ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Coordinating Fire Support 1 March 2016 ATP 3-09.42 5-5 tower is limited to within 500 feet of the placement of the tower. The commander designates priority for RAM Warn tower location within the BCT area of operations. Any personnel within the BCT headquarters company can be responsible for setting up and emplacing the RAM Warn towers. See ATP 3-01.60. 5-13. Employment considerations for RAM Warn do not dictate positioning of weapons locating radar systems. Positioning of weapons locating radar systems is intended to best enable counterfire detection and delivery and counter air threat detection. BRIGADE AVIATION ELEMENT 5-14. The BCT main command post fires cell’s ADAM and BAE are responsible for integrating brigade airspace, to include air and missile defense and aviation functions. The BAE’s major function is to incorporate aviation into the ground commander’s scheme of maneuver. The BAE provides employment advice and initial planning for aviation missions, unmanned aircraft systems, airspace planning and coordination, and synchronization with the air liaison officer and the fires cell. The brigade aviation element also coordinates directly with the aviation brigade or the supporting aviation task force for detailed mission planning. During combat operations, the BAE works in conjunction with the fires cell and TACP to integrate functions for deconflicting airspace, clearance of fires, dynamic targeting, dynamic re-tasking of aviation and fires assets, and for command and control of airspace users operating in the BCT area of operations. 5-15. Although the BCT S-3 has overall responsibility for coordinating, deconflicting, and managing all airspace within the BCT’s area of operations, the ADAM/BAE is responsible for integrating the use of airspace for BCT operations. See TC 1-400 for additional information. See FM 3-52, ATPs 3-52.1 and 3- 52.2, ATP 3-01.50, TC 1-400, and Joint Publication (JP) 3-52 for more on the integration of fires and airspace control. ELECTRONIC WARFARE ELEMENT AND WORKING GROUP 5-16. Electronic warfare is military action involving the use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the enemy (JP 3-13.1). An electronic warfare element is an organic organization in brigade, division, and corps and theater army command staffs. Within the BCT main command post, the electronic warfare element normally collocates with and is an integral part of the fires cell. The element is responsible to the G-3 or S-3 and is primarily involved with planning and monitoring electronic operations and activities, however it plays an important role in requesting and integrating joint air and ground electronic warfare assets and manages electronic warfare from within the mission command cell. 5-17. The electronic warfare working group includes representation from across the staff and helps to facilitate Army and joint integration, synchronization, and deconfliction of electronic warfare actions with the other warfighting functions. The senior electronic warfare officer heads this working group and is accountable to the S-3 for integrating electronic warfare requirements. Working within the mission command cell the electronic warfare officer coordinates directly with the FSCOORD or brigade FSO, fires cell personnel, and targeting working group to integrate electronic warfare into targeting. TACTICAL COMMAND POST FIRES ELEMENT 5-18. Selected personnel from the main command post fires cell man the fires element of the tactical command post if one is deployed. An Air Force TACP aligned with the BCT may send selected personnel with the tactical command post. The fires element in the tactical command post tracks and maintains situational understanding of all fire support assets. Its main function is to execute current operations; focusing on the main effort. 5-19. Functions of the fires element in the tactical command post include: Monitor the tactical situation and adapting the fire support plan accordingly. Maintain and update unit information and digital and voice communications status. Ensure tactical fire control with supporting field artillery and target acquisition assets. Monitor processing of planned fires in the fire support plan.