Gallery: War aircraft through the lens of a US Army training manual

A US Army manual updated this month stresses that soldiers should not solely rely on technology when detecting enemy aircraft. Soldiers, the Army said, must possess a skill the manual calls "Visual Aircraft Recognition" (VACR). That's military-speak for being able to determine the type of aircraft one might encounter-all in an effort to distinguish between friend and foe "to decrease any chance of fratricide."

"VACR is a highly perishable skill and must be trained on and evaluated regularly in conjunction with table training. While it is the Soldier on the ground, weapon system in hand that is executing VACR, leaders at all levels must be proficient at this skill," according to the manual, (PDF) Visual Aircraft Recognition.

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