The future of the Marine Corps resounds in Operational Maneuver from the Sea. This doctrine demands complete mastery of the littoral battle space to project amphibious combat power farther and faster than ever before. Critical to the success of any military operation is the commander's ability to quickly make accurate tactical decisions. Because he cannot be physically present over the entire battlefield, he must have systems in place to give him the broad tactical perspective that he lacks. The F/A-18D provides the MAGTF commander with an unparalleled bird's eye view of the battle space, and the ability to reach out to any echelon of his forces instantly. Perhaps more importantly, the F/A-18D offers the commander informational dominance over the enemy in time and space, and the ability to bring combat power to bear on high payoff targets at the critical moment to achieve decisive tactical victory. This thesis addresses the inefficient employment of the F/A-18D as an airborne supporting arms coordinator or SAC(A). The introduction of the F/A-18D to the Fleet was not accompanied by carefully considered doctrine to match SAC(A) mission tasking with the aircraft's capabilities. The recommendations contained herein seek to correct the problems that have resulted.

ADA 367816 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)