| The two options you address are similar to a good martini, knowing what the best mix of both are. Aerial support is now high, medium, and low level. The high level is pretty well a smart bomb job which is no longer accomplished by carpet or optical sights. Usually GPS but can also be FLIR guided which means illuminating the target by either an airborne laser or SOPs on the ground.
Mid level is usually left to tactical missiles such as Tactical Tomahawks or any of the long range cruise technologies. These don't require Special Ops troops and depend on several guidance methods. GPS is only one, the guidance can switch to Scene Recognition entered into digital and analog memory coupled to the real time targeting system.
Low level air attack or support usually depends on Helicopter and A10 or several other aircraft capable of slower speeds for a longer linger times over the target. There are higher tech targeting for these missions such as the Predator or similar "spotter" aircraft but SOPs are more efficient
and accurate.
The Ground support by boots on the ground has become more of a political football these days. Aiming down a barrel whether it's a tank, tow missile, M-16, or all types of armor is, IMO, more civilian friendly. Less collateral damage. But with the huge sales of automatic weapons with armor piercing ammo, RPGs, and tons of C4 and the "experts" to use it, the expense in American lives has become higher. A garage door opener or cell phone can blow a tank or truck column. Couple that expertise with a very different kind of enemy since Japan, which took nukes to defeat, and you have a lot of fuel for anti-war sentiment abroad as well as home.
With a mix of technologies, you can keep this enemy off balance. They learn tactics quickly and adapt to our methods. I don't know if I told you anything that you don't already know but maybe I helped with some info.
__________________  “War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.” —John Stuart Mill |