ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Appendix A A-22 ATP 3-09.42 1 March 2016 obscuration is employed to accomplish effects that are classified as screening, obscuring, or self-defense. With regard to field artillery smoke employment: Screening smoke is a smoke curtain placed between friendly and enemy forces to degrade enemy observation and fire. It is primarily intended to conceal friendly forces. Obscuring smoke is a smoke curtain placed directly on or near the enemy with the primary purpose of suppressing observers and direct fire weapons systems by minimizing their vision. Self-defense smoke is employed on friendly locations. A-74. During offensive tasks, use obscuration, including artillery-delivered smoke, to conceal units and individual weapon systems. This enables the commander to maneuver the unit behind a screen and deceive the enemy about the unit’s strength and position. Obscurants are also used to blind enemy acquisition means. During defensive operations, smoke is used to separate and isolate attacking echelons, which creates gaps and disrupts enemy movements. Smoke can slow and blind individual units and weapon systems, forcing mechanized infantry to dismount. Also, when fired behind enemy formations, smoke makes the enemy formations easier to see and may also be used to conceal friendly defensive positions. A-75. Marking obscuration is obscuration effects that are employed to mark targets for destruction by lethal fires, identify friendly positions and locations, and provide a form of prearranged area of operations communications (ATP 3-11.50). Marking targets for destruction will be synchronized with other events occurring within the operational environment (close air support, artillery) and accomplished by a projected means of employment (artillery, mortars, or rockets). A-76. Deception smoke is used in conjunction with other actions to confuse or mislead the enemy. This use is generally in conjunction with other deceptive measures. EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS A-77. To be effective, smoke must be used in sufficient quantities. Factors that affect the amount of smoke used include atmospheric conditions, type of smoke required, size of the area to be obscured, and length of time needed. On the basis of those conditions, excessive amounts of ammunition may be required to meet the commander’s guidance. See tables A-6 through A-9, table A-10 on page A-24, and ATP 3-09.30 for additional employment considerations. A-78. If not coordinated properly, smoke may adversely affect battlefield systems that must operate in concert, such as close air support, armor, infantry, field artillery, and Army aviation. Smoke hinders visual communications, which causes the unit to rely to a greater degree on radios. Table A-6. Smoke planning data Delivery System Type Round Time to Build Effective Smoke (Minutes) Average Burning Time (Minutes) Average Obscuration Length (Meters) Per Round Wind Direction Cross Head or Tail 155-mm WP ½ 1 to 1 ½ 150 50 HC 1 to 1 ½ 4 350 75 M825 (WP) ½ 5 to 10 350 100 to 200 105-mm WP ½ 1 to 1 ½ 75 50 HC 1 to 1 ½ 3 250 50 120-mm WP ½ 2½ 100 60 81-mm WP ½ 1 100 40 RP ½ 2½ 100 40 60-mm WP ½ 1 75 40 Note: All rounds are fired as standard missions with parallel sheafs under favorable conditions. HC – hexachloroethane smoke mm – millimeters RP – red phosphorous WP – white phosphorous