ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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Chapter 3 3-12 ATP 3-09.42 1 March 2016 the requirements of the element conducting the breach. The breaching fundamentals are suppress, obscure, secure, reduce, and assault. They can be remembered with the memory aid SOSRA: Suppress: Suppress enemy’s direct fire systems near the breach site. Suppression must also be effective against the enemy’s indirect fires. The FSO should designate the breach site as a critical friendly zone (CFZ) for radar. Suppress the enemy to allow the follow-and-support force to get into the support by fire position. Obscure: Reduce effectiveness of direct fire weapons against the breach and assault elements. Screen the follow-and-support force movement to the support by fire position, if necessary. Smoke should be used with fog or darkness to maximized effectiveness. The commander must decide on the priority for smoke vs. HE or DPICM. Smoke may attract enemy attention or degrade friendly target acquisition or control. Secure Mortars and field artillery continue suppression and obscuration as necessary while maneuver forces secure the breach site. Support stay-behind forces. Reduce As maneuver forces with engineer support reduce the obstacle and creates lanes the field artillery and mortars should continue suppression fires and be prepared to lift or shift fires. Close air support and attack helicopters should disrupt enemy counterattack forces. Upon reduction of the obstacle and after a foothold is established on the far side of the obstacle, obscuring smoke should be lifted. Assault As the maneuver force assaults through breach to destroy enemy field artillery and mortars should continue suppression fires and be prepared to lift or shift fires as maneuver force approach the enemy battle positions. 3-60. Key fire support tasks in support of a breaching operation include: Mortars – provide suppression and obscuration or screening fires. Field artillery–isolate the breach area and suppress the enemy; provide obscuration/screening fires, and in coordination with the S-3, establish/manage radar critical friendly zones (described in FM 3-09 and ATP 3-09.12). Close air support – isolate and suppress the enemy; disrupt the enemy counterattack. Attack helicopters – isolate and suppress the enemy; disrupt the enemy counterattack. Intelligence – locate and identify high-payoff targets among enemy units in the vicinity of the breach area. Electronic attack – identify, locate, and jam the enemy communications associated with units in the vicinity of the breach area. Obscuration (projected and generated) – isolate the breach area. Scatterable mines – prevent repositioning of enemy forces without hindering friendly actions on the objective; disrupt the enemy counterattack. 3-61. Fires cell planners work closely with the S-2 during intelligence preparation of the battlefield (see ATP 2-01.3 and ATP 2-19.4) and information collection. Scouts and other observers can often provide accurate targeting. The FSCOORD and fires cell planners may designate the reduction area (or points of breach) and support-by-fire positions providing cover as radar critical friendly zones so that they are treated as priority targets for counterfire support. The key is getting targeting information into the fire support system and executing fires at the critical time. Scouts and other observers can also be effective in setting and controlling fires for obscuration within the breach area by adjusting fires and correcting for the actual conditions of wind speed and direction.