ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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1 March 2016 ATP 3-09.42 5-1 Chapter 5 Coordinating Fire Support Fire support coordination is the planning and executing of fire so that targets are adequately covered by a suitable weapon or group of weapons (Joint Publication [JP] 3-09). Brigade combat team (BCT) fire support coordination includes fire support coordinator (FSCOORD), brigade FSO, and fires cell management of delivery assets and sensors and direct coordination with the BCT commander, the staff, and the commanders and staff of the BCT’s subordinate and supporting units. The coordination requires continually refining fire support plans and managing fire support assets as the operation unfolds. The BCT commander's ability to orchestrate and employ all available resources, to include fire support and related resources, and to synchronize fire support with on-going maneuver is enabled by both adaptive fires planning and well-executed fire support coordination. Fire support coordination is central to the effectiveness of the fire support system. Formal coordination binds fire support resources together in a common effort so that the employment of each fire support asset is synchronized with the BCT commander’s concept of operations. Effective coordination during both planning and execution is required to ensure that a suitable weapon or group of weapons adequately attacks high-payoff targets at the correct time and place. In coordinating fire support, cooperation among the various fire support coordination organizations is necessary for the effective delivery of fires. This chapter describes fire support coordination for the BCT. Section I begins the chapter by describing fire support coordination organizations organic to the BCT. Section II describes the duties and responsibilities of key fire support coordination personnel. Sections III, IV, V, and VI follow with discussions on fire support coordination techniques, rehearsals, the clearance of fires, airspace control, and sensor-to-shooter operations. Section VII describes strike, counterfire and Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) considerations for BCT operations. Section VII describes suppression of enemy air defenses, and Section IX concludes the chapter with a discussion of special considerations for fire support coordination: terrain management, survey, meteorology, and laser management. SECTION I – BCT FIRE SUPPORT COORDINATION ORGANIZATIONS MAIN COMMAND POST FIRES CELL 5-1. The BCT main command post fires cell plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and deconflicts the employment and assessment of fires for both current and future operations. The fires cell integrates the fires warfighting function into BCT operations and is generally organized with a fire support officer (FSO) and assistants, an air defense airspace management (ADAM)/brigade aviation element (BAE), an electronic warfare element, a targeting element, and digital systems operators. The Air Force TACP typically collocates with the fires cell. The fires cell plans, prepares, coordinates and integrates the execution and assessment of fires including artillery, mortar, radar, electronic attack, air support, naval surface fire support, and other joint assets. 5-2. A fire support officer is the field artillery officer from the operational to tactical level responsible for advising the supported commander or assisting the senior fires officer of the organization on fires functions