ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Planning and Integrating Fires for BCT Operations 1 March 2016 ATP 3-09.42 6-19 periodic attacks by one or more fire support delivery capabilities (such as close air support and field artillery for example) over that time frame to crater all runways at airfields within a certain radius. Note: Terms such as destroy, block, turn, or disrupt usually relate to the task and purpose for attacking a target and are generally used in conjunction with the phrase “in order to”. Thus the terms such as block, turn, or disrupt should not be confused with or substituted for terms like harass or damage which might be used to determine the degree or duration of effects on a specific target (see ATP 3-60). 6-69. It is imperative that the FSCOORD, fires cell planners, and targeting officers understand the BCT commander’s desire in terms of clearly stated effects. For example, in major combat operations instead of just delaying a follow-on enemy echelon, the commander should state that the follow-on echelons should be delayed for a specific time period or until a specific event occurs (for example until the first objective has been secured). Whether using the foregoing terms or terms of the commander’s own invention, neither the commander nor the FSCOORD, fires cell planners, and targeting officers should assume definitions are uniformly understood. As with other guidance, dialog should continue until the staff clearly understands the commander’s intended role for fire support in terms of BCT objectives. 6-70. To achieve a desired effect may require multiple engagements or a sequence of engagements whether by fires, information-related capabilities (see FM 3-13). Strikes are coupled to the collection of information and an assessment to determine when the commander’s guidance has been met. For example, the desired effect might be to disrupt an enemy field artillery unit’s ability to shoot effectively. Destroying some or all of key enemy sensors, command, control, or the actual firing assets could achieve these effects. Combining the effects of information operations and cyber electromagnetic activities with fire support might be more effective. 6-71. Military information support operations might be implemented two hours before munitions are put on target (where leaflets are dropped to warn of the impending strike to encourage adversaries to disband). Information collection (see the discussion in chapter 4 and FM 3-55) may be required if the entity to be attacked is mobile. 6-72. A second strike might be planned after the first if the desired effect has not been achieved. While intelligence channels might handle information collection, and information operations synchronization might handle military information support operations, the fire support planners must always be cognizant that the desired effect might be best achieved via the complementary means of various warfighting functions, each amplifying the other. As it impacts the high-payoff target list (and integrating the effects of information operations and cyber electromagnetic activities into targeting), maintaining the equivalence of priority for each separate method’s request is crucial. 6-73. One can reason that delivery of fire support munitions might have a higher priority than dropping leaflets, yet in this example, both actions have equal importance. Maintaining this linkage is the responsibility of the BCT FSCOORD, brigade FSO, fires cell planners and targeting officers, and Air Force TACP working together with the BCT S-2, S-3, information operations officer, S-9, and brigade judge advocate (this is the essence of the targeting working group). 6-74. A method of tying together the relationship of multiple interdependent effects so that the BCT FSCOORD, fires cell planners, and targeting officers resource these requests properly is to include these considerations as either notes or integral components during targeting for development of supporting products such as the high-payoff target list, target selection standards, attack guidance matrix, and targeting synchronization matrix. High-Payoff Target List 6-75. The high-payoff target list (see table 6-9 on page 6-20) is a prioritized list of high-payoff targets. The high-payoff target list is a dynamic document that is continually refined, during both planning and execution, based on the situation and commander’s guidance. Too many high-payoff targets will dilute the information collection, acquisition, and attack efforts. High-payoff targets are critical to the success of friendly operations based on the BCT commander’s targeting guidance.