Author Description

Air Force forward air control operations in Southeast Asia. saw many thousands of air control missions flown in support of U.S., South Vietnamese, and Allied ground combat units. The 0-1, considered inadequate from the beginning, underwent modification and refurbishing in order to provide an air control vehicle until the O-2A and OV-10 arrived on the scene to supplement and eventually replace it. Tactics changed as the enemy threat became more dangerous and the role of the forward air controller vastly expanded. The FACs not only controlled air strikes, but flew air cover for convoys and other troop movements, dropped propaganda leaflets, performed aerial reconnaissance sorties, and assisted Special Forces clandestine missions. Moreover, The FAC role saw the introduction of jet forward air controllers to operate in high threat areas, the inclusion of C-130s, and C-123s as FAC aircraft for night operations and the development of the armed FAC concept.