ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Fire Support for Tactical Enabling and Other Tasks 1 March 2016 ATP 3-09.42 3-3 Fires are required for suppression, screening (smoke), and illumination to allow freedom of movement. Scatterable mine deliveries may be used to delay enemy forces and deny them the unrestricted use of terrain. The use of scatterable mines, particularly long-duration mines, must be coordinated with the engineer coordinator and S-3 to ensure that mine use does not impact future operations. 3-9. As guard forces operate at some distance from the main body, field artillery units may need to be attached to the supported force. Air support, to include close air support and air reconnaissance, also must be allocated to security forces, as security forces may become engaged with a far superior force. FIRE SUPPORT CONSIDERATIONS FOR COVER TASKS 3-10. General fire support considerations for the force executing a cover task include: Plan for a hasty attack or hasty defense. Plan for a passage of lines by main body forces. Plan unmanned aircraft systems and air reconnaissance to help locate the enemy before physical contact. Plan fires to suppress and disrupt enemy security elements once contact has been made. Prepare simple fire plans. Modification of fire plans must be expected throughout the covering force operation; most fires will be against targets of opportunity. FSCMs should be permissive and on-order, but well in front of the covering force. Coordinated fire lines should be established in conjunction with phase lines. Plan and coordinate positions for field artillery units by brigade FSOs and fires cell planners with the BCT S-3. Displacements will be frequent and positions must be coordinated well in advance. Provide immediately responsive field artillery fires to covering force elements; destruction of the enemy reconnaissance capability is a fundamental of security operations. Plan for close air support sorties and attack helicopter assets responsive to the covering force. Provide fires to support deception. Engage with the BCT SWO to obtain updates of weather effects assessments for all unmanned aircraft, air reconnaissance, close air support and attack helicopter assets based on current and forecast conditions. 3-11. Although the covering force is a self-contained force, it operates as a thin force over a relatively wide front. Fire support allocations to the covering force must make up for the combat power imbalance. For field artillery, this means decentralization of assets. If possible, a mixture of cannon field artillery and multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) assets in the covering force helps to deceive the enemy as to the composition of the force. The mix of systems, which may be achieved through cross-attachment, maximizes the capabilities and mitigates the limitations of each weapon system: Cannon field artillery weapons provide rapid response time and a mix of munitions. The MLRS has mobility and massive firepower that makes it well suited to augment other field artillery fires. The large ‘danger close’ requirement is a consideration in MLRS dual-purpose improved conventional munitions employment. The use of M31A1 guided-MLRS unitary rockets provides considerably more utility for danger close situations enabled by much smaller risk estimate distances (see appendix A and ATP 3- 09.32). 3-12. Other fire support allocations to the covering force may include close air support on ground or strip alert, attack helicopters, electronic attack, and information collection and target acquisition assets (such as unmanned aircraft systems). Position field artillery elements within the main body to be responsive to covering force units when possible.