CALL Newsletter No. 98-13: Close Air Support: Appendix B: NTC Close Air

APPENDIX B
National Training Center
Close Air Support Rules of Engagement

The National Training Center Close Air Support Rules of Engagement (ROE), 26 October 1996, are provided for reference. The safety considerations of direct and indirect fires for execution are still valid. Commanders and staffs are to consider all of the instructions contained within these ROE when deciding risk for any operation. The difference in wartime may be the use of published Risk Estimate Distances instead of Minimum Safe Distances for example. CAUTION: These ROE may be superseded in the future and units should verify they have the most current version when conducting a rotational trainup.

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Operations Group, National Training Center
Fort Irwin, California 92310-5031

ATXY-O-Z-FSE (385-10e)

26 OCT 96

MEMORANDUM FOR ALL OPERATIONS GROUP TEAMS

SUBJECT: Live Fire Rules of Engagement for Employment of Close Air Support (CAS).

1. PURPOSE: This memorandum provides a consolidated listing of Rules of Engagement (ROE) for CAS operations in Live Fire and supersedes the NTC ROE, 26 February 1996, and Live Fire CAS ROE Memorandum, 25 January.

2. CLOSE AIR SUPPORT LIVE FIRE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.

a. General: The tactical employment of CAS will be under Brigade and Task Force command and control in accordance with TAC Regulation 55-26, AR 385-62, applicable TMs, and interservice agreements. Airspace management is the responsibility of the Live Fire TOC (DTAC). Fixed-wing aircraft will be employed at 300 feet above ground level (AGL) and higher.

(1) TACPs/FAC-As involved with each CAS attack will coordinate 9-lines to the fighters prior to fighters departing the IP/CP. TACPs/FAC-As will consider for each attack the FLOT, forward friendlies (i.e., COLTs, scouts, etc.), ACAs, battery and mortar locations, active GTLs, target description and coordinates, ingress and egress instructions (i.e., attack heading and restrictions), actual ordnance to be delivered, and type of mark on the target.

(2) Each fighter must be cleared to the IP, cleared to depart the IP and cleared onto the target individually by a qualified final controller (GFAC/FAC-A/ALO). If a fighter does not receive "cleared hot," the pilot cannot release ordnance.

b. Direct Fire: CAS is deconflicted from direct fire systems by Surface Danger Zones (SDZs) and Vertical Danger Zones (VDZs). By combining the dimensions for these two zones for the most dangerous direct fire system (usually the M1A1, 120-mm gun), you derive the horizontal and vertical hazard area for ricochets. For simplicity these two zones combined are referred to as the Ricochet Danger Zone (RDZ).

(1) The dimensions of the RDZ for NTC Live Fire operations are: 7,500 meters long, equal to the width of all range fans combined, and 5,000 feet high. To determine the width, plot the left limit and right limit of direct fire fans (using the M1A1, 120-mm gun, range fan) and then measure the distance between the limits at the widest point. The RDZ is applied from the front line of firing elements; i.e., maneuver company/teams, counter-reconnaissance screens, etc. (See Figure A). (Figure A is not included in this excerpt.)

(2) Direct fires may continue against surface targets as long as aircraft remain stay above 5,000 ft (AGL) within specified direct fire VDZs. Friendly positions must be clearly marked or identified (i.e., with respect to identifiable terrain). Red Air (RCMATs) will not be employed when CAS is on station.

c. Indirect Fire: CAS is deconflicted from indirect fire systems by use of informal ACA methods. Formal ACAs are not authorized in live fire. Aircraft will not underfly indirect fire gun-target lines, even if these systems are in checkfire. Rotational units must coordinate with DTAC (Zulu TOC) to receive approval for ACA's outside unit boundaries. Protect all CAS attacks by an informal ACA method. It is the responsibility of the artillery and mortars to ensure fires and the effects of fires do not enter active ACA's, (i.e., do not engage targets closer than 1,000 meters to the ACA boundary).

(1) Lateral Separation: Indirect fires and CAS may attack different targets simultaneously if the indirect fire GTL and CAS target are deconflicted by an ACA. CAS will engage targets within the ACA and indirect fires will not engage targets within 1,000 meters of the ACA.

(2) Time Separation: When deconflicting targets by time, there must be a minimum of 30 seconds separation between the last round of artillery/mortars on the ground and the first aircraft on target. In other words, an ACA is in effect 30 seconds prior to aircraft on target. Aircraft will not overfly (ingress/egress along) indirect GTLs.

