ATP-3-09-90 Division Artillery Operations and Fire Support Download
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Fires Sensor Integration ATP 3-09.90 4-3 Designates general position areas, sectors of search, and zones. Establishes cueing guidance. Designates cueing agents. Controls radar movement. Designates who receives WLR acquisitions. Manages frequencies of all WLRs and Air Defense Radars. Establishes quickfire channels as necessary. 4-8. TA planners must ensure a smooth transition from one phase to the next by providing continuous radar coverage across the division’s AO. Requirements for radar positioning and movement are identified during MDMP and tied to specific events. This allows continuous coverage by facilitating mutually supporting coverage between radars. 4-9. A method for providing continuous radar coverage is done by moving one or more radars while another radar covers the moving radars sector of search. Triggers for initiating this movement can be based on phase lines, events, or time determined during the planning process. The movement of radars must be synchronized with the scheme of maneuver. 4-10. Appropriate intelligence and all TA assets to include WLRs must be prioritized and properly tasked in order to accurately locate targets. Attack assets must be dedicated to attacking the enemy’s total fire support system. 4-11. Radar sections are a valuable asset and must be protected. Positioning of these assets must take into consideration their vulnerability to enemy attack. Additional security assets should be assigned to protect the radars. Another means of protecting the radars is through the use of deception radars. These deception assets must be built which takes time, energy and resources. 4-12. The WLRs are positioned to support the division commander’s scheme of maneuver during the offense and provide radar coverage for his most vulnerable assets during the defense by using critical friendly zones. Planners must consider and monitor the use and integration of call for fire zones and critical friendly zones in both the offense and defense. Sensor data received during counterfire operations is transmitted to the appropriate agencies. AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY SENSORS 4-13. The air defense airspace management element provides coordination and integration of the Sentinel (AN/MPQ-64) radar. The Sentinel radar provides persistent surveillance and fire control quality data through external mission command platforms, enabling protection against cruise missiles, aircraft, and UAS threats. This sensor provides extended range surveillance of the airspace and detects, acquires, tracks, classifies, discriminates, and identifies aerial objects from near-ground level to high altitudes, in difficult terrain, and in adverse weather conditions. 4-14. Sentinel is a beyond visual range sensor that detects, tracks, classifies and identifies air tracks and is used to alert friendly forces of possible air attack. Sentinel additionally provides critical air surveillance, early warning, and targeting information to the Forward Area Air Defense Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (also referred to as FAAD C3I) System to the air defense airspace management element. 4-15. This information provides early warning against air breathing threats classified as cruise missiles, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems and air defense threats. Sentinel is also used to perform airspace clearance missions for rockets, artillery, and mortar threats and may augment radar coverage and cueing functions of an ADA task force operating in the corps or division area of operations. The Sentinel capability must be integrated with the division’s fires cell to ensure integration and synchronization. This ensures that the DIVARTY achieves coordination, integration, and synchronization of all division fires sensors. For more information on the capabilities of the Sentinel radar see ATP 3-01.48. 4-16. The division may have rapid access to nonorganic sensors that have the capability to detect targets. These sensors may include Army, Joint or Multinational assets. A working knowledge of these sensor capabilities and the necessary communications channels used to pass information among these sensors will provide a seamless process for deconfliction, synchronization, and integration within the division. 12 October 2017