To combat improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the US Army has set up an air/land task force whose effectiveness has enabled it to put into practice the principles that underlie its RSTA-FCS (reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, acquisition-Future Combat System) concept. Unpredictable, reactive, omnipresent and flexible, three-dimensional land combat is made possible by the integrated action of helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground troops. This constitutes a true tactical breakthrough, suited to the needs of asymmetric warfare.

The technological breakthrough of mobility in the third dimension, heralded by the helicopter, may now, thanks to the development of its weapon systems, become a tactical breakthrough, and open an era of ‘aerocombat’, vital when faced with a multiform, omnipresent enemy. To this end the ground forces of many countries are working to adapt the organisation, tactics and employment of combat helicopter units. For its part the French Army has created a robust and effective system that can serve as a model.