ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Chapter 5 5-42 ATP 3-09.42 1 March 2016 SECTION IX - SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS 5-188. The field artillery has special considerations that must be addressed to enable it to fulfill its role to the supported commander. These considerations include terrain management, survey, artillery meteorology, and laser management. 5-189. Terrain management is the responsibility of the unit that controls the ground in a particular area or sector. This is usually an Army maneuver unit, however, especially during stability operations, the controlling agency could be a host nation government or military force, or a United Nations-affiliated military force or civilian relief organization. 5-190. In field artillery survey, common grid refers to all firing and target-locating elements within a unified command located and oriented, to prescribed accuracies, with respect to a single three-dimensional datum. (Note: the U.S. Marine Corps terminology is common survey) (FM 3-09). Common grid should be extended into the target area. Common grid is required for the massing of fires and to achieve first-round fire for effect capability. 5-191. Current meteorological data must be applied for accurate artillery fires, battlefield forecasts, radiological fallout predictions, and target acquisition. This information is in the form of meteorology messages provided by the field artillery battalion headquarters. 5-192. Laser technology is involved in the employment of many precision-guided munitions and requires synchronization between laser-guided weapons, laser target designators, laser spot designators, and other laser systems. Laser management is crucial to the successful, safe, and legal use of laser systems on the battlefield. TERRAIN MANAGEMENT 5-193. The BCT main command post fires cell assists the BCT S-3 with terrain management for BCT field artillery assets, and for any other fire support assets, such as electronic attack transmitters, that are operating in the BCT area of operations. The BCT FSCOORD and brigade FSO provide overall supervision and coordination to ensure that all fire support-related terrain management issues are properly addressed and synchronized. BCT main command post fires cell personnel work closely with the cannon field artillery battalion and BCT subordinate and supporting unit fires cells in coordinating terrain management for field artillery elements. 5-194. Terrain management involves the planning and coordination of positions and movements for field artillery units, radar sections, and other field artillery elements. The BCT main command post fires cell and the cannon field artillery battalion S-3 work together during the MDMP (see chapter 6) to identify the general field artillery positioning and movement requirements necessary to support the BCT commander’s intent and concept of operations. Early in the MDMP process, they try to identify the possible field artillery units involved, the general position areas required in the BCT area of operations, subordinate and supporting unit areas of operations, the general times when these locations will be required, and the possible routes needed for movement. This information is used by the BCT main command post fires cell and the cannon field artillery battalion staff to begin the detailed planning and information gathering necessary to identify specific issues or requirements, the feasibility of the general positioning and movement plan, and the detailed coordination requirements necessary for terrain management. As the MDMP progresses, field artillery positioning and movement plans and information becomes more detailed, and the BCT main command post fires cell and cannon field artillery battalion S-3 may use warning orders to alert subordinate and supporting unit fires cells and field artillery units of terrain management issues (positioning and movement considerations). 5-195. The cannon field artillery battalion S-3 collects all the information and advice, finalizes the cannon field artillery battalion movement requirements and plans, and passes them to the BCT main command post fires cell as part of the cannon field artillery battalion OPORD. Because the BCT and the organic cannon field artillery battalion MDMPs are integrated processes, the BCT main command post fires cell will already know most of the information and will have begun most of the terrain management coordination required.