UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS Advanced Infantry Training Company School of Infantry Training Command Camp Lejeune, NC 285

2!"#$# STUDENT OUTLINE DIRECT AN AIR STRIKE ISLC0503 (03/07/01) LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THIS LESSON TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE. With the aid of reference, given a tactical scenario, simulated close air support assets, direct close air support, per FMFM 5-41. (0311.12.06) ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVE. STUDENT PREPARATION. None

Read this handout prior to class. STUDENT INFORMATION

CLOSE AIR SUPPORT. CAS i% re%tricted to mi%%ion% that actually deliver ordnance on enemy troop% or in%tallation%& CAS i% effective again%t ho%tile target% located clo%e to friendly force%& CAS mi%%ion% are normally flo'n %hort of the fire %upport coordination line ()SCL*& CAS re+uire% detailed integration 'ith other %upporting arm% and the friendly ground force% fire and maneuver& To maintain thi% integration, the %upported unit commander re+ue%t% and approve% all CAS mi%%ion% 'ithin hi% area of re%pon%i,ility& The t'o type% of CAS are fi-ed 'ing and rotary 'ing& a. Mission Classification. The Aviation Com,at .lement, or (AC.* e-ecute% CAS mi%%ion% a% either preplanned air %upport or immediate air %upport&

1. Preplanned CAS Missions. /replanned CAS mi%%ion% are further categori0ed a% either preplanned %cheduled or preplanned on!call mi%%ion%& (a* /replanned Scheduled 1i%%ion%& Scheduled air %upport re+uire% that the re+ue%ting commander identify a %pecific target and %et a %pecific time for the attac2 'ell in advance, thi% i% often impo%%i,le on a fluid, ever!changing ,attlefield& (,* /replanned 3n!Call 1i%%ion%& 3n!call air %upport i% preferred in a high threat environment& 3n!call air %upport allo'% the %upported commander to indicate a target or target area to ,e attac2ed& After launch, minimum communication% are nece%%ary for final coordination& 2. Immediate Air Support. Immediate mi%%ion% meet re+ue%t% that ari%e during ,attle& Immediate mi%%ion% cannot ,e identified far enough in advanced to permit detailed mi%%ion coordination and planning& Immediate mi%%ion% provide cri%i% re%pon%e to unfore%een dilemma% and %acrifice detailed planning and tailored ordnance load% for timely re%pon%e& Coordination i% critical during an immediate mi%%ion& CLOSE AIR SUPPORT BRIEFING FORM. To en%ure %tandardi0ation, aircre'% and for'ard air controller% %hould u%e the CAS ,riefing form (4!line* or %tandard NAT3 4!line ,rief& The CAS ,riefing form ha% t'o part%& The fir%t part contain% general mi%%ion information a,out the aircraft performing the mi%%ion& The %econd part contain% mi%%ion!%pecific information& . a. Mission Specific Information. 1. IP/AP. Initial Point. )i-ed 'ing aircre'% u%e an initial point (I/* to %tart their run to the target& I/5% are normally 'ell! defined, ea%ily identifia,le terrain feature%& )or'ard air controller% and aircre'% u%e I/5% to help po%ition aircraft delivering ordnance& Attack Position. The attac2 po%ition i% a maneuvering area that contain% the rotary 'ing aircre'% firing po%ition%& It i% u%ed a% a po%ition to engage the target ,y fire& 2. HEADING. 6eading i% given in degree% magnetic& It i% the heading from the center of the I/ or A/ to the target& 2

3ff%et left or right indicate% off%et direction if a re%triction e-i%t%& It i% the %ide of the I/!to!target line from 'hich the aircre' can maneuver for the attac2&

