While technologically the Army's air defense community is making great strides in keeping pace with a perceived revolution in military affairs (RMA), doctrinally it is still adhering to its WWII requirement of positive visual identification of aircraft for SHORAD units before engagement. This doctrinal requirement apparently arose from a paradigm of how SHORAD fire units operate that dates back to WWI, and a desire to prevent fratricide. The paradigm is based on the assumption that SHORAD units have no method to receive accurate electronic target identification or designation, or a capability to effectively engage targets beyond visual range. The fielding of FAADC3I and the Slew-to-Cue Avenger systems, along with the current tests and studies of the vehicle mounted AMRAAM have made this assumption invalid. The current threat faced by SHORAD units may also make these assumptions disastrous. As military thinkers debate whether we are now in the midst of a RMA, the time has also come to question whether this visual identification requirement should be eliminated for those units technologically capable of BVRID engagements. This paper will attempt to answer that question, discuss reasons for the change, and address the issues that are necessary for such a change.

ADA 340188 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.)