Blinding the eyes of the Corps: foresight at last?.

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Authors
Chudoba, Phillip C.
Subjects
Air intelligence
Aerial reconnaissance
Aerial photography
Intelligence
DESERT SHIELD
DESERT STORM
Marine Corps aviation
Marine Corps intelligence
Military intelligence
Advisors
Brown, R. Mitchell, III
Date of Issue
1992-06
Date
June 1992
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
This thesis juxtaposes the enabling attributes of tactical aerial reconnaissance with the myopic force structure policy which resulted in the demise of Marine aerial reconnaissance on the eve of the Persian Gulf War. Commencing with the debut of American photo reconnaissance aircraft in World War I, and continuing through the present, the U.S. tactical aerial reconnaissance capability problematic development cycle of high emphasis during war and gross negligence during peacetime is documented. The the United States Marine Corps, the impact of this trend of dysfunctional command priorities during Desert Shield/Desert Storm contingency operations in Southwest Asia is elucidated and the misnomer of "intelligence failure" is revealed. Based on analysis of these events and the recurring intelligence requirements of combat, this thesis sets forth the requirement for continuous maintenance of a viable tactical aerial reconnaissance capability within the Marine Corps.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
131 p.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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