SITUATIONAL
TEMPLATINGPROBLEM:
Artillery
battalion S2s normally receive a brigade situational template. The S2s use
the brigade SITEMP to brief the commanders and staff and to fight the battle.
Technique:
The
artillery battalion S2 must refine the brigade SITEMP to focus on fire support
issues. Take the following refinement steps:
STEP
1: Graphically depict enemy artillery locations, to battery level, which will
affect the AO.
Analyze
the artillery range capability by battalion, and decide the approximate location
of each battalion, based on its doctrinal mission, and which phase of firing
it will be in. Situationally
template each battery
location,
given
terrain constraints.
RESULT:
This
will later help in radar
zone
development
and counterfire
execution.
Template
the artillery range fans for each system, i.e., 2S1, 2S5, BM21, etc. STEP
2: Graphically depict the formations or dispositions of enemy
maneuver forces at
each point where the friendly battalion will mass
munitions
or
special munitions.
The
FSCOORD must understand the type of target that best
supports the
commander's intent, i.e., group, series, linear sheaf, point target, etc. The
FSCOORD must advise the maneuver commander on the type of engagement
criteria
that
will be effective against each formation, or disposition, i.e., suppression,
neutralization, destruction. The
S2 can best advise the staff on the type
of munition
to
use against specific armament based on the disposition of forces.
RESULT:
Selecting
the correct
target,
munition and number of volleys will decide the success or failure of artillery.
Develop
as time allows a minimum of two SITEMPs: the enemy's most
probable
COA
and the enemy's most
dangerous
COA.
STEP
3: Graphically depict the objectives the enemy will attempt to seize or secure,
and the avenues of approach used for maneuver.
RESULT:
A
product useful during COA development and analysis, since you
do not want to position of the avenues of approach or the objectives.
STEP
4: Have the chemical officer template persistent and nonpersistent strike areas.
Note
the burst radii and the downwind hazard effects. Template
potential rear area insertion sites. Nominate
battalion Named Areas of Influence (NAIs) to forward for integration into brigade
R & S plans.
SITUATIONAL
TEMPLATE INTEGRATIONThe
S3 uses the completed SITEMP to overlay on the operations graphics to deconflict
positioning of firing units based on the friendly and enemy situations.
Technique:
The
S3 does not put PAs on avenues of approach, objectives, and in areas templated
for chemical strikes.
It
is very difficult to position out of enemy artillery range, so consider positioning
in areas that will cause the enemy problems.
EXAMPLE:
Use
intervening crests to reduce the effect of enemy fires.
RESULT:
The
enemy should execute high angle missions that boost friendly target acquisition
capabilities. As
this process eliminates suitable PAs, the S3 can use the remaining PAs to develop
COAs to support the commander. The
staff should wargame
each
friendly COA against each enemy SITEMP to help decide the best COA. EVENT
TEMPLATINGThe
event template graphically depicts the events and the timing of an upcoming
battle.
PROBLEM:
Without
an event template, artillery battalions too often "sign up" to execute too
many missions, and then fall behind.
RESULT:
Failure
to accomplish the commander's intent for fire support.
Technique:
The
artillery battalion S2 must take the event template from brigade/division,
and refine it to apply to the artillery battalion.
NOTE:
The
higher level event templates generally break the battle into time increments
of tens
of minutes and hours.
The
artillery battalion breaks the battle into increments of minutes
and seconds.
Take the following steps to adapt the higher headquarters event template to
battalion level:
STEP
1:
Copy
all brigade NAIs onto the artillery battalion overlay because the O& net will
pass information using
their graphics.
Next,
draw your battalion NAIs to be used in executing the R& plan. These NAIs should
confirm or deny an enemy course of action. STEP
2:
Develop
time phase lines (TPLs) to depict the pace of the battle. Time
increments of tens or teens of minutes work best. EXAMPLE:
10,
20, 30 . . . or 15, 30, 45 . . . . Develop
TPLs to carry the battle through deep,
close and rear
operations.
Show
friendly TPLs in blue for offensive operations and enemy TPLs in red for defensive
operations. NOTE:
Refer
to FM
100-2-1
for
doctrinal enemy movement rates
Enemy
TPL:
Start
from the TAA and time-phase the battle to the friendly brigade rear boundary.
NOTE:
Triggers
and decision points in the subsequent Decision Support Template will be based
on these times. Friendly
TPL:
Use
the same procedure for friendly forces, and
for potential enemy counterattack forces (depict those in red). NOTE:
These
TPLs will allow the artillery to plan to "keep up" with the maneuver elements,
and to be in position to deliver the required fire support.
Also
include radar zones on the event template; this helps in the wargaming process
because the radar assets will be already coordinated.
This
event template is then used to develop the Decision Support Template (DST).
DECISION
SUPPORT TEMPLATING (DST)PROBLEMS:
1.
Most FSOs expect more from the DS battalion than they can deliver based on
their training level.
2.
Most artillerymen do not use a DST because they already have an execution matrix,
and the FSO focuses the DS battalion fires.
RESULT:
If
the artillery battalion staff does not have a DST, then that staff is never
certain if the battalion can accomplish its critical fire support tasks within
the framework of the scheme of fires.
Technique:
Take
the following steps to produce an artillery battalion DST.
STEP
1:
Overlay
the event template onto the operations graphics to depict
time on the battlefield.
Next,
the S3 lists critical fire support tasks, in
order,
given
the scheme of fires. STEP
2:
Wargame
each critical fire support task, in order. The
S2 uses the TPLs to address the timing of the battle *
enemy actions/reactions *
movement/maneuver times The
S3 addresses the critical fire support tasks *
type of target *
where the artillery should impact (front, center, rear of formation) *
number of rounds and volleys required The
FDO provides honest
mission execution times
*
time of flight *
shift times *
first round to last round The
FDO then states, based on current
training level:
*
whether guns are laid on the target *
who will fire the mission *
time to execute theentire mission Back
off the target area, by time using the TPLs, and place a decision star on the
operations graphics. NOTE:
When
the enemy reaches that point on the battlefield, that is the last
time
when
the artillery can achieve its greatest effects. When the enemy goes beyond
that
decision point, the artillery's ability to accomplish the critical fire support
task is lost.
Follow
the same procedure for each subsequent critical fire support task. RESULT:
Decisions
about whether the tasks can be successfully accomplished within the scheme
of fires. After
completing the decision point placement, check to see if any decision points
overlap or fall in front of previous decision points. RESULT:
A
clear picture of any timing flaws in the plan. After
wargaming, brief the FSCOORD about each critical fire support task. Raise the
issues resulting from wargaming, and offer
possible
solutions
the
wargaming produced. Put
each decision point and targeted area of interest (TAI) on the operations overlay.
RESULT:
The
S3 will be able to better focus on critical events which
must occur
during
the battle. Time
permitting,
the
staff may develop a synchronization matrix which shows, by unit, the tasks
they must execute. The
techniques in this article provide solutions to many planning and preparation
problems faced by artillery battalion S2s as they work to successfully use
military intelligence to enhance fire support.
Table
of Contents
Artillery
IPB: Step-by-Step, Part 1
Acknowledgements
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