Forward air control
![RAF Regiment Forward Air Controllers from the Air Land Integration Cell, based at RAF Honington, guide a Typhoon from 6 Squadron onto their target at the Cape Wrath practice range in Scotland.](/Images/godic/202501/14/RAF_Regiment_Forward_Air_Controllers5925.jpg")
![British Mobile Fighter Controllers operating in North Africa during World War II](/Images/godic/202501/14/Mobile_Fighter_Controllers5925.jpg")
![This graphic illustrates how territory often changed hands early in the war, until the front stabilized into trench warfare.North Korean and Chinese forcesUnited Nations forces](/Images/godic/202501/14/Korean_war_1950-19535925.gif")
![L-19/O-1 Bird Dog, used by Forward Air Controllers during the Vietnam War.](/Images/godic/202501/14/BirdDog5925.jpg")
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC).
A primary forward air control function is ensuring the safety of friendly troops during close air support. Enemy targets in the front line ("Forward Edge of the Battle Area" in US terminology) are often close to friendly forces and therefore friendly forces are at risk of friendly fire through proximity during air attack. The danger is twofold: the bombing pilot cannot identify the target clearly, and is not aware of the locations of friendly forces. Camouflage, a constantly changing situation and the fog of war all increase the risk. Present day doctrine holds that Forward Air Controllers (FACs) are not needed for air interdiction, although there has been such use of FACs in the past.