Military

Techniques

1. FSOs must plan and coordinate target marking and Suppression Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) fires. They must assign primary and alternate responsibility for final control of CAS, target marking, and SEAD timing. Involve the ALO in the planning process as part of the targeting team.

2. Wargame ADAs, SEAD and the placement of USAF Enlisted Terminal Attack Controllers (ETACs) in addition to CAS employment against specific targets. Then, ensure the scheme of fire support incorporates these events.

3. Include CAS into the brigade rehearsal to help coordinate all fire support assets.

4. Establish Air Liaison Officer (ALO) and FSO/FSCOORD coordination. Not having to coordinate SEAD for a moving target lets the air come in quicker and hit the target before it gets any further. Integrate the ALO into planning process and targeting teams to ensure:

• CAS is planned against appropriate targets at appropriate times.
• The ALO understands plans to incorporate SEAD and A2C2 measures.
• The attack is synchronized with all FS systems.

5. Include ALO in FS rehearsal to ensure he understands task, purpose, and plan for CAS.

6. Rehearse Tactical Decision Making Process (TDMP) within brigade TOC so key decision makers understand how and where CAS will support the scheme of fires.

7. FSOs must disseminate CAS call signs, frequencies, aircraft type, weapons load, Initial Point (IP) location, and IP to target time to all observers.

8. Use CAS Target Box (CTB) cards to assist in rapidly employing CAS.

EXAMPLE:

CTB cards are 5"x8" cards containing information vital to a CAS mission against a specific target at a specific location. NOTE: In this example, the staff developed this 5"x8" card for engagement of the northern MRB in EA Red. If the northern MRB (our High Priority Target (HPT)) showed up in EA Green instead, a CTB card would have been developed for that enemy COA also.

Develop CTB cards during the wargame process to cover all CAS contingencies. Make a separate card for each CAS mission directed against each enemy course of action. The staff may have to develop 8"x10" CTB cards to address the contingencies for any given mission. Early development of the CTB cards will prevent the staff from trying to do the same process during mission execution. Issue copies of the CTB cards to all fire support elements and the artillery battalion staff.

9. Position USAF Enlisted Tactical Air Controllers (ETACs) forward to exercise final control of the CAS. Routinely let the brigade ALO in the TOC, or the task force ALO traveling with the task force FSO, exercise final control. The person with final control must have eyes on the target.

1. In using ETACs forward for final control, the TF commander and brigade staff must plan adequately for the ETAC or ALO to be capable of maneuvering to a suitable location to control CAS. Issues include ETAC/ALO mobility, communications, and force protection/risk analysis. Maneuver and communications issues must be worked out and trained at Home Station. ETAC/ALO planning considerations and operational considerations for both maneuver and communication need to be included in brigade SOPs.

2. The highest risk mission for the ETAC is forward with the scouts/COLTs. Train the ETACs to be integrated with the COLTs. An additional benefit to this relationship is the ETAC's ability to send intelligence data on long-range VHF radios if FM communication with the COLTs fails.

TA.2 Negative Trend 4: Call for fires

1-2QFY96

PROBLEM 4-1: Scouts appear weak at directing indirect fire.

1. Lack of knowledge of role in TF scheme of fires.

2. Do not understand call for fire.

3-4QFY96

PROBLEM 4-2: (CSM trend) Leaders often do not know how to call for fire.

1. They do not know who to call.

2. They do not know what radio net or frequency to use.

3. They do not know how to describe the target or its location.

Techniques

1. Train scouts in call for fire at Home Station.

2. Train scouts on their role(s) in TF scheme of fires and how to fulfill it.

3. NCOs must be informed about how to call for fire. Develop SOP at Home Station and practice call for fire drills during Home Station training.

4. Include leaders in the decision-making process to familiarize them with the fire support plan.

TA.2 Negative Trend 5: Clearance of fires

1-2QFY95

PROBLEM 5-1: Attack helicopter battalion (AHB) S3s and FSOs are not developing clearance of fire plans to clear indirect fires within the battalion once the companies leave planned air routes or maneuver beyond planned BPs and attack-by-fire positions.

1-2QFY97

PROBLEM 5-2:

1. The brigade and TF plan does not provide clear graphical control measures to facilitate clearance.

2. No standardized procedures existed for positively clearing fires across the brigade.

Techniques

1. FSOs must develop and rehearse clearance of fires plans and develop graphic control measures to deconflict indirect fires and/or provide rapid clearance of indirect fires.

2. Improve clearance of fire procedures by using maneuver graphical control measures and Fire Support Coordination Measures (FSCMs).

3. Practice procedures to ensure responsive fires without endangering or killing friendly elements.

TA.2 Negative Trend 6: Use of Ground/Vehicle Laser Locator Designator (G/VLLD)

3-4QFY96

PROBLEM 6-1:

1. COLTs are not using their G/VLLDs to obtain refined target locations to obtain first round fire for effect.

2. When they are not given a specified mission to lase, teams usually opt to leave their G/VLLDs at the brigade main.

1-2QFY97

PROBLEM 6-2: (Repeat of Problem 6-1)

1. COLTs are not deploying forward of the line of departure with a complete (including night sight) G/VLLD system.

2. COLTs are not using their G/VLLDs to obtain refined target locations to obtain first round fire for effect data.

3. When they are not given a specified mission to lase, teams usually opt to leave their G/VLLDs behind at the brigade main.

Techniques

COLTs should always carry the G/VLLD, regardless of their assigned task. Based on the COLT's mission to either provide terminal guidance for precision munitions, recon/surveillance, or as a primary observer for a specified target, the observer must be capable of lasing to refine the target location. The best tool currently available for both day and night is the G/VLLD.

TA.2 Fire Support, Part I

TA.3 Air Defense