Deconflicting army aircraft and indirect fires: brigade-level [A.sup.2][C.sup.2]

FA Journal, March-June, 2004 by Daniel A. Pinnell, Victor S. Hamilton, Michael T. Oeschger

In the HA technique, the FSO determines that attack helicopters and indirect fires cannot safely conduct simultaneous attacks on a small objective due to terrain, foliage and (or) enemy air defense capabilities. During the military decision-making process (MDMP), he and the aviation LNO decide to use time separation in the form of HAs to facilitate the attacks. Together, they select four one-kilometer-in-diameter circular HAs for the aircraft located outside the effects area (and off the gun-target line) of the planned targets in the objective.

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To ensure these HAs are protected from unintended attack by indirect fires, they are further designated as ACAs and built into the advanced FA tactical data system (AFATDS).

All HAs are distributed as part of the brigade's GCM/ACM/FSCM plan in the brigade operations order. In this case, the HAs are roughly two kilometers from the target area or approximately 60 seconds flying time at 60 knots.

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As the attack unfolds, the ground commander, through his FSO, sequences indirect fires and attack helicopter fires into the objective. As he prepares to deliver indirect fires using an "At My Command" mission, he orders the attack helicopters to occupy one or more of the HAs. Once the aircraft have reported occupation of the HAs, he issues the command to fire to the firing unit. At the report of "Rounds Complete" (plus time of flight), he clears the helicopters to depart the HAs and conduct their attack on the objective in accordance with previous guidance.

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The Kiowa cross technique divides up the battlespace around a high-intensity objective into sections and then assigns a letter or number to each section. (See Figure 6.) This provides a number of formal control measures in a small space to facilitate moving aircraft quickly and efficiently from one area to another and separating them laterally from the effects of fires. Attack helicopters can operate in one quadrant of the "cross" while indirect fires are delivered just outside the risk estimate distance (RED) in another portion of the cross. Where possible, the "arms" of the cross should be placed on easily identifiable terrain (roads, waterways, etc.) so they can be explained to aircrews and ground observers.

In Figure 6, the battalion FSO in control of fires for the attack on this village needs to attack a strongpoint in the northeast portion of the city (Target AF2001). Because of the size and complexity of the target (one T-72 tank being used as a pill-box, exposed troops at heavy machine gun positions on the roof opposite the tank and a heavy machine gun position inside the second story of a high-rise building), he uses multiple fire support assets to achieve his commander's desired effects. The FSO chooses to attack the target with a combination of 105-mm howitzer and OH-58D fires.

Thinking ahead, the brigade FSO and ALO created a circular control measure during course-of-action (COA) development and imbedded it into the brigade's larger GCM plan. They divided the circle into a cross with four quadrants labeled A through D. The radius of the circle is 500 meters, and it is valid from the surface to the coordinating altitude (300 feet). The gun-target line of the supporting battery is roughly south to north (indicated by the arrow in Figure 6), and the unit is firing standard ammunition at roughly one-third of its maximum range. The battery has met the five requirements for accurate, predicted fire and had adjusted on this target as part of harassing and interdicting fires earlier in the battle. Additionally, it fires using a converged sheaf (all rounds aimed at the same central grid of the target).