ADP-3-19 FIRES Warfighting Function Download
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Introduction to Fires 31 July 2019 ADP 3-19 1-5 The space domain is the space environment, space assets, and terrestrial resources required to access and operate in, to, or through the space environment (FM 3-14). Space is a physical domain where military operations are conducted. Space capabilities include the ability to access information collection; environmental monitoring; early warning, satellite based sensors and communications; and positioning, navigation, and timing. Enemy forces will attempt to deny, degrade, and disrupt the Army’s ability to use these capabilities. To ensure commanders always have the ability to employ fires, units must be prepared to operate without the benefit of space capabilities. Peer threats are also becoming increasingly reliant on these capabilities, and creating effects against their space-based capabilities may benefit friendly operations. Cyberspace is a global domain within the information environment consisting of the interdependent networks of information technology infrastructures and resident data, including the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers (JP 3-12.) Cyberspace includes all friendly and adversary networks, computers, cell phone networks and social media to include the technical infrastructures. Commanders will generally create effects in the cyberspace domain through offensive and defensive cyberspace operations. However, they may also create effects on the physical network layer of cyberspace. For example, they may employ surface-to-surface fires to attack a key cyberspace node for the enemy. FIRES IN UNIFIED LAND OPERATIONS The Army operational concept for conducting operations as part of a joint team is unified land operations. Unified land operations is the simultaneous execution of offense, defense, stability, and defense support of civil authorities across multiple domains to shape operational environments, prevent conflict, prevail in large-scale ground combat, and consolidate gains as part of unified action (ADP 3-0). The goal of unified land operations is to achieve the JFC’s end state by applying landpower as part of unified action. Commanders employ fires to set conditions for the successful employment of other elements of combat power to conduct unified land operations. The targeting process can help commanders and staffs to prioritize and integrate assets to create effects that allow for achievement of the commander’s objectives within unified land operations. The Army’s primary mission is to organize, train, and equip its forces to conduct prompt and sustained land combat to defeat enemy ground forces and seize, occupy, and defend land areas. During the conduct of unified land operations, Army forces support the joint force through four strategic roles: Shape OEs. Prevent conflict. Prevail during large-scale ground combat. Consolidate gains. FIRES IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS TO SHAPE Army operations to shape consist of various long-term military engagements, security cooperation, and deterrence missions, tasks, and actions intended to assure friends, build partner capacity and capability, and promote regional stability. Operations to shape typically occur in support of the geographic combatant commander’s theater campaign plan or the theater security cooperation plan. These operations help counter actions by adversaries that challenge the stability of a nation or region contrary to U.S. interests. (see FM 3- 0). Operations to shape begin at home station. These activities include maintaining operational readiness through training and contingency planning. Army organizations and personnel are forward based or deploy in support of operations to shape a theater. Operations to shape set the conditions to stabilize a nation or region and potentially deter adversarial aggression or attacks. During operations to shape, commanders employ fires to counter adversary attempts to gain positions of advantage as well as participate in regional security cooperation operations and security force assistance, key leader engagements, and training, advising, and equipping foreign forces. Units conduct combined arms exercises and interoperability training with joint and multinational units. Interoperability training is essential to finding technical solutions to integrate fires, for example by