Military

(1) The ready ammunition storage area is separated from the helicopter rearm pads by a barricade. The ready ammunition storage area (RASA) contains the ammunition required to support the arming of aircraft. Ready ammunition is that quantity of ammunition required to support the mission beyond the amount needed for one load. The RASA should have separate cubicles for the assembling and disassembling of rockets, aircraft flares, and malfunctioned ammunition. More information is contained in AR 385-64 and TM 9-1300-206.

(2) The basic load storage area is a separate area from the RASA. The basic load storage area (BLSA) contains the specific quantity of ammunition required and authorized to be on hand at the unit to support 3 days of combat. A basic load includes a variety of ammunition such as small arms, grenades, and mines in addition to aircraft specific ammunition.

(3) Personnel store ammunition by lot number at all locations so that all lots on hand can be properly accounted for. Ammunition handlers must maintain accurate lot number records so that ammunition malfunctions can be properly documented and reported. Personnel will ensure that lots are not mixed at the RASA, at the BLSA, or on the rearm pads. A good way to maintain lot integrity is to not mix items; that is, to keep like items together.

(4) It may be necessary for personnel to improvise a means to transport ready ammunition to the rearm pads where aircraft will be armed. Improvised trailers or carts may be used with the following restrictions:

• The rated load weight of the trailer or cart must not be exceeded.
• The load must be secured and balanced to prevent the ammunition from tumbling or the vehicle from tipping over.
• The trailer or cart must be covered to protect the ammunition in inclement weather.

(1) Fin protector springs are designed to short-circuit the igniter leads, thus preventing accidental ignition. The shorting wire clips and fin protectors must be installed on all rockets immediately after an aircraft launcher is unloaded and when the rockets are not in a launcher. A sufficient quantity of clips and protectors must be on hand at each rearm pad. Therefore, personnel should not discard the clips and protectors once an aircraft is armed. Also, personnel should remember that the wires and clips can cause foreign object damage to aircraft if they are not properly secured.

(2) Complete rounds, rocket motors, or fuze-warhead combinations that have been dropped may cause the fuze or warhead to function prematurely. This may result in the loss of a life or an aircraft. Rocket motors and complete rockets that have been dropped, whether crated or uncrated, must be turned in to the supporting ammunition supply point (ASP). DA Form 581 (Request for Issue and Turn-in of Ammunition) must reflect the reason for the rejection.

(3) Personnel must assemble rockets according to the instructions in TM 9-1340-222-20. Returned unfired rockets and rockets remaining in aircraft launchers after a mission must be retorqued before the next mission.

(4) Barricades must be built around the RASA, the BLSA, and the rearm pads. Barricades should be at least 3 feet thick to effectively reduce hazards from a fire or an explosion. Rocket motors may go off, so they should be placed with the nose end facing the back of the barricade.

(5) Ammunition should be protected from the weather. If ammunition is covered in a high-temperature environment, it is important to ensure that the covering does not create excessive heating of the ammunition. As was learned in Southwest Asia, dark covers placed directly on pallets of ammunition can create temperatures up to l80° Fahrenheit (F). Missile systems especially can be damaged by these high temperatures. The covering selected for use in high-temperature environments should shade the ammunition and provide for air circulation.

(6) Rockets should not be stored on top of one another. The weight will damage the bottom layers. If rockets need to be unpacked, they should be stored on racks built at the site. Rockets should not be stacked directly on the ground. Wooden pallets are practical to place under the rockets since they allow air to circulate. The rockets should be blocked to keep them from rolling off the stack.

(7) For maximum safety, the amount of ammunition stored at the RASA and the rearm pads should be kept to a minimum. The following limits-designed to meet operational need-should not be exceeded:

(2) Arming the weapon systems is most efficiently accomplished in a specific sequence. Initially, the weapon systems must be safed, starting with the outboard weapon systems and moving inboard. The system is left on and a stray current check is conducted on the rocket pod. The turret weapon system and the wing stores opposite refueling port are the only weapon systems that should be armed while the aircraft is being refueled. Once the refueling is completed, the inboard weapon systems are loaded, followed by the outboard weapon systems on the refueling port side of the aircraft. The necessary maintenance equipment must be brought to the FARP to maintain the weapon systems. For example, materials for cleaning weapons, oils for lubricating weapons, tools for removing hung rockets, and a multimeter for conducting stray current checks should be available.

