Tactical Air Coordinator (Airborne) (TACA)

The Tactical Air Coordinator (Airborne), or TAC(A), is an airborne controller who coordinates the actions of multiple aircraft engaged in a tactical task, deconflicting their positions, timing, and weapons employment over a target or operating area. In naval aviation the role appears in anti-submarine warfare prosecutions and in strike and close-air-support coordination, where the TAC(A) sequences attacks and manages airspace among helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. It is an airborne extension of mission command, working under the relevant warfare commander and the force’s coordination structure.