Which term is used for an airborne alert mission to detect and retask on-call targets?

• A. Armed reconnaissance
• B. Kill box
• C. Airborne alert air interdiction (XAI)
• D. Striker

Answer: (C)

Airborne alert air interdiction combines two functions: a platform kept on alert to monitor for activity and the authority to retask that platform to engage on-call targets. This setup is specifically about detecting potential targets and then rapidly directing an interdiction strike, which is exactly what the mission description requires. The other terms describe different roles—armed reconnaissance focuses on locating targets for potential engagement rather than immediate retasking; a kill box is a designated firing area; Striker isn’t the standard designation for this concept. So the term that best fits an airborne alert mission to detect and retask on-call targets is airborne alert air interdiction, abbreviated XAI.