Military

What follows are some fundamental terms and planning suggestions for conducting air assault operations. They are geared toward the normal mission parameters and task organizations used by heavy forces. First, we will examine some terms, roles, and responsibilities in air mission planning. Then discuss some techniques to smooth operations in the ground tactical, landing, air movement, and loading plans.

The doctrinal reference is FM 90-4, Air Assault Operations.

AIR MISSION PLANNING

Battalion is the lowest level resourced to plan, coordinate, and control air assault operations. Heavy Task Force staffs are additionally challenged by the fact that the air assault operation is merely a supporting effort. Normally the air assault operation is a simple insertion of scouts and/or infantry squads to observe deep NAIs, secure obstacles, RECONNAISSANCE routes or other tasks that support the heavy forces main attack.

BEWARE!!!

The requirement to plan two operations (the air assault and the main attack) combined with heavy forces' general unfamiliarity with air assault operations often leads to the first error in planning:

RESULT: Passing the buck leads to an air assault operation that is not synchronized with the various ground units' maneuver plans.

Techniques:

1. Make the S3 Air the action officer responsible for planning the air assault.

2. Ensure a synchronized effort that supports the ground maneuver plan. Solicit input from the ground maneuver leaders, S2, FSO, S4, and the Aviation Liaison Officer (ALO). It is essential.

3. Use the Air Mission Planning Conference (AMPC) as your synchronization tool. Make sure key players attend and bring the following products:

• Ground maneuver leaders -- Their maneuver plans, troop strength, frequencies/call signs and some tentative selections for primary and alternate LZs.

• The S2 -- Enemy situation, with particular attention to air defense assets.

• The FSO will not have a fire plan yet, but he should know the fire support resources (including fixed and rotary wing) that can range and be available to support the operation.

• The S4 will not have a CSS plan yet, but he should have a good idea of the resources available to logistically support the operation.

• The ALO, as an aviator, brings aviation expertise, knowledge of aviation resources available, aircraft load limits (ACLs), frequencies, call signs, and a reality check to the planning process.

The Air Mission Brief (AMB) follows the AMPC. The AMB produces an order that formalizes the arrangements made in the AMPC. It is issued under the authority of the ground maneuver battalion commander by his staff. If timelines are short, the AMPC can flow right into an AMB, but this must be a deliberate decision made prior to the planning conference. The primary staff officers must attend. Sending representatives is not an alternative. The Air Mission Commander (AMC) must accompany the ALO. The AMC presence is essential because he will command the aviation assets and fight the battle from PZ to LZ.

The AMPC is the cornerstone of the AMB. Regardless of when the AMB occurs, ground maneuver leaders, often squad leaders from the infantry companies and section leaders from the scout platoon, must make sure that their company commanders or executive officers and scout platoon leaders attend the AMPC. Although the company commanders are planning two missions, the air assault attack and main attack, it is imperative that the commander or his XO participate in the planning process to ensure the synchronization of the dismounted infantry mission with the overall plan.

Sketches add value to the AMB.

Technique: The AMB should contain a clear, concise sketch of each PZ and LZ.

a. PZ sketches should include the name and grid coordinate, a general layout of the PZ, chalk locations, assembly location, PZ control of officer (PZCO) location, aircraft landing formation, location, and heading. You can illustrate additional information such as PZ security plan, "bump" holding area and any other peculiarities of the PZ.

b. LZ sketches should include the name and grid. It should show aircraft landing formation, heading, and location, and assembly plan. If more than one lift will use the LZ, then include the security plan, LZ control officer (LZCO) location, and assembly area locations.

You can use the sample format for an AMB in FM 90-4.

You should highlight communications nets in the AMB as well. All elements in the air assault operation must use each net for its intended purpose. The AMB must specify when units must operate on specific nets. Air elements in particular have a staggering number of nets operating in each aircraft. The aircrews will task-organize within each aircraft and unit to handle the different nets. Confusion, danger, and missed information will quickly plague an operation that is not communicating correctly on the proper net:

EXAMPLES:

1. The TF command nets are used in their normal ground-to ground role.

2. The combat aviation net (CAN) is an FM net dedicated to air-to-ground coordination. It is the PZCO's primary net. All aviation units and ground maneuver units operate on this net prior to and during the air movement.

3. The air battle net (ABN) is a UHF air-to-air command net used by be AMC to communicate with the aviation units. The TF battle captain should monitor this net, but not operate on it to stay abreast of the tactical situation in the air.

4. The TF Fire Support net - Provide all aviation elements with access to the TF fire support net. This facilitates calls for fire while in transit.

THE GROUND TACTICAL PLAN

Heavy forces normally insert their scout sections and infantry squads in a reconnaissance or limited combat role. They depend on stealth, and tend to move along routes that offer concealment. With this in mind, mission leaders must:

1. Determine the time required to perform their actions on the objective and time available for movement.

2. Establish which potential LZ will support the mission in terms of time and availability of concealed routes from the LZ to their objective area.

