Route Reconnaissance and Clearance: A Marine Aircraft Wing Future Capability.

摘要

The United States Marine Corps invests in the Marine Wing Support Groups and its subordinate Marine Wing Support Squadrons (MWSSs) to provide sustained aviation ground support to the aviation combat element (ACE) of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). The primary mission of the MWSS is to enable sortie generation and expeditionary operations by Marine aviation. Marine aviation must constantly push the objective to be the extended fighting arm of the rifleman, available at a moment's notice. The ability to swiftly create temporary, expedient helicopter landing zones; leapfrog forward arming and refueling points with the advancing force; conduct replenishment combat logistics operations; or rapidly construct expeditionary airfields and airbases permits Marine aviation to be in the front pocket of the MAGTF commander. Therefore, mobility of the MWSS on the battlefield is essential, and the route reconnaissance and clearance (R2C) capability coming to the MWSS will multiply the ACE's expeditionary ability and continue to set it apart from the aviation organizations of the other Services.