ATP-3-09-90 Division Artillery Operations and Fire Support Download
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Chapter 2 2-12 ATP 3-09.90 NOTE: Army attack aviation does not perform CAS: Army attack aircraft, in close coordination with the maneuver forces in contact, attack to destroy, defeat, disrupt, divert, or delay enemy forces to enable the combined arms team to seize, retain, or exploit the initiative. These attacks can be either hasty or deliberate. See FM 3-04. The following missions may be tasked in the ATO to support Army operations. (NOTE: Mission types are not tied to supported or supporting command relationships) AI is an air mission scheduled to strike targets in response to target nominations approved on the JIPTL. Ground Air Interdiction (referred to as GAI) is an AI mission that is sitting on the ground, awaiting tasking, in an alert status, and is a mission-type subset of AI. Ground AI missions are used to identify an on-call mission placed on ground alert to provide responsive AI throughout the theater in response to emerging targets or for targets whose location has not been confirmed prior to ATO execution. NOTE: As with any ground alert, if the emerging targets are ‘fleeting’ targets, the time to notify the crew, launch the aircraft, and transit to the target location may generate a need for a more responsive alert option, that option is Airborne Alert AI which is (referred to as XAI). Airborne alert AI is another mission-type subset of AI. Airborne alert AI is used to identify an on- call mission that is initially tasked to an ACM that provides airpower to a designated area versus a preplanned target. Airborne alert AI is more responsive than ground AI, as the aircraft are already in the air, thus is a preferred method for dealing with rapidly emerging, and fleeting targets. A strike coordination and reconnaissance mission (referred to as SCAR) is flown to expedite the follow-on strikes conducted by aircraft flying AI, airborne alert AI, ground AI or attack missions on the ATO. Very simply, the strike coordination and reconnaissance will hunt the targets, so the strike assets don’t have to. Thus, allowing the attacking aircraft to more rapidly engage their assigned targets. The area assigned to the strike coordination and reconnaissance is normally defined by a kill box where targets are known or suspected to exist, or where mobile enemy units have relocated or are transitioning. WARNING: strike coordination and reconnaissance, as a subset of AI, is not designed for targets in proximity to ground forces which require detailed integration with fire and maneuver. For more information on strike coordination and reconnaissance see ATP 3-60.2. CAS is an air mission scheduled to provide air support to engage a specific target in response to preplanned or immediate ASRs in close support of ground forces. (WARNING: Targets for CAS do not go through the same target nomination process as targets for AI; CAS missions require detailed integration (synchronize CAS in time, space and purpose) at the tactical level with the supported ground forces and preferably require a certified and qualified terminal attack controller). NOTE: On-call air missions ground alert CAS and airborne alert CAS (referred to as GCAS and XCAS) on the ATO are a responsive way to resource immediate ASRs and are the first choice for the ASOC to satisfy dynamic requirements without redirecting scheduled missions and affecting planned operations. Ground Alert CAS is a CAS mission that is sitting on the ground, awaiting tasking, in an alert status, and is a mission-type subset of CAS. Ground alert CAS is used to identify an on-call CAS mission placed on ground alert status to provide responsive air support to ground forces. Ground alert CAS missions may be changed to airborne alert CAS as the situation dictates for increased responsiveness (as with ground AI and airborne alert AI discussed in the NOTE above). Airborne Alert CAS is another mission-type subset of CAS. Airborne alert CAS is used to identify an on-call air mission on airborne alert status, tasked to hold at an ACM (for example, a restricted operations zone [also called a ROZ] for CAS), in the vicinity of ground forces to provide the most responsive air support to counter enemy resistance. Forward Air Controller (Airborne) (referred to as FAC[A]) missions provide terminal attack control for CAS aircraft. FAC(A)s are specially trained aviation officers qualified to provide 12 October 2017