FM 1-100 - Future Doctrine - Army Aviation Employment

Oct 22, 2026

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FM 1-100 provides capstone Army aviation doctrine that guides employment of aviation on the modern battlefield. It explains aviation’s essential role in combat power and lays principles for warfighting and other operations across all aviation echelons. The manual targets aviation commanders, staff officers, and soldiers, and emphasizes application within combined arms, joint, multinational, interagency, and contingency environments. It also introduces future doctrine shaped by emerging aircraft, digital networking, nonlinear high-tempo battlespace, and pattern-of-operations integration.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages166

Reading Time6 h 58 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Future Doctrine

*FM 1-100 FM 1-100 FM 1-100 FM 1-100 FM 1-100 PREFACE Field Manual (FM) 1–100 is Army aviation’s capstone manual. It embodies the doctrinal tenets for the employment of aviation and establishes the basis for understanding aviation as an essential element of combat power. Doctrinally describing Army aviation, the manual serves as the foundation that captures the essence of Army aviation and those principles upon which it is employed. It prescribes doctrine above the level of tactics, techniques, and procedures. This field manual provides general guidance concerning the employment of Army aviation on the modern battlefield. It forms the basis for understanding Army aviation’s unique contribution to maneuver, combat support, and combat service support missions. It establishes the principles of Army aviation employment for warfighting and other operations, and applies to all echelons of aviation operations. This manual is intended for use by Aviation commanders, staff officers, and all soldiers within aviation units and theater, corps, division, and brigade commanders and their staffs. It applies to all members of the combined arms team; joint, multinational, and interagency operations; and special operations, or contingency, forces that operate with Army aviation forces. The proponent of this publication is HQ TRADOC. Submit changes to improve this manual on DA Form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms); forward it through the aviation unit commander to the Commander, US Army Aviation Center and Fort Rucker, ATTN: ATZQ–TDS–D, Fort Rucker, AL 36362–5000. Unless this publication states otherwise, masculine nouns and pronouns do not refer exclusively to men. This publication has been reviewed for operations security considerations. FM 1-100 FUTURE DOCTRINE This edition ofFM 1–100 is written to carry Army aviation forward to the turn of the century. Our vision lies beyond the turn of the century, however. As this manual is being drafted and staffed, we are concurrently developing the new concepts that will evolve into the doctrinal foundation for the next century. This is a dynamic period of innovation and change. Our leap–ahead reconnaissance and attack aircraft—the RAH-66 Comanche and AH-64 Longbow Apache—are realities. We know their current capabilities, and can envision the future potential they bring to the future battlefield. We are developing future doctrine based on those capabilities. At the same time, the research and development community and industry continue to create the enabling technologies-the digital communications and other linkages—we need to fight these systems to their fullest potential. The future battlespace will be fluid, high tempo, and nonlinear. The traditional battlefield framework of deep, close, and rear operations will become increasingly convoluted and ambiguous. To maintain continuity with other capstone Army doctrine, this edition ofFM 1–100 will continue to refer to close, deep, and rear operations; however, in the near future, a more viable framework may be simply close and extended operations. On the nonlinear/noncontiguous battlefield of the future, we must be prepared to conduct seamless, simultaneous operations in all directions. Army operations will be conducted in the context of an ever-changing world. No longer can we model the force and develop our doctrine against one known threat, or even counter the capabilities of a number of known potential adversaries. Instead, we must develop and retain the warfighting capability to win decisively across the spectrum of operations with minimum friendly casualties. This is domination–based warfare-massing not only our forces, but total lethal and nonlethal effects, throughout the battlespace to dominate any potential adversary. Army aviation is uniquely suited to these challenges. The Apache and Comanche fully exemplify the inextricable linkage between maneuver and fires. With unmanned aerial

FAQs

What is FM 1-100 intended to do for Army aviation commanders and units?

It provides general guidance and doctrinal principles for employment of Army aviation on the modern battlefield, applicable across echelons and missions.

How does FM 1-100 describe the scope of operations it applies to?

It applies to all members of the combined arms team, including joint, multinational, and interagency operations, as well as special operations or contingency forces operating with Army aviation.

What key trends drive the future doctrine described in the manual?

Future doctrine addresses a fluid, high-tempo, nonlinear battlespace, advances in reconnaissance and attack aircraft, UAV integration, and digitally enabled command and control for precision fires and information dominance.

Oct 22, 2026

Uploaded by 404brain