Close Air Support (CAS)

Intermediate 🎖️ Military / Defense

Definition

Air forces directly assisting ground troops in combat. When jets show up to help the infantry because things got spicy.

Example Usage

We called for CAS when the enemy positions became entrenched.

Origin

WWII air combat terminology, formalized mid-20th century

Fun Fact

Timing is everything—call it too early and pilots see nothing, too late and your position is overrun.

Source: Joint Military Operations doctrine, NATO guidelines

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