ATP-3-94-2 HIMARS Deep Operations Download
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Staff Responsibilities and Planning 1 September 2016 ATP 3-94.2 3-13 ABORT CRITERIA 3-42. During the development of a course of action, planners establish and propose deep operations abort criteria to the commander. Abort criteria are a predetermined set of circumstances, based on risk assessment, which makes the success of an operation no longer probable. As such, they become friendly force information requirements relating to the deep operation and require command consideration regarding mission continuation. These circumstances can relate to changes in safety, equipment or troops available, preparation or rehearsal time, weather, enemy, shaping operations prior to execution of the deep operation, or a combination of the above. Considerations 3-43. Abort criteria are situationally dependent and are developed based on the capabilities and limitations of the forces attacking deep and the level of risk the commander is willing or authorized to accept. Common factors that the staff should consider when determining abort criteria are discussed below. Weather 3-44. Forces maneuver on the battlefield using firepower, mobility, and the integration of aviation assets. Adverse weather conditions can make flying unsafe and ground maneuver difficult. Additionally, low cloud ceilings and restricted visibility can degrade the effectiveness of some weapon systems including precision guided munitions with high trajectories (such as the hellfire) and inhibit observation and target refinement by forward observers, long-range surveillance, UAS and other information collection platforms. AR 95-1 sets the minimum weather conditions for certain types of aviation operations over certain types of terrain. Commanders and staffs should also consider meteorological conditions that jeopardize the safety or effectiveness of forces attacking or operating in the deep area. Time 3-45. Time refers particularly to daylight and darkness. A significant advantage is gained over most military forces in the world by operating at night. Unsophisticated air defense systems rely on visual target tracking and acquisition. Other types of combat power, such as AC-130 gunship support, are vulnerable during daylight hours. Abort criteria, in terms of execution times, may be established to ensure that friendly forces are in hostile territory under the cover of darkness. Abort criteria may also be established to prevent long delays that can lead to increased fatigue in Soldiers. Mission Essential Combat Power 3-46. Planners use doctrine and experience to determine the minimum combat power necessary to ensure mission success. Abort criteria are used to ensure that friendly forces have the required combat ratio to continue execution throughout the deep operation. Mission Criticality 3-47. Deep operations are conducted to set the conditions for subordinate commanders in the close area. They may also be conducted as part of the higher headquarters’ attack. The success of future operations and other units depend on the success of the planned deep operation. Therefore, some deep operations may proceed despite the presence of circumstances that would normally abort the mission. Conversely, significant or unexpected decisive events in the close area may cause the commander to redirect forces from deep operations to reinforce other operations. Enemy 3-48. Certain types of enemy activity may abort the deep operation. Abort criteria are usually stated in terms of the size or type of an enemy unit, the type of enemy equipment, and the proximity of the enemy to present or future friendly locations.