Joint terminal attack controller

Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) is the term used in the United States Armed Forces and some other military forces for a qualified service member who directs the action of military aircraft engaged in close air support and other offensive air operations from a forward position.

The term that is used in most other countries, as well as previously in the U.S. and in the relevant NATO standard,[1] is Forward Air Controller.

[2] The term became effective in the U.S. on September 3, 2003 with the publishing of Joint Publication (JP) 3-09.3 Close Air Support.

[7] The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are (as of December 2021) in the process of making and organizing their JTAC units with training from SOCEUR.

There is current discussion on creating JTAC as a stand alone MOS/trade within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

It is currently executed as a secondary duty by mainly artillery Non-Commissioned Members (NCMs).

[15] A qualified and current JTAC is recognized across the U.S. Department of Defense as being capable and authorized to perform terminal attack control.

[26] JDAT, formerly JFIIT, provided SMEs for the revision of the NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 3733, the JFIRE Multi-Service Procedures for the Joint Application of Firepower publication, and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) Memorandums of Agreement for DoD and partner nations.