3. Prioritize the LZs. Plan a primary and alternate route for each, and head for the AMPC.

THE LANDING PLAN

The landing plan sequences units into the area of operations. It ensures that units arrive at designated locations and times prepared to execute the ground tactical plan. In the landing plan, we will finalize the selection of LZs and the associated landing formations.

Many factors determine selection criteria for LZs. The AMC and ALO stand ready to provide a great deal of technical advice. Key considerations for heavy forces are:

• LZs must be close enough for ground forces to attain their objectives in time.
• LZs free of enemy forces
• Availability of covered and concealed routes from the LZ to the objectives.

The ground maneuver leaders may have to compromise on final LZ selection. A heavy task force is usually resourced with four UH-60 aircraft, that can hold up to 44 soldiers and their equipment. Rarely does a single unit actually fly 44 soldiers. Each lift often has a mix of units with different objectives. The TF commander should prioritize mission objectives. This allows the AMPC to select the best LZ for the highest priority unit that also supports the other units flying in that lift. Ground maneuver leaders who do their homework prior to the AMPC can rest assured that if their best LZ is not selected, at least one that supports their mission is.

After the LZ is established, the next step in the landing plan is the landing formation. The formation must facilitate off-loading and deployment. Because contact in the LZ is possible, elements land in position to fight off the LZ if necessary. The size and configuration of the LZ normally dictates the formation options available. It is especially important for the aircraft to land as close as safely possible to cover and concealment. This reduces exposure time for the disembarking soldiers.

Regardless of the type of formation, aircraft heading is critica1 to quick orientation and movement off the LZ. Subordinate chalk leaders should brief their soldiers on which clock direction, based on aircraft heading, to move as soon as the aircraft depart.

THE AIR MOVEMENT PLAN

The heavy TF staff will have to rely almost entirely on the AMC and his ALO to assist in air movement planning. Key elements the TF staff will provide are time estimates for loading and unloading, prioritization of elements and any special requirements. Soldiers who are unfamiliar with aircraft generally need much more time for loading and unloading than most units plan for, especially with rucksacks. Although units have planned as little as three minutes, five minutes is better; seven minutes is safe. Large air assault units use short PZ times to rapidly build combat power in their LZs. A heavy TF should insert small teams. It is far better to have a safe timeline that works.

THE LOADING PLAN

A well-run PZ is the first step toward a smooth air assault operation that gets all units in the right place at the right time ready to execute their mission. Key elements in a well-run PZ include:

• The PZ control party.
• A good load plan.
• A good bump plan.

The PZ control party includes the PZ control officer (PZCO) who is normally the S3Air, an NCO and as many chalk guides as aircraft. The control party is responsible for command, control, and safety on the PZ. The watchwords of the PZ control party are simplicity and control.

Techniques:

1. Make sure you have a dedicated PZ control party. Some units try to do without.

2. Set up the PZ in daylight. Yes, you really do have to mark the landing location for at least the lead aircraft.

3. Mark the chalk locations in an obvious manner. Traffic cones augmented with chem lights work well.

4. Make sure everyone knows the location of the bumped collection point and clearly mark it.

5. Brief the PZ setup time in the AMB so that subordinate leaders can come and RECONNOITER their locations.

• If there are only two or three lifts, they can all wait at the chalk locations under the control of the chalk guides.

• If there are more than three, you will need a staging area and another guide there to move later chalks forward when the PZCO calls for them.

6. Make sure you have NODs, communication for all guides (not the CAN net), and a runner.

The size of units involved in TF air assaults tends to greatly simplify load planning. Remember to maintain unit integrity and keep key leaders spread across as many aircraft as you are allocated and you pretty well have it.

BEWARE!!!

Avoid mixing different units with different missions on the same aircraft. You have induced a break in contact on the LZ (probably the worst possible moment) before the unit even departs. If there are leftover seats after maintaining unit integrity, use them in the bump plan.

The bump plan ensures that the most essential personnel and loads are lifted first. It protects units from the wrong person or load becomes bumped arbitrarily. Each chalk should specify two to three bump personnel and each serial should have an entire chalk designated as the bump chalk. A good bump plan keeps everyone flowing even if the ACL changes, or an aircraft breaks down. Everyone knows what to do when only three instead of four aircraft arrive at the PZ.

This situation highlights the importance of the manifest card. Although many SOPs exist for how many and where they go, primary and alternate LZs change continuously. The chalk leader should write the name of his primary and alternate LZ in big bold letters on the back of the card that goes to the crew. This gives both the aircrew and the unit a final confirmation that they both understand their final destination. This is especially important if the unit is a bump unit from a previous lift.

CONCLUSION

The use of air assault operations continues to be a significant combat multiplier for heavy forces at CMTC. We have reviewed some general terms and principles in air assault planning. We have examined some techniques for ground tactical planning, landing plans, air movement plans, and loading plans. Now, it's up to you to apply these techniques. In so doing you will give your scouts and infantry more time to work their objective areas instead of just "walking the box."

Civil Affairs (CA) Integration at the JRTC

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