ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Chapter 5 5-34 ATP 3-09.42 1 March 2016 SECTION VII - STRIKE, COUNTERFIRE AND ARMY TACTICAL MISSILE SYSTEM CONSIDERATIONS FOR BCT OPERATIONS STRIKE 5-139. A strike is a component of offensive and defensive tasks, usually conducted at echelons of division and above by a supporting FAB. The primary purpose of a strike is to generate tactical or operational effects against the enemy in areas outside of the BCT area of operations. Strike supports both shaping and decisive operations according to the division or other FAB-supported commander’s intent. For example, if a FAB-supported commander is seeking to dislocate the enemy, a BCT may conduct a turning movement (shaping) to expose an enemy force to strike attacks to defeat the enemy force (decisive). In another operation, the strike may attack enemy command posts or communications sites to disrupt an enemy force (shaping) so that a BCT may close with and destroy the enemy force (decisive). Simultaneous attacks in depth, executed at increasingly longer ranges with precision-guided munitions, are key elements for BCTs’ divisions, corps, and joint force commanders in shaping the operational environment and accelerating the enemy’s defeat. 5-140. A strike is generally focused on a specific enemy capability and is a deliberate action to eliminate the capability represented by the target. Such strikes function with a timeline of several hours to several days—a strike is not a fire mission against a target of opportunity. As part of shaping operations, indirect fire strikes are conducted to improve friendly force ratios, protect the force, and provide for successful air and ground maneuver. 5-141. The rapid and aggressive movement of field artillery assets well forward in the supported unit area of operations to achieve range on the identified target is characteristic of strike preparation. This is accomplished either by assigning a mission to supported unit subordinate elements to support the striking field artillery unit’s movement forward, or by task organizing maneuver or other security assets (for example infantry/armor, military police, or air defense artillery) to the striking field artillery unit to allow the unit’s commander to position forces for the strike. 5-142. Field Artillery strike operations have three primary advantages over attack aviation operations. First, there is no risk to aircrew conducting the strike. Second, there is very little delay, usually minutes, between acquisition of the target and delivery. Third, there is little the target can do to defend itself once acquired, except to move outside of the range of lethal effects. For many types of targets, that is impossible. The primary disadvantage of field artillery strike is the latter—if the target can move or maneuver, it can often avoid being engaged. Strike or shaping operations in support of a BCT may include air interdiction, strike coordination and reconnaissance, and the use of FSCMs such as a kill box. 5-143. Air interdiction is air operations conducted to divert, disrupt, delay or destroy the enemy’s military surface capabilities before it can be brought to bear effectively against friendly forces, or to otherwise achieve objectives that are conducted at such distances from friendly forces that detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement of friendly forces is not required (JP 3-03). 5-144. Strike coordination and reconnaissance is a mission flown for the purpose of detecting targets and coordinating or performing attack or reconnaissance on those targets (JP 3-09.3). The specific geographical area for a strike coordination and reconnaissance mission may be defined by a box or grid where potential targets are known, suspected to exist, or where mobile enemy surface units have relocated because of surface fighting. Typical strike coordination and reconnaissance tasks include sequencing and deconflicting multiple attacking flights through the target area while providing prioritized targeting guidance and enemy air defense updates to maximize the effect of each sortie. 5-145. A kill box is a three-dimensional permissive fire support coordination measure with an associated airspace coordinating measure used to facilitate the integration of fires (JP 3-09). For more on air interdiction, strike coordination and reconnaissance, and the employment of the kill box see JP 3-0, JP 3- 03, ATP 3-60.2 and ATP 3-09.34.