Lonewolf_50 makes a good point about confused roles.
In some cases, it's airborne Fires, which is a subset of Fires.
- For my money, this is CAS.
(Why there is a difference between CAS (by FW ac) and CCA (by RW ac), I don't know. They are performing the same function using some of the same weapons, just at different speeds and heights. Not being qualified to control either but having seen plenty of both, can someone comment as to what the difference in doctrine is, because it is not obvious from the observer's POV?)
The "eyes on" feature of any CAS platform has been supplemented immensely (as the ground commander sees it) with entire families and ranges of small to medium sized RPV's and UAV's. Getting eyes on target is sometimes all that is needed to call in fires.
and
We are back to the scouting roll that aircraft originally took on over the trenches of WW I, in that regard.
- isn't this part of what used to be called Army Cooperation? This should be able to facilitate the targetted use of any sort of fire, either by spotting for the FST on the ground or controlling it from the air (does the RAF still have any FAC(A)s or the AAC any AbFACs?)
Either way, the important word is 'close'. If the aircraft is not close to the troops it is supporting, isn't it doing battlefield air interdiction?