3. DISTANCE. Distance is determined from the center of the IP or AP to the target. For fixed wing aircraft the distance is given in nautical miles down to tenths. For example, 12.3 nautical miles would be transmitted as twelve point three. For rotary wing aircraft the distance is given in meters down to the nearest five meters. 4. TGT ELEVATION. Target elevation i% given in feet a,ove mean %ea level (1SL*& Thi% information can ,e found utili0ing the contour interval and ,y counting the contour line% on the target& 5. TGT DESCRIPTION. The target de%cription i% %pecific enough for aircre'% to find the target, yet conci%e and ,rief& The de%cription i% the %ame type u%ed in call for fire& 6. TGT LOCATION. The for'ard air controller or ()AC* can give the target location in %everal 'ay% %uch a%7 8T1 grid coordinate%, latitude and longitude, navigational aid fi-, or a vi%ual de%cription from a con%picuou% reference point& 8T1 grid i% the mo%t common method& 9hen u%ing 8T1 grid, the for'ard air controller% mu%t include the #"","""!meter grid identification 7. MARK TYPES. Target mar2ing help% the aircre' in locating the target& )or'ard air controller% %hould provide target mar2ing 'henever po%%i,le& Typically, target% are mar2ed 'ith 9/ ('hite pho%phoru%*, :/ (red pho%phoru%* and illumination round%& Al'ay% plan a ,ac2!up mar2 if po%%i,le& If u%ing la%er% to mar2 the target, la%er de%ignation mu%t ,e %elective and timely %ince la%er device% can overheat and lengthy la%er emi%%ion% may compromi%e friendly po%ition%& If u%ing a la%er de%ignator 'ith %mart munition%, the la%er code mu%t al%o ,e given& Indirect fire agencie% time the firing of mar2% to en%ure they are effective at the appropriate time 'ith regard to T3T& 8. FRIENDLIES. The distance of friendlies from the target is given in cardinal direction (N,NE,E,SE,S,SW,W,NW) and meters. 9. EGRESS. The%e are the in%truction% aircre'% receive to leave the target area& They are u%ed to alert aircre'% to po%%i,le ha0ard% near the target, to include ,ut not limited to ;

enemy po%ition%, anti air a%%et% and po'er line%& .gre%% in%truction% are normally given a% a cardinal direction& Aircre'% may al%o ,e given a %pecific I/ to egre%% to& The 'ord <egre%%< MUST ,e %aid prior to giving the egre%% in%truction%& The Time!3n!Target 'ill al%o ,e given a% the la%t element of thi% line immediately follo'ing the egre%% in%truction%& Time 3n Target (T3T* i% the univer%al cloc2 time indicating e-actly 'hen the aircre'=% ordnance 'ill hit the target& Indirect fire agencie%, for'ard air controller%, maneuver unit%, and aircre'% all u%e thi% univer%al time to coordinate their attac2 on a target& >uring an immediate CAS mi%%ion, the T3T i% e-pre%%ed minute% pa%t the hour only& ?/S time i% utili0ed a% the %tandard time for all& REMARKS. Any and all information that may a%%i%t the aircre' in the attac2 of the target may ,e included in remar2%& Some e-ample% of remar2% may ,e@ a la%er!to!T?T line if u%ing a la%er, an e-act attac2 heading if re+uired, 'eather condition% in the target area, and enemy threat condition% in the target area& STUDENT NOTES:

ATTACKING A TARGET. a. Transmitting the 9-line brief. To give the mi%%ion ,rief, deliver the information utili0ing the follo'ing line num,er %e+uence& The line num,er i% not %tated, ho'ever the information contained in each line mu%t ,e provided& If a line doe% not apply, the for'ard air controller %tate% <none<& The flight leader i% not re+uired to read ,ac2 the mi%%ion ,rief& 6o'ever, at the end of the mi%%ion ,rief the flight leader MUST (at a minimum* repeat the T3T, to en%ure proper coordination of the attac2& )or e-ample, the for'ard air controller give% the follo'ing ,rief to the aircre'@ "Night Rider this is Ground Pounder, stand by for nine line brief, over" "DOG, 360, 11.5 (break) 460, tanks in open, PG 863452 (break) WP, south 500, Egress East to ROBIN, time on target 15, (over)"

