ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Chapter 6 6-54 ATP 3-09.42 1 March 2016 COMPARE COURSES OF ACTION 6-196. The comparison of the courses of action is critical. The staff may use any technique that facilitates reaching the best recommendation and the BCT commander making the best decision. The most common technique is the decision matrix (see FM 6-0 for a detailed discussion of the decision matrix). One fire support criterion for comparison is the course of action’s ability to achieve the commander’s attack guidance. The result of this consideration is a recommendation to the commander. DEVELOP A RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION 6-197. The BCT staff develops a recommended course of action. The FSCOORD, brigade FSO, and targeting working group further develop and refine draft fire support products for the recommended course of action including: High-payoff target list. Target selection standards. Attack guidance matrix. Fire support tasks including appropriate aspects of information operations and cyber electromagnetic activities. Measures of performance and measures of effectiveness for assessment. Updated fires running estimate. Inputs to the information collection (see the discussion in chapter 4 and FM 3-55) plan. Scheme of fires (subparagraph 3e) for the OPLAN or OPORD. Annex D, (FIRES), if published, to include the fire support and execution matrices, target list and overlay (as necessary), and targeting synchronization matrix (or modified targeting synchronization matrix). Note: The targeting working group may prepare a targeting synchronization matrix for each course of action, or may use the high-payoff target list, target selection standards, and attack guidance matrix for the war game and prepare a combined targeting synchronization matrix for only the approved course of action. COURSE OF ACTION APPROVAL 6-198. The inputs to course of action approval and the following step, orders production, are the outputs of course of action analysis and comparison. After completing the course of action comparison, the BCT staff identifies its preferred course of action (see table 6-28) and recommends it to the BCT commander (in a course of action decision briefing, if time permits). The FSCOORD and brigade FSO translate the recommended course of action into a fire support recommendation that is hopefully approved by the BCT commander. The BCT commander approves a course of action (as presented, or with directed modifications). It is a summary of the BCT concept of operations, the scheme of fires, and associated fire support tasks including: Priority of fires. Allocation of fire support resources. Fire support organization for combat. Command and support relationships. Final high-payoff target list, target selection standards, attack guidance matrix, or if used the targeting synchronization matrix.