FM-3-09 Fire Support and Field Artillery Operations Download
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Appendix B B-6 FM 3-09 30 April 2020 Figure B-4. Gridded reference graphic example KILL BOX B-16. A kill box is a three-dimensional permissive fire support coordination measure with an associated airspace coordinating measure used to facilitate the integration of fires (JP 3-09). B-17. When established, the primary purpose of a kill box is to allow lethal attack against surface targets without further coordination with the establishing commander and without terminal attack control. When used to integrate air-to-surface and surface-to-surface indirect fires, the kill box will have appropriate restrictions. The goal is to reduce the coordination required to fulfill support requirements with maximum flexibility, while preventing fratricide. A kill box will not be established for CAS missions. If a CAS mission is required within an established kill box, the portion of the kill box requiring detailed integration should be closed. B-18. A kill box facilitates the expeditious air-to-surface lethal attack of targets (such attacks can be augmented with surface-to-surface indirect fires). A "blue" kill box permits air-to-surface fires within its boundaries and typically extends from the surface to a ceiling altitude; a "purple" kill box within its boundaries typically extends from the surface, through an ACM floor, up to a ceiling altitude. The "purple" kill box allows indirect fire trajectories to pass above the maximum altitude or below the ACM floor. Altitude is the vertical distance of a level, a point or an object considered as a point, measured from mean sea level or height above ellipsoid. B-19. Kill boxes can augment traditional fire support coordination measures such as FSCLs and CFLs. They help the commander focus the effort of AI and indirect fire assets. Fire support coordination measures are not mutually exclusive, so a kill box could contain other measures within its boundaries to include NFAs, or airspace coordination areas. Restrictive FSCMs and ACMs will always have priority when established in a kill box.