(1) A successful FARP operation is characterized by rapid turnaround times. However, several factors can degrade efficiency and increase turnaround times. These factors include crew size, night operations, NBC environment, weapons and ordnance mix, attrition, and maintenance problems.

(2) Rapid turnaround times cannot be accomplished unless enough personnel are available to service the mission aircraft. Separating the available personnel and equipment into more than one FARP requires careful planning. During the day, under ideal conditions, a well-trained crew of two can fully arm the AH-64 Apache aircraft in about 40 minutes. The AH-1 Cobra can be armed in 30 minutes. However, a crew of four can improve these times by 3 to 6 minutes.

(3) Personnel shortages may require members of the aircrew to assist in arming and refueling. At least two people are needed to load the turret ammunition and tube launched, optically tracked, wired guided (TOW) and Hellfire missiles.

(4) When arming turret weapons at night, personnel will need night vision devices or supplemental lighting such as flashlights. Also, arming times will be 3 to 8 minutes longer at night, especially under low-light conditions.

(5) The wearing of chemical protective clothing will increase refueling times by 2 to 4 minutes and rearming times by 2 to 6 minutes. Fatigue increases the longer a soldier remains under mission-oriented protective posture (MOPP) conditions. Personnel must remember to drink more water when in MOPP to reduce the possibility of heat injuries.

(6) Weapons and ordnance mix could be a limiting factor. For example, an AH-64 may have a weapons load of two Hellfire missile launchers and two 19-tube rocket launchers. A mission change may require that AH-64s be set up for Hellfire heavy (four Hellfire missile launchers). The two 19-tube rocket launchers would then have to be removed and replaced with Hellfire missile launchers. The equipment and tools to accomplish this must be at the FARP. In addition, the launchers may have to be boresighted, which requires special equipment. Therefore, this time-consuming changeover must be in the commander's mission-support decision matrix.

(7) Aircraft with armament maintenance problems may interrupt the flow of FARP operations. These aircraft should be positioned away from the arming and refueling area to keep the aircraft flow constant.

(1) The training program must be as realistic as possible. All facets of the FARP's operation-from site preparation to rapid displacement-must be practiced and conducted under every combat-like condition. FARP personnel should be trained to operate around the clock and under varying levels of MOPP.

(2) Commanders must provide soldiers with the quality of training required to do their jobs. Realistic training benefits the commander as well as FARP personnel. The commander will know from observing the training how long rearming really takes. He can then plan accordingly. In addition, realistic training can surface problems that may have been ignored otherwise. For example, attack helicopter units have vehicles and aircraft with limited personnel- and equipment-carrying capacities. These kinds of problems can hinder the efficiency of the FARP.

(1) A successful FARP operation is the final product of a series of progressive skill-building programs to include the cross-training of assigned and attached personnel. Coordinated operations are achieved by integrating team training with programs that emphasize personal skill development. Training progresses as individuals are integrated into operational teams.

(2) The commander must evaluate the FARP team's ability to deploy and operate. Weak areas will require specific training to bring the operation up to the required standards. The evaluation process should be continuous so that the capabilities and limitations of the FARP are known. Therefore, a training program should be developed to meet specific unit needs.

(1) FARP operations will be successful when all FARP personnel are trained to operate as a team. Individual and collective training should not be limited to just arming and refueling activities. All FARP personnel should be trained in firefighting and rescue procedures in accordance with FM 10-68. Also, FARP personnel should be trained in receiving and preparing Class III/V helicopter external slingloads. FM 55-450-3 describes the procedures for slingload training.

(2) Every team member should be proficient in day and night land navigation. Because night relocation of the FARP is common, night land navigation skills should be emphasized.

(3) Team members should have extensive driver training and know how to accomplish operator maintenance procedures using the appropriate vehicle operator's manual. Delivering the product to the FARP is just as important as operating the FARP. Team members must also be able to check fuel quality using the visual sample, Aqua Glo, and American Petroleum Institute gravity-testing methods.

(4) Team members should be trained in NBC detection and decontamination. This training will reemphasize FARP vulnerability to NBC attack and stress the need for the FARP to survive on the battlefield.

(5) Personnel must be able to recognize any aircraft that may use the FARP. They should be able to identify all Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aircraft and know the proper refuel and rearm procedures for each aircraft.

(6) Personnel should be proficient in self-aid and buddy-aid procedures. They also should be familiar with medical evacuation request procedures. FM 21-11 and FM 8-10-6 provide information on these procedures.

(7) Team members must receive standardized night vision device training as required.

