ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download

Page 93 of 308

Fire Support for Tactical Enabling and Other Tasks 1 March 2016 ATP 3-09.42 3-37 planning phase of an operation. ANGLICO task-organized teams should be attached to the units they will support as soon as possible. ANGLICO personnel at all levels — company thorough BCT — are trained as naval gunfire spotters and forward air controllers and can request and control missions for the units they support. NAVAL SURFACE FIRE SUPPORT CONTROL MEASURES 3-211. FSCMs used by the Navy for its operations are identical to those used by the FSCOORD and fires cell planners to control other surface-to-surface fires. Those peculiar to naval operations that limit ship movement or affect the fire support provided (zone of fire, fire support area, fire support station) are described in FM 3-09 and JP 3-09. For more on Amphibious Operations see JP 3-02. FIRE SUPPORT CONSIDERATIONS FOR MARINE CORPS OPERATIONS 3-212. A Marine Expeditionary Force is a combined arms force of 20-90,000 Marines and sailors consisting of four components: a headquarters group, a Marine Division, an aircraft wing, and a logistics group. The Marine Expeditionary Force possesses the capability to project offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a period of 60 days. The Marine Expeditionary Force can be employed in its entirety or has the capability of forming task-organized Marine air ground task forces (MAGTFs) of lesser size including: A Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which is a MAGTF about one-third the size of a Marine Expeditionary Force built around a regimental landing team of 15,000 Marines and Sailors. A Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is, a MAGTF about one third the size of a Marine Expeditionary Brigade built around a battalion landing team of 2,200 Marines and sailors. A smaller special-purpose MAGTF for non-standard missions. 3-213. The size and composition of any MAGTF will be dependent upon the mission assigned. For example the Marine Expeditionary Unit is capable of rapid response in a variety of possible contingencies and if the situation requires, can serve as the forward element of a larger MAGTF. MARINE AIR-GROUND TASK FORCE FIRE SUPPORT COORDINATION 3-214. The fire support coordination center is the primary fire support coordination agency for the MAGTF. It is responsible for planning, executing, and coordinating all forms of fire support within the MAGTF’s area of operations. The fire support coordination center is organized and supervised by the Marine Corps fire support coordinator and is collocated with the appropriate-level operations officer. MARINE AIR-GROUND TASK FORCE ARTILLERY AND AVIATION 3-215. Artillery support is provided to the MAGTF by Marine Corps artillery regiments. Marine Corps artillery regiments are organized with two to four battalions; each battalion has three or four batteries of six lightweight M777-series 155-mm howitzers and one rocket battalion equipped with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Marine Corps artillery doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures are similar to those exercised within the Army. Frequent joint exercises and the permanent exchange of liaison officers between Army and Marine Corps artillery headquarters facilitates a mutual understanding of each Service's procedures. 3-216. The 60-mm mortars organic to the rifle company and 81-mm mortars organic to the infantry battalion provide mortar support the MAGTF. The towed airmobile or air transportable RT120/M327 rifled 120-mm mortar is currently being added to artillery regiments. That mortar fires both standard and global positioning system-guided precision extended range munitions. 3-217. The joint force commander has the authority to assign Marine Corps artillery units a tactical mission to support an Army ground unit such as the BCT or to reinforce Army artillery such as the BCT’s field artillery battalion. Army forces can receive the same direction to support Marine Corps forces. The supporting artillery unit provides liaison as required. All aspects of fire support doctrine apply and are