Requirement for Special Missions Aircraft in the Bangladesh Army Aviation Group

Reading Time: 4 minutes White Paper: BDMilitary.com; CC: Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army stands at a critical juncture where strategic foresight, operational modernisation, and technological adaptation are necessary for maintaining national security and contributing effectively to both domestic and multinational operations. The inclusion of Special Missions Aircraft (SMA) into the Bangladesh Army Aviation Group (BAAG) is essential to build a robust intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) ecosystem that supports real-time decision-making, improves operational reach, and enhances force protection. This white paper advocates for the induction of aircraft equipped with Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR), Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities. These platforms offer multifaceted utility in both wartime and peacetime operations, covering domains ranging from border security and counter-insurgency to disaster response and peacekeeping. The paper outlines the rationale, roles, fleet composition, organisational structure, basing strategies, manpower requirements, and