(3) Altitude Separation: For SEAD purposes, it is sometimes desirable for the artillery to provide continuous suppression on the CAS target or an ADA system. Using altitude separation, artillery can fire a low-angle mission while aircraft attack the target. By establishing lateral separation and altitude restrictions, as described below, you can ensure safe fighter clearance from the artillery trajectory and fragmentation patterns.

(a) General Restrictions: Units will not establish a single Maximum Ordinate (Max Ord) over their sector for an entire battle. Artillery high angle, RAP, and mortar fires will not be deconflicted by altitude separation.

(b) Minimum-Essential Requirements for Artillery: The mission must be coordinated by a time hack or TOT. For safety purposes, the first "volley" of the artillery mission must impact NLT 30 seconds prior to first aircraft on target; this ensures all guns (units) are engaging the correct target area. (Note: The artillery can continue to engage per fire order i..e., continuous suppression, one round per minute, battery 6, etc.) There can be no change to artillery trajectories during the mission. Once the fighters depart the IP, no additional guns or firing units may "join in" the mission late. The FSO responsible for the attack must determine "ORD 1" and pass this to the ALO. (ORD 1 is described below in subparagraph f).

(c) Minimum-Essential Requirements for Fighters: The 9-line will specify a magnetic attack heading which is perpendicular to the active GTLs. (See Figure B). Aircraft can maneuver 65 degrees left or right of this attack heading (i.e., ensure there is a minimum of 25 degrees lateral separation from the GTLs until the fighters reach the target. The minimum altitude is 3,000 feet AGL when attacking the same target as artillery, unless ORD 1 is higher. The ALO must pass the higher of the two altitudes as the Stay-Above Altitude (SA) to the fighters. Using ORD 1 or 3,000 feet AGL, whichever is higher, restricts aircraft from crossing the GTL short of one kilometer of the artillery target.

(d) Same Target or Target Area Definition: For clarity, the artillery target includes the target grid with a 1-kilometer radius around it.

(e) Low-Angle Mission Definition: Any artillery mission requiring a quadrant of 800 mils and lower. An artillery "mission" can mean a single target or a group (see paragraph 4).

(f) Determining ORD 1: Using the method described below, determine the appropriate SA altitude by calculating "ORD 1" based on the trajectory of the artillery fire mission. If more than one firing unit is engaging the target, then this procedure is used to check each GTL; use the highest value as the SA altitude. Use the following steps/criteria to calculate ORD 1, also reference the enclosed slide, ORD 1, example).

STEP 1 - Draw a line from the firing unit location to the suppression target location and determine the Gun -Target Range. Also determine the vertical interval between the firing unit and the target.

STEP 2 - Ask the firing unit(s) what charge they will use on the suppression target. Reference the appropriate Firing Tables Trajectory Chart for the specified charge. Determine the trajectory arc that will achieve the suppression target range with the vertical interval applied. (If the target range falls between two trajectory arcs then select the higher arc, always interpolate up).

STEP 3 - Determine the altitude of the projectile (trajectory) by tracing the arc to a point one kilometer (1 km) short of the target. The referenced altitude is in meters; convert this to feet by multiplying the trajectory altitude by 3.3. Add 1,000 feet to the converted trajectory altitude to compensate for atmospheric and "non-standard" conditions. This converted altitude is "ORD 1" and is used as the SA altitude if it is higher than 3,000 feet.

STEP 4 - All altitude references are AGL. Fighters must receive the SA altitude as MSL, just like the target altitude is expressed as feet MSL in the CAS Brief (9-Line). SA MSL is the sum of the target altitude plus ORD 1.

(4) Deconfliction of multiple indirect fire targets: It is possible to deconflict artillery groups. One method of deconfliction is to use the restrictions outlined in paragraph c(3) above for each target/firing unit in the group. The easiest method is to have all of the fire direction centers (FDCs) report their Max Ord for the target they will fire in the group and use the highest one as the minimum bombing altitude. All other artillery and mortar fires must be time or laterally separated from the CAS target (i.e., not violate the ACA). If fighters must cross a GTL, within the group, to get to their target, then the FSO/ALO will restrict the CAS above the Max Ord. Fighters should avoid crossing GTLs whenever possible.

d. CAS bombing and strafing: Must be conducted IAW applicable minimum safe distances for the ordnance being employed. (See FAC PAC).

