ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Chapter 6 6-34 ATP 3-09.42 1 March 2016 Step 3: Develop the Observation Course of Action 6-126. With the completion of Step 2, the FSCOORD, fires cell planners, and targeting officers have a line of sight diagram and risk estimate distance ring for each target in the fire plan and have determined that observation of each target is suitable. Now they must work in concert with the BCT S-2 and the S-3 to create a feasible observation course of action that is integrated with the information collection (see chapter 4 and FM 3-55) and maneuver plans. 6-127. The developed course of action must be one that the BCT can accomplish with available time, space, and resources. Figure 6-4 shows the development of a line of sight and risk estimate diagram. Figure 6-4. Line of sight and risk estimate distance diagram (example) 6-128. During step 3 of observer plan development, the fires cell planners and targeting officers must take the line of sight and risk estimate diagram and look for covered and concealed positions along the line of sight to the target and outside of the risk estimate diagram where an observer could be placed to provide target observation. Remembering the assumed requirement for alternate observers developed in Step 1, they must now look at efficiencies to place a primary observer and at least one alternate for each target to ensure coverage. The fires cell planners and targeting officers develop these efficiencies by analyzing their line of sight diagram and looking at where the line of sight crosses for two or more targets. They place an optimal observation point at each of these locations and assign an observation post tracking number associated with its linked target. Next, they must plan the operational requirements for getting observers into position by integrating their line of sight plan with the information collection plan. The S-2, FSCOORD, fires cell planners, and targeting officers work together to link named areas of interest and target areas of interest to scouts and observer observation posts and target assignments. Then they link further observation posts and observation tasks that battalions must accomplish with the scheme of maneuver. 6-129. During the development of this course of action, especially through the war-gaming phase, the FSCOORD, fires cell planners, and targeting officers must ensure that the time to move to the assigned observation post (whether through scout or observer infiltration or battalion maneuver) and the time to acquire the target meets the timing required for target attack. Concurrently, they must verify that the observation post, while a great position for observation, can be occupied based on the difficulty of terrain that the observer must traverse to get into position. Finally, they must align observation posts to resources.