ATP-3-09-42 Fire Support for the Brigade Combat Team Download
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1 March 2016 ATP 3-09.42 4-1 Chapter 4 Augmenting Fire Support Most brigade combat team (BCT) operations are planned and executed as part of an integrated joint operation. The BCT plans to employ fire support assets from echelons above the BCT, including those from a supporting field artillery brigade (FAB) and Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps aviation. The enemy must maneuver to mass and bring to bear sufficient combat power. During maneuver, the enemy is vulnerable to detection and concentrated firepower. The BCT augmented with joint fire support resources can rapidly shift emphasis from shaping operations to decisive operations. The ability to capitalize on the inherent flexibility and speed of the fires system enables the timely exploitation of the enemy’s vulnerabilities as they are presented. Additionally, the tactical agility of the BCT allows it to destroy enemy formations disrupted by Army and joint fire support and exposed to rapid maneuver. Joint capabilities combined with BCT capabilities provide an effective counter to the array of conventional and irregular threats posed to the BCT. The four sections of this chapter are devoted to augmenting BCT organic capabilities for fire support. Section I begins the chapter by describing fire support enablers within the BCT. Sections II and III discuss BCT fire support augmentation from higher Army echelons and Army Aviation air-ground operations. Section IV concludes the chapter with a discussion of air operations supporting the BCT. SECTION I – FIRE SUPPORT ENABLERS WITHIN THE BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM INFORMATION COLLECTION 4-1. The BCT commander’s intent, concept of operations and intelligence preparation of the battlefield (see ATP 2-01.3 and ATP 2-19.4) focus efforts of the intelligence staff and facilitate identification of high- payoff targets within the high-value targets. 4-2. To support situational awareness, the BCT information collection team receives digital reports from the cavalry squadron and other reporting elements. Information collection is an activity that synchronizes and integrates the planning and employment of sensors and assets as well as the processing, exploitation, and dissemination of systems in direct support of current and future operations (FM 3-55). It is important to involve the BCT Staff Weather Officer to provide weather effects assessments for the information collection assets based on current and forecast weather conditions in order to optimize information collection. 4-3. The team uses near real-time moving target indicators, imagery from synthetic aperture radars, preprocessed communications intelligence, common ground station reports, and electronic intelligence and imagery from the tactical exploitation of national systems. The organic capability to exploit imagery from organic sensors allows the S-2 to annotate and disseminate imagery intelligence to subordinate elements: The Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) common ground station provides JSTARS intelligence feeds and joint tactical terminal feeds of theater and national intelligence broadcasts to the BCT main command post. The unmanned aircraft systems ground control station, combined with an unmanned aircraft system remote video terminal, brings in imagery to the command post from unmanned aircraft.