(1) Minimum safe distances are as follows: 2,000 meters for 500-lb and 1000-lb bombs; 2,500 meters for 2,000-lb and larger bombs. No AGMs, PGMs and cluster munitions are allowed in live fire. Final attack heading (FAH) for strafing must be oriented away from friendlies and specified in the "9-line." Minimum safe distance for strafing is 1,000 meters from friendlies to a target with a final attacking heading away from friendlies.

(2) Aircraft minimum bombing altitude, outside the RDZs, is determined by the appropriate fragmentation standoff for the ordnance being employed.

e. Overflight constraints: CAS will not "hold" over friendly troops.

f. Weather minimums: VFR weather criteria is 2500/5 with TACP and flier final responsibility to make weather determinations.

g. USAF FAC responsibilities: All ordnance deliveries will be under the direct control and with clearance from a qualified terminal air controller (ETAC/FAC-A/ALO). Each aircraft (on each pass/attack) will receive specific clearance from the final control authority prior to releasing ordnance. All ABORT calls are given in the clear (no authentication) by anyone observing an unsafe act. Ravens will be informed of the CAS plan, frequencies, and must be able to observe the CAS target area (it is the rotational unit responsibility to ensure the Ravens have the plan). The only frequencies permitted for use in the NTC complex are those on the TAD listing or in the NTC approved unit SOI.

h. Final control responsibilities: No player GFAC (ETAC / ALO) "eyes-on" requirement (other than Raven personnel) is required for targets 7.5 km beyond friendly elements. An FAC-A can assume responsibility for a CAS target beyond 3 km of the FLOT. Note: Player units will not build CAS target plans expecting the Ravens to fulfill the FAC requirement. The Ravens have no responsibility to observe CAS targets that the player GFACs or FAC-A cannot observe.

i. CAS target marking: CAS targets must be marked (i.e., WP, artillery/mortar fires, ground burst illumination, FAC-A WP rockets etc.) if the CAS target is within 7.5 km (7,500 meters) of the FLOT. The most forward line of friendly vehicles must be marked; not every vehicle need be marked, but marking must allow for quick aerial identification of the front line trace (flank vehicles or personnel positions, for example). Individual positions forward of the FLOT (i.e., OPs, COLTs, GFACs, etc.) must be marked. FAC-As and attack aircraft must confirm location of friendly forces. Laser designators do not eliminate the need for a visual mark. Examples of marking methods for friendly positions include: VS-17 panels, colored smoke (not white or red), reflective surfaces, infrared lights and tape, strobe lights, etc. "Notional" fires will not substitute for a mark within 7.5 km of the FLOT.

j. Airspace management: Airspace for TACP, FAC-A and fighter use is the space defined in the tactical orders from the rotational unit employing CAS. The rotational unit must coordinate use of airspace outside of its sector/ zone with the DTAC (ZULU TOC). Raven personnel are the only ones allowed to clear aircraft into live-fire airspace.

k. Weapon control status: Ground units do not have to be in a restricted weapon control status (i.e., GREEN and CLEAR) during CAS operations; they are free to remain RED DIRECT, etc.

l. Ordnance dumping: Aircraft which are unable to expend all ordnance in live fire will be directed to an alternative target in Leach Lake Tactics Range by Raven/Rustic.

m. CAS target grid clearance: Raven personnel will monitor the grid specified in the 9-line and coordinate clearance through Zulu TOC. Aircraft must engage targets within 1 km of a cleared grid. Aircraft must also adhere to ordnance minimum safe distances and strafing restrictions, as applicable. (See paragraph d.(1)).

3. REFERENCES.

a. AR 385-63, Policies and Procedures for Firing Ammunition for Training, Target Practice, and Combat.

b. NTC Live Fire Safety Waivers to AR 385-63.

c. NTC ROE (26 FEB 96): Section III (Live-Fire Operations).

d. Air Warrior Operations Order (Special Instructions, "SPINS").

e. FT 120-D-1, Cannon, 120-mm Gun, M256, M1A1 and FT 25-A-1, Cannon, 25-mm Gun, M242, M2/M3 BFVs.

f. Joint Pub 3-09.3, Joint Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Close Air Support (CAS), 1 December 1995.

4. POC is Zulu Team, Phone: DSN 470-4369 or (Raven Team), Phone: 470-4068.

(Original Signed)