(1) Fares and helicopters on the ground can be acquired in several ways. The simplest scenario is direct observation by an armed aircraft, followed immediately by an attack. In this case, the FARP would be a target of opportunity for an aircraft on some other specified mission. A sophisticated scenario may involve a specific sequence of events: the enemy acquires a cuing signal, confirms the target, develops an attack plan, and executes the attack. Another example may involve direct observation of the FARP by enemy ground forces, followed by artillery or other ground-based fires or air-delivered fires.

(2) FARPs that remain in place for an extended period will produce communication signatures and thermal images from aircraft and fuel storage bladders. These may enable the enemy to detect the FARP and launch an attack against it. The enemy can acquire FARPs by any of the following means:

• Radar.
• Television.
• Infrared detectors.
• Infrared surveillance.
• Visual (unaided or aided).
• Satellite and other photography.
• Human intelligence (visual and acoustic).
• Air and ground electronic surveillance.

(1) Tactical warning. Tactical warning is a trigger event for the employment of passive defense measures. Commanders must thoroughly understand the attack warnings and respond quickly so that friendly forces will have time to protect themselves from the attack and aviation capabilities will not be degraded.

(2) Susceptibility reduction.

(1) The planning process specifies how fire support will be used and what type, when, and with what means targets will be attacked. The fire support plan contains information on how fire support will be used during an operation. Simple fire support plans may be in the operation order (OPORD). If the operation requires lengthy or detailed plans, then a fire support annex to the OPORD may be prepared. The fire support annex amplifies the instructions in the fire support plan. Specific support plans for each type of fire support (for example, FA, and chemical support plans) are prepared as necessary to amplify the fire support plan. The plan must be flexible so that personnel can respond to the unexpected in combat.

(2) The aviation battalion S3 designates the locations of the FARPs. He should provide the FSO these locations along with the projected movement time to the locations so that the FSO can plan a schedule of fires to protect the FARP. In addition, FARP leaders must know the locations of the supporting artillery battery to plan routes to and from the FARP that provide safety for aircraft and facilitate support by FA. FARP personnel need to know the fire support plan so that they will know whom to call for fire on a target while they are in the FARP or while they are en route to another location.

(1) To defeat the enemy, the aviation commander must "see" the battlefield better than his opponent. He must know as much as possible about the enemy, weather, and terrain. This intelligence helps the commander make decisions, issue orders, and successfully employ his forces on the battlefield. It also helps the commander determine the best locations for his FARPs. Section XII shows the critical elements that must be considered during FARP planning.

(2) The Class III/V platoon leader must keep abreast of the intelligence situation so that he can anticipate and plan for future FARP operations. Armed with up-to-date intelligence, the platoon leader can help the S3 determine how to best support the mission. Current knowledge of the enemy will help the Class III/V platoon leader avoid threat targeting of the FARP through sensor weapons.

(1) The G2 disseminates the results of the collection effort as intelligence summaries. These provide an intelligence update for the units in the division. The S2 obtains and disseminates weather information for the planning considerations of subordinate units. The S2 also provides the S3 with the current threat situation, which the S3 uses when he coordinates with the air liaison officer to suppress enemy AD systems.

(2) Intelligence collection requirements are distributed in terms of essential elements of information and other intelligence requirements. Based on the mission, command guidance, and available intelligence, the S2 develops an intelligence course of action in accordance with the needs of the battalion and higher headquarters. If the commander approves the course of action, orders and requests are issued to collect information for intelligence production.

(1) Constructing FARP sites.

(2) Constructing combat roads and trails into and out of FARPs.

(3) Spraying a dust suppressant in desert areas.

(4) Clearing rubble for the passage of vehicles and aircraft (ground handling) in built-up areas.

(5) Removing trees and other obstacles to flight along routes into and out of the FARP to help aircraft avoid being silhouetted.

(1) Emplacing mines around fuel and ammunition caches.

(2) Emplacing minefields to fix or turn enemy vehicles away from the FARP.

(3) Constructing other obstacles near the FARP to delay, disrupt, turn, or block the enemy.

(1) Preparing buildings to house FARP equipment (HEMTT tanker or FARE).

(2) Constructing protective positions for fuel and ammunition vehicles in FARPs.

(3) Constructing protective positions for collapsible fuel drums and palletized ammunition.

(1) Maintaining and/or improving combat roads and trails into and out of FARPs.

(2) Clearing minefields and removing other obstacles.

(3) Maintaining and/or improving protective positions.