations organised in Poland and abroad and non-categorised interviews with the JTACs from the Tactical Air Control Party Central Group and the Tactical Air Control Party Training Center in Military University of Aviation in Dęblin.ResultsThe publication will present Joint Terminal Attack Controller’s point of view on the problems of Joint Fire Support in the Polish Armed Forces. For linguistic purposes, the terms controller and navigator were used in this text as synonyms of the JTAC acronym.ConclusionsDue to the complexity of the problem, the authors decided to limit the scope of presentation to the most visible difficulties in specific services. For linguistic purposes, the terms controller and navigator were used in this text as synonyms of the JTAC acronym.

Działania bojowe 315 Dywizjonu Myśliwskiego „Dęblińskiego” podczas operacji „Overlord” 6 czerwca – 7 lipca 1944 r.

The article describes the preparations and the role of No. 315 Squadron (Dęblin) during Operation “Overlord”. The unit, which was assigned to No. 133 Wing of the 2nd Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF) was primarily deployed in a close air support role over Normandy, focusing mainly on enemy targets in both front-line areas and deep behind enemy lines. In the first half of July 1944 the squadron was transferred from the 2nd TAF to the Air Defence of Great Britain command, in order to counteract the threat posed by German V-1 “flying bombs”.

Greg Baughen, RAF on the Offensive: The Rebirth of Tactical Air Power 1940-1941

Greg Baughen, RAF on the Offensive: The Rebirth of Tactical Air Power 1940-1941

Conflict Archaeology of Tactical Air Power: The Forêt Domaniale de la Londe-Rouvray and the Normandy Campaign of 1944

Over 1,600 extant WW2 impact craters in the Foret Domaniale de la Londe-Rouvray, Lower Seine valley, Normandy, France, have been mapped and analyzed using LiDAR, historic aerial photographs, archive documents, and field survey. Crater densities average 0.26/ha2 with values up to 31/ha2 in clusters around road and railway infrastructure. Some 576 craters can be dated using aerial photographs to intervals between May–August 1944 and are interpreted as bomb craters associated with Allied tactical air strikes on the Seine bridge at Orival (attacked during May in preparation for the D-Day landings) and German troop and vehicle concentrations towards the later stages of the Normandy Campaign.

The training and practice of crew resource management: an in vivo study of the UK National Police Air Service

The UK National Police Air Service (NPAS) provides tactical air support to the police forces of England and Wales. Uniquely, crews are composed of civilian pilots and police officers [tactical flight officers (TFOs)]. Providing tactical air support makes big demands of pilots and TFOs. Threats include aerial hazards, marginal weather, no-notice re-tasking, malfunctions, attacks launched from the ground, a 12-hour shift and irregular meals. Mindful of the need to create flight-deck teams that are resilient, resourceful and, above all, effective, the NPAS jointly trains its pilots and TFOs in crew resource management (CRM). Behaviours trained in CRM ground-schools (such as methodical skepticism, mindfulness and canvassing) were observed on the flight-deck and were seen to impact performance. Joint training of pilots and TFOs in CRM, to the extent that it improves understanding and communication, may improve teamworking. Operators that separately train pilots and cabin crew in CRM should consider joint training. Further, operators should broaden the CRM training catchment to include dispatchers, engineers and other safety-critical personnel. Widening the catchment would acknowledge the systemic character of aviation (Harris and Stanton, 2010; Bennett 2019c). Further, it would acknowledge the Civil Aviation Authority's (2016) exhortation to improve inter-profession coordination. It is recommended that more inductive, in vivo studies of the flight-deck be conducted.

An advanced new-look tactical air defense armament system

The study looks back at the development of the tactical air defense armament system, and describes the main current trends and technologies for creating its elements. The principles of construction and the structure of the advanced tactical air defense armament system are substantiated. A procedure has been proposed for creating a new-look tactical air defense armament system.