From this 9-line brief, the aircrew understands: The IP/AP i% >3? The I/ to target HDG i% ;$" degree% magnetic The I/ to target DISTANCE i% ##&5 nautical mile% The TGT ELEVATION i% $" feet a,ove 1SL The TGT DESCRIPTION i% tan2% in the open The TGT LOCATION grid coordinate% are /? 8$; 52 The MARK TYPE 'ill ,e 9/ The FRIENDLIES are 5"" meter% %outh of the target The aircre' %hould EGRESS ea%t to :3AIN and the T3T i% #5 minute% pa%t the hour& b. Aircrew identification of the target A% a fi-ed 'ing aircre' approache% the target area, they 'ill notify the for'ard air controller that they are BIP inboundC& The for'ard air controller 'ill re%pond 'ith BcontinueC and attempt to vi%ually ac+uire the in,ound aircraft& Di%ual identification of the attac2ing aircraft i% e%%ential for the mi%%ion to continue& The rotary 'ing aircre' 'ill notify the for'ard air controller 'hen they have po%itioned them%elve% in the attac2 po%ition& The rotary 'ing aircre' 'ill conduct their attac2 of the target from 'ithin the attac2 po%ition& 3nce the fi-ed 'ing aircre' i% in the target area, they 'ill notify the for'ard air controller that they are Bin the POPC& Thi% indicate% that the pilot ha% po%itioned hi% aircraft to gain a vi%ual identification of the target& A%%uming that the for'ard air controller ha% the aircraft in %ight, he 'ill re%pond 'ith BcontinueC& At a,out thi% %ame time, the mar2 (if u%ed* %hould ,e on the dec2 in the vicinity of the target& The for'ard air controller 'ill immediately notify the aircre' that the Bmark is on the deckC& Thi% allo'% the aircre' the ma-imum amount of time to vi%ually ac+uire the mar2 and orient the aircraft for the attac2& The aircre' 'ill notify the for'ard air controller that they %ee the mar2 ,y %ending Btally the markC& c. Adjustments. :arely doe% the mar2 land near enough to the target for the for'ard air controller to %end <hit the mar <& If the mar2 doe% not land on or near the target, the for'ard air controller mu%t direct the aircre' to the target in relation to the mar2& )or'ard air controller% mu%t give the correction a% %oon a% they %ee the mar2& Correction% are given u%ing cardinal direction and di%tance in meter% from the mar2 to the target& )or e-ample, <from the mark, north 200<&

d. Clearance to Drop. 3nce the aircre' ha% identified the target, they 'ill po%ition their aircraft for the attac2& At thi% time they 'ill notify the for'ard air controller that they are Bwings levelC& If the for'ard air controller i% convinced that the aircre' i% going to attac2 the correct target and no un%afe condition% e-i%t, he 'ill give clearance to the aircre' to drop their ordnance ,y %ending Bcleared hot<& The aircre' MUST receive the cleared hot from for'ard air controller to conduct the attac2& If the for'ard air controller ,elieve% that the aircre' i% going to attac2 the 'rong target or an un%afe condition e-i%t%, he 18ST a,ort the mi%%ion ,y %ending Babort, abort, abortC& e. Second aircraft. 3nce the lead aircraft5% ordnance ha% impacted, the for'ard air controller may u%e that a% a reference to provide correction% for the ne-t aircre'& )or e-ample, <!rom leads hits, south 100<& Clearance to drop the %econd aircraft=% ordnance 'ill ,e given in the %ame manner a% the fir%t aircraft& f. Bomb Damage Assessment. BDA should be given in plain language following the attack. For example, two tanks burning. STUDENT NOTES:

STUDENT CHECK ON LEARNING QUESTIONS: 1. What is an initial point?

2.

What is an attack position?

3.

How is the heading determined?

4.

How is the distance determined for a fixed wing aircraft? $

5.

How is the distance determined for a rotary wing aircraft?

REFERENCE: NUMBER FMFM 5-41 TITLE Close Air Support and Close-in Fire Support PAGES Entire Manual