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 5-37 Table 5-2. Counterfire technique with an unmanned aircraft system (example) Step Description 1 A digital call for fire is sent from the battalion or squadron fires cell to the BCT fires cell 2 The unmanned aircraft system mission planning and control site mission payload operator inputs the appropriate battery’s location into the workstation, allowing the ground control station software to match the gun target and observer target lines; hence the corrections from the tactical unmanned aircraft system mission planning and control site are identical to the corrections from the battery location. 3 The battery fires on the target; as rounds impact the target area, the mission payload operator captures the 10-digit grid of the impact on the workstation, and the software derives the correction 4 Subsequent corrections derived by the mission planning and control site are verified by the battalion or squadron FSO and sent digitally to the BCT fires cell. Simultaneously, voice commands are used to ensure positive observation of the target and target area to capture corrections and adhere to the rules of engagement 5 The mission planning and control site mission payload operator provides combat assessment for the mission, and the battalion or squadron FSO transmits battle damage assessment to the BCT fires cell. BCT – brigade combat team FSO – fire support officer Note: Adjusting fires by means of an unmanned aircraft is a highly difficult task, the skills for which should be developed at home station prior to deployment. Target location error for unmanned aircraft systems must be considered. Even under optimal conditions, unmanned aircraft systems will not be able to produce precise measured coordinates needed to attack point targets. Use digital imagery workstations to produce targetable coordinates. Generally speaking, the smaller the unmanned aircraft system sensor depression angle, the greater the error. CANNON FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION ROLE IN BCT COUNTERFIRE OPERATIONS 5-158. The field artillery battalion’s counterfire responsibilities will vary depending on mission variables of METT-TC and guidance from the BCT commander. However, the reactive component of BCT counterfire operations is normally the cannon field artillery battalion’s responsibility. 5-159. The key counterfire personnel are the FSCOORD/cannon field artillery battalion commander, S-3, fire direction officer, S-2, target acquisition platoon leader, targeting officer, radar section leader, and liaison officer (from a R field artillery battalion, if available). The field artillery battalion S-3, based on the supported commander’s guidance, considers counterfire in all phases of operations. The FSCOORD directs measures to decrease the field artillery battalion’s vulnerability to detection and minimize exposure to enemy fires. 5-160. Products of the MDMP (see chapter 6) include the field artillery battalion OPORD and its supporting target acquisition tab/annex that identify the requirements for the counterfire radars. The field artillery battalion S-2 and targeting officer (working with the BCT S-2 and fires cell targeting officers) develop the radar deployment order to detail positioning, coverage, and zones for radar. The radar deployment order is normally part of the target acquisition tab/annex to the field artillery battalion OPORD (field artillery appendix/field artillery support plan to the BCT fire support plan if other field artillery units are supporting the BCT operation; see the examples in appendix B). 5-161. The operations and intelligence element of the field artillery battalion command post ensures counterfire is executed to quickly counter enemy artillery and mortars before they can inflict significant damage. 5-162. Counterfire radars organic to the target acquisition platoon of the field artillery battalion normally send fire missions based on radar acquisitions to the fire direction center at the designated field artillery battalion tactical operations center. Counterfire targets are usually generated from critical friendly zones or call for fire zones (see FM 3-09 and ATP 3-09.12). If the situation warrants, a quick fire channel can be established from the radar directly to a firing battery or platoon. Quick fire channels, when directed, are established for a specified period to achieve specific mission requirements. Pre-clearance of such targets needs to be defined in precise terms that identify the conditions under which the target is pre-cleared for engagement.