Tactical Air Control Party

The Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP, is a small team of Air Force or Marine personnel who provide airspace deconfliction and terminal control of close air support at battle group level or below. It usually consists of an officer Forward Air Controller (FAC), a senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO) FAC and usually a pair of signallers/drivers.

Australian TACPs are provided by the RAAF and are responsible for the coordination of air assets in support of deployed Army units.

In the United Kingdom Armed Forces, TACP personnel may come from the Royal Marines,Army or RAF Regiment. Every TACP has four members; one officer and one SNCO, who are trained Forward Air Controllers, and two signallers (JNCOs), who are responsible for communication equipment and assist in tasking aircraft to FACs in forward positions. The FAC's role is to guide attack aircraft and fast jets to the correct target by providing descriptions and locations to the pilots via a range of telecommunications equipment.

Prince Harry, the third in line to the British throne, served as a TACP commander in Afghanistan.

FACs and TACPs in the United Kingdom are trained at the Joint Forward Air Controller Training Standards Unit (JFACTSU).

A USAF TACP is usually a team of two or more United States Air Force enlisted TACP journeymen or craftsmen (AFSC 1C4X1) aligned with a conventional or special operational United States Army combat maneuver unit to advise ground commanders on the best use of air power, establish and maintain command and control communications, and provide precision terminal attack guidance of U.S. and coalition fixed-wing and rotary-wing close air support aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire. A TACP always includes at least one Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) qualified to control attack aircraft. It can also include an Air Liaison Officer (ALO), an Air Force commissioned officer who is typically aeronautically rated as a pilot or navigator/combat systems officer in fighter or attack aircraft who is often JTAC qualified and serves in a senior advisor capacity. As of 2009 the TACP career field has created a full time TACP officer, the 13L. The 13L is also known as a Tactical Air Control Officer (TACO) and if JTAC qualified they are known as a JTACO. JTAC teams are primarily stationed with and support Army combat units.

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