What is the Air Force's primary contribution to the Theater Air Control System (TACS)?

The Air Force's primary contribution to the Theater Air Control System (TACS) is centered around the planning, control, and execution of an aerospace campaign. This role is crucial, as it encompasses a wide range of activities needed to effectively utilize air power in support of joint operations across a theater of conflict.

By overseeing the strategic and tactical elements of an aerospace campaign, the Air Force ensures that air assets are deployed effectively, coordinated with other military operations, and employed to achieve specific objectives. This comprehensive involvement is essential for maintaining air superiority, providing support to ground forces, and executing overall mission success.

Considering the other options: Ground-based support for air operations, while important, is typically a function more aligned with joint operations involving logistics and ground forces rather than the primary focus of the Air Force within TACS. Coordination of naval gunfire support would fall under naval operations rather than the Air Force's purview. Training of aircrew in aerial combat, while crucial to maintaining readiness and capability, is more about the preparation of personnel than the direct contribution to the overall operational framework that TACS represents. Therefore, the planning, control, and execution of an aerospace campaign remains the core contribution of the Air Force to the TACS.