CALL Newsletter No. 98-13: Close Air Support: Introduction

INTRODUCTION

"Among military men, it is commonplace that interallied and interservice operations inescapably pose grave difficulties in execution. Differences in equipment, in doctrine, in attitude and outlook stemming from contrasting past experience all inhibit and complicate harmonious interaction. Past successes, however, have shown that these difficulties can be overcome where determination is present and effective procedures have been devised and applied by properly trained troops. Experience also shows that armed forces, not only of the United States but of other nations, have been slow to hammer out the necessary procedures. Often corrective steps have been achieved only after many failures in battle. In no area of interservice operations has this phenomenon been more pronounced than in the matter of close air support." (emphasis added)

Excerpt from "Case Studies in the Development of Close Air Support," I.B. Holley, Benjamin F. Cooling, Editor, Office of Air Force History 1990.

The National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, CA, conducts the largest force-on-force and live-fire training exercises in the world. The continuous presence of ground forces at the NTC provides excellent opportunities for integration training exercises. To maximize these opportunities, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force have, since the very first NTC rotation, put tremendous resources into a comprehensive Close Air Support (CAS) training program. This newsletter discusses some trends and lessons that have surfaced, and offers some techniques that have developed over the years as a result of NTC's CAS training efforts.

Chapter 1 discusses Close Air Support trends at the NTC. As maneuver, fires, and combat service support performance trends have been documented throughout the years, so too have CAS operations performance trends. Recently, the NTC upgraded their Leader Training Program (LTP) to emphasize trends and the recommended tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) to correct them. Chapter 1 highlights the current "top three" negative trends dealing with CAS planning and integration.

Chapter 2 presents a definition of the Army-Air Force 3-D battlefield. This chapter highlights many of the concerns related to integrating CAS at brigade and below. It is not intended to be a reference for joint operations or airspace command and control; rather, it is a point of departure for brigade and battalion battle staffs to get their hands around the third dimension in their sector or zone. A parallel effort to the NTC's "Trends Reversal Program" was a rewrite of the CAS Rules of Engagement (CASROE). This rewrite was, in part, a response to the frequently repeated question, "Why can't we do altitude separation?" and the frequent complaint, "We can't mass CAS with other fires because we must always shut off direct/indirect fires during the air strike." The rewrite was the right thing to do for the Army and Air Force. So now the CASROE allows for overflight of direct or indirect fires by CAS, with the altitude separation technique in place.

Chapter 3 is a detailed discussion on how to deconflict CAS, maneuver, and indirect fires. The old days of "check fire for CAS" as an airspace control authority (ACA) method (never doctrinal) are gone. When considering the capability to mass simultaneous fires, it becomes blatantly obvious that there are doctrinal and TTP gaps that exist between the Army and Air Force on how to deconflict fires within the brigade zone.

A major feature of this chapter is how to do altitude separation, according to the most recent CASROE, during live fire. Conducting altitude separation in live fire is a dramatic step forward for the Army and Air Force. The altitudes, ranges, ricochet hazards, etc., presented here are based on CASROE -- established values as of the time of this writing. New safety data may come to light which could modify these values in the future, so read the CASROE carefully before you go into the "box." Units which train altitude separation TTP and ROE to standard will have the opportunity to mass artillery, CAS, and direct fires on the same or nearby targets simultaneously in live-fire battles. But it takes some study, battle drill standardization, SOP modifications, and most importantly -- practice.

Chapter 4 is a step-by-step planning technique for CAS employment, developed at the NTC. It is a modified version of an article written by (then CPT) MAJ Samuel R. White, Jr., "Technique for the Employment of Close Air Support (CAS)," originally printed in CALL Newsletter No. 95-10, Jul 95, Fighting with Fires II.

Appendix A contains two short practical exercises on deconflicting CAS with maneuver and fires. Solutions to the exercises are included.

Appendix B is a reference copy of the National Training Center's Close Air Support Rules of Engagement, 26 October 1996.

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This newsletter is the product of numerous Army and Air Force officers and NCOs who work hard to enhance unit training opportunities during an NTC rotation. The author would especially like to acknowledge the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Commander and Staff for their time and expertise, and the Air Force Air Warrior personnel for their ROE and TTPs for altitude separation and CAS integration.

Close Air Support!

Foreword

Chapter 1: Close Air Support Trends at the NTC

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INTRODUCTION