ATP-3-94-2 HIMARS Deep Operations Download

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Staff Responsibilities and Planning 1 September 2016 ATP 3-94.2 3-11 Military information support operations. Military deception operations. Airspace control measures. Routes, restricted operating zones, and mission on airspace control order and ATO. Key nets and communications diagram. Primary, alternate, contingency emergency communications plan by phase. Communications retransmission. External communication assets. Communications exercise. Media plan. Conditions check. Go/No-Go check. Rehearsals. Abort criteria. CONDITION CHECKS 3-39. Throughout the planning process, the commander and staff continually assess conditions to identify friction points to limit or mitigate risk to an acceptable level. Commanders must have adequate information about their forces and there must also be some assurance about terrain, weather, and the enemy. Once the commander understands the situation (and can recognize what is unknown), the combined arms forces can be applied to conduct terrain reconnaissance, check weather, and find and attack the enemy. Throughout this process, information must be verified and re-verified to enable the commander’s understanding and decision- making processes. 3-40. To facilitate this information exchange, the staff conducts condition checks. Condition checks are coordination meetings led by the staff to update the commander on the status of conditions that must be set to execute the deep operation within the commander’s risk tolerance. The exact conditions to be set are determined by the mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available, and civil considerations, as is the degree of risk the commander is willing to accept with regard to each condition. The process starts as forces are planned and applied to determine what is known and how specific conditions will affect the equation. The commander and staff then implement controls, plan reinforcements, or identify alternate options to incorporate into the plan. 3-41. These conditions are monitored constantly throughout planning and preparation to ensure they exist prior to the execution of the deep operation. The final conditions check includes a review of the most current friendly, weather/terrain, and enemy situations. Additionally, the staffs provide a go/no-go assessment on each of the critical conditions that must be set to execute the deep operation. A no-go condition indicates a situation that places the mission at an extremely high potential of failure or creates an excessive risk to Soldiers’ lives and equipment. At the conclusion of the final go/no-go conditions check, the commander may decide to execute, delay, or abort the deep operation. Table 3-1 on page 3-12 is a sample conditions matrix for an aviation attack.