SECTION
II
PLANNING LESSON LEARNED: THE FSCOORD MUST CONVERT THE BRIGADE COMMANDER'S INTENT TO COMMANDER'S CRITERIA FOR TACFIRE
A critical element of automated fire planning is the Commanders Criteria [SYS:COMCRIT]. Commander's criteria modifies the default setting to allow TACFIRE to generate fire orders and schedules in support the commanders concept of operation. Without input of the Commanders Criteria the TACFIRE default settings cannot automatically select units to fire, shell-fuse combination, and number of rounds per target as stated in the commanders intent.
The FSCOORD and FSO must translate the supported maneuver commander's intent and attack guidance into terms TACFIRE understands. The commander's criteria or commander's modification can be input into TACFIRE from the Bde FSE's VFMED using the following modifications:
- Ignore ammunition [IGAM-MO]. This directs the computer to select units to fire regardless of ammunition on hand.
- Maximum volleys [MAXVOL]. The commander can limit the number of volleys a fire unit may fire against a single target.
- Fire unit selection [AFU]. The commander can assign an ordering priority to each fire unit.
- Exclusion. A commander can exclude a firing unit, weapon type, shell, or fuse from consideration during tactical fire control processing.
- Attack methods. The Attack Methods Table in the computer data base defaults to a desired effects value of 10% for soft targets and a standard volley factor of l for all hard targets. The FSCOORD/FSO can modify the attack criteria for each target type to meet the commanders attack guidance to suppress, neutralize, destroy, or percent destruction desired.
- Effects cutoff factor [ECOF]. Limits ammunition expenditures on soft targets. The effects cutoff factor specifies the minimum percentage effects the commander considers acceptable on any volley during volume of-fire calculations for soft targets.
- Priority (P-ZONE, PTYPE, P-SHELL). The maneuver commander can specify a priority of fires to a maneuver force by identifying a priority zone for the units area of operation. High payoff targets and/or projectiles (i.e. Copperhead [CPHD] and FASCAM (RAAM/ADAM] missions) can also be specified by the commander. When a fire request originates from the priority zone, attacks a priority target type, or specifies a priority shell, the computer process the mission, changes its priority and places it in the queue ahead of all normal fire missions.
- Urgent fire missions. Requests for fire are submitted as normal or urgent. TACFIRE places normal requests in queue and processes them in the order received, except for P-TYPE, P-ZONE, and P-SHELL. Requests processed as URGENT override missions in queue and must be actioned by the artillery control console operator (AC-CO) before the computer processes other missions.
| For a more detailed explanation of the modification files see TC 6-40A (21 Apr 89) |
The FA battalion S-2 must contribute to target development and changing of target priorities as maneuver operations move from phase to phase. Working closely with the Bde S2, FSO and Targeting Officer, the DS BN S2 helps identify the enemy's most valuable assets as they relate to each phase of the maneuver brigades operation (high-value targets). The S2 recommends inclusion in the brigades high payoff target list/matrix whose attack can substantially contribute to maneuver success. As high payoff targets change from one phase to another the commanders criteria must be updated and changed to reflect new priorities and commanders guidance. The Bde FSE or DS BN O& section can change and update the Commander's Criteria from their VFMED with guidance/information received from the FSCOORD or maneuver commander.
Table
of Contents
Section
I: Use Top-down Fire Planning with Bottom-up Refinement
Section
III: The Field Artillery S-2 Contributes to Target Selection Standards
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