ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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1 March 2016 ATP 3-09.42 2-1 Chapter 2 Fire Support for Tactical Tasks During Brigade Combat Team Operations Unified land operations describes how the Army seizes retains, and exploits the initiative to gain and maintain a position of relative advantage in sustained land operations through simultaneous offensive, defensive, and stability operations in order to prevent or deter conflict, prevail in war, and create the conditions for favorable conflict resolution (Army Doctrine Publication [ADP] 3-0). Army forces engage in decisive action—the continuous, simultaneous combinations of offensive, defensive, and stability or defense support of civil authorities tasks (Army Doctrine Reference Publication [ADRP] 3-0). This chapter describes fire support considerations for brigade combat team (BCT) execution of these tasks. Section I begins with a summary discussion of the effect of fires in support of maneuver. Sections II, III, and IV describe fire support considerations for offensive, defensive, and stability tasks. Section IV concludes the chapter with a brief discussion of Defense Support of Civil Authorities. SECTION I – THE EFFECTS OF FIRES IN SUPPORT OF MANEUVER 2-1. The maneuver and the fires functions combine to create conditions that enhance the ethical and effective application of available combat power in the BCT or other supported commander’s area of operation. The maneuver commander employs supporting field artillery fires to destroy, neutralize, and suppress enemy forces. Fire support personnel and engineers work together to combine the effects of indirect fires and engineer obstacles to enable decisive friendly actions to set the stage for successful maneuver operations. Maneuver elements force enemy units into kill zones or concentrated formations where fires can create maximum effectiveness. Combining maneuver with responsive fire support makes destroying larger enemy forces feasible and enhances the protection of friendly forces. The maneuver commander employs nonlethal actions to subvert enemy actions and deny enemy objectives. The maneuver commander also employs nonlethal actions to engage the indigenous population and institutions in the operational environment, thus ensuring freedom of action and reduction of civilian interference. 2-2. Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 3-60 and Field Manual (FM) 3-09 provide detailed discussion on the effects of fires. The rules of engagement, clearance of fires, collateral damage, and target location error are critical considerations during all operations where fires are employed in support of maneuver. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AND FIRE SUPPORT COORDINATION MEASURES 2-3. Rules of engagement are directives issued by competent military authority that delineate the circumstances and limitations under which United States forces will initiate and/or continue combat engagement with other forces encountered (Joint Publication [JP] 1-04). A fire support coordination measure is a measure employed by commanders to facilitate the rapid engagement of targets and simultaneously provide safeguards for friendly forces (JP 3-0). 2-4. The joint force commander, theater army, corps, or division commander may prohibit or restrict BCT attacks on specific targets or objects without specific approval based on political considerations, military risk, collateral damage risk, the law of war, and rules of engagement. Targeting limitations generally fall into two categories: no-strike entities on a no-strike list and restricted targets on a restricted target list: