ATP-4-90 Brigade Support Battalion Download

Brigade Support Area 18 June 2020 4-11 The BSB incorporates these fires planning documents into its common operational picture. The brigade fires overlay serves as the primary means for BSB planners to conceptualize and leverage fires coverage. The fires overlay provides a visual depiction of all approved targets, indirect fire coverage areas, and pre-planned targets in the brigade’s area of operations. The fire support task matrix provides all the fires support tasks in the brigade’s area of operation. It provides the planner with the location of fire support assets within the brigade. It also provides the location of each specific targets, observation responsibility, types of indirect fire systems available, attack criteria, and communication requirements. The fire support execution matrix shows how the brigade fires plan supports its scheme of maneuver. It details the timing of indirect fires and close air support and how the brigade prioritizes and plans to employ them throughout the entire operation. These products are also useful for the planning of enablers during a convoy operation. The S-3 may also consider using weapon systems that are in the maintenance shop for repair if qualified operators are available. If the firing system is operable on a vehicle, the BSB can include these weapons in the base defensive plan. Mechanics continue working on the vehicles in the fighting positions. Since night vision devices are not always available, the BSB S-3 includes illumination plans in the overall BSA security plan. The BSB integrates the base defense plan into the security plan for the entire brigade area of operation. This requires the BSB staff to coordinate with the brigade S-3 for the overall plan. This coordination includes the brigade engineer to ensure integration of engineer support and class IV materiel to harden positions and reduce the effectiveness of enemy weapon systems. If a base cluster is used the BSB staff coordinates directly with units in bases adjacent to or close to the BSB to plan mutually supporting fires and to prevent fratricide. The BSB also considers the defensive perimeter planning for logistics elements that operate or move outside of the BSB’s base. Bases are vulnerable to detection and attack by enemy rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. The base defense plan includes an air defense plan using available organic and non-organic assets. If non-organic assets (such as Avenger systems) are not available, massing fires from crew served and individual weapons can be effective against low flying aircraft. Passive base protection measures include using camouflage, movement control, noise and light discipline, proper communications procedures, and night-vision devices. Units understand the principles of camouflage and concealment including covering all reflective surfaces. Camouflage and concealment prevents detection from the air, ground, and radars. To effectively camouflage and conceal activities, Soldiers constantly consider an enemy’s point of view. Placing a low priority on camouflage and concealment activities because of time constraints, minimal resources, or inconvenience could result in mission failure and unnecessary casualties. In some cases, camouflage and concealment activities may succeed by merely preventing an enemy from identifying a target. Simply avoiding identification is often sufficient to increase survivability. Rows of vehicles and stacks of materiel create equipment patterns that are easier to detect than randomly dispersed equipment. Units manage equipment patterns and use the surroundings for vehicle and equipment dispersal. However, units should not disperse equipment in such a way that it reduces a unit’s ability to accomplish its mission. Natural background is random, and most military equipment has regular features with hard, angular lines. Even an erected camouflage net takes on a shape with straight-line edges or smooth curves between support points. An enemy can easily see silhouetted targets, and its sensors can detect targets against any background unless the shape is disguised or disrupted. Size, which is implicitly related to shape, can also distinguish a target from its background. Use lightweight camouflage screen systems to conceal vehicles, tents, shelters, and equipment. Use vegetation to further disrupt the outline of the target rather than completely hide it. For more information on camouflage and concealment, see ATP 3-37.34, Survivability Operations. Units should avoid patterns in its operations. An enemy can often detect and identify different types of units or operations by analyzing the signature patterns that accompany their activities. For example, the forward movement of engineer obstacle-reduction assets, petroleum, oils, and lubricants, and ammunition precedes an offensive. Such movements are very difficult to conceal. ATP 4-90