CAPTAIN’S CAREER

COURSE
JOINT
CLOSE
AIR
SUPPORT
FD6
 TERMINAL LEARNING
OBJECTIVE
 ACTION: Identify the roles, control systems,
planning considerations, aircraft capabilities and
the basic request for a close air support (CAS)
mission.
 CONDITIONS: In a classroom, given
information related to CAS operations.
 STANDARD: Identified the roles, control
systems, planning considerations, aircraft
capabilities and the basic request for a close air
support (CAS) mission.
 SAFETY, RISK, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

• Safety Considerations: None

• Risk Assessment Level: Low

• Environmental Considerations: None

PRIMARY REFERENCES
3-09.3

• Joint Tactics, Techniques,

and Procedures for
Close Air Support (CAS)

• AFDD 2-1.3 COUNTERLAND

• FM 3-0 OPERATIONS
• FM 100-103-1 INTEGRATED COMBAT
AIRSPACE COMMAND AND CONTROL
 AGENDA

• ROLES
• TACTICAL AIR CONTROL SYSTEM
• PLANNING/EMPLOYMENT
CONSIDERATIONS
• CAS AIRCRAFT/ ORDINANCE AND
CAPABILITIES
 AIR POWER ROLES
• AIR MISSIONS THAT SUPPORT THE
DIVISION INCLUDE
– COUNTER AIR
• AIR INTERDICTION
– CLOSE AIR SUPPORT
– TACTICAL SURVEILLANCE AND
RECONNAISSANCE
– TACTICAL AIRLIFT
• AIR SUPPORT IS NORMALLY A THEATER
ASSET
AIR OPERATIONS CENTER
• AIR COMPONENT COMMANDERS
OPERATIONS CENTER/COMMAND
POST.
• PLANS, COORDINATES AND
DIRECTS ALL TACTICAL AIR
OPERATIONS IN THEATER
• PUBLISHES THE ATO
• ARMY LNO IN AOC
AIR SUPPORT OPERATIONS
CENTER (ASOC)
• NORMALLY FOUND AT HIGHEST
TACTICAL OPERATIONS CENTER
OF THE HIGHEST ARMY COMMAND
ECHELON IN THE THEATER
• PLANS, COORDINATES AND
DIRECTS REQUEST FOR
IMMEDIATE CAS.
• C2 NODE BETWEEN TACP AND AOC
TACTICAL AIR CONTROL
PARTY
• DIRECTLY SUBORDINATE TO THE ASOC
• CONSIST OF
– ALO- AIR LIAISON OFFICER (FAC)
– TWO (BN)/THREE (BDE) “JTACS” (JOINT
TERMINAL ATTACK CONTROLLER)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS “ETACS”
– ADVISE AND EMPLOY CAS FOR GROUND
COMMANDER
 CONDITIONS FOR
EFFECTIVE CAS
• Air Superiority
• SEAD
• Target Marking OR Designation
• Favorable Weather
• Prompt Response
• Aircrew and JTAC Skill
• Appropriate Ordinance
• Command and Control
 PLANNING EMPLOYMENT
CONSIDERATIONS
• Deep Operations-
• Close Operations -
• Rear Operations-
– Offense
– Defense

NON-LINEAR OPERATIONS! WE NEED MORE

JTACS!
PLANNING EMPLOYMENT
CONSIDERATIONS
• TARGET CATEGORIES:
– VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT
– TROOPS
– FORTIFIED URBAN AREAS
– FORTIFICATIONS
• ORBIT POINT
– THE HOLDING AREA FOR AIRCRAFT
• Fire Support Coordination Line (FSCL)
and Forward Line of Troops (FLOT)
 PLANNING EMPLOYMENT
CONSIDERATIONS
• Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)
• Airspace Coordination Area (ACA)

SA-6
 AIR SPACE DECONFLICTION
AIR SPACE COMMAND & CONTROL (A2C2)

FIXED WING AIR ROTARY WING AIR

UAVs MORTAR PROJECTILES

MLRS/ATACMS

TUBE ARTY PROJECTILES

ALL COMPETE FOR AIR SPACE

 LATERAL SEPARATION

“Stay north west of grid line 62”

Grid Line 62
LATERAL SEP

RESTRICTED MANEUVER
AREA

INCOMING ARTILLERY
 ALTITUDE SEPARATION

Protected Flight

90 DEG RESTRICTED
MANEUVER AREA ARTY
PSN

“Remain above 3000 feet

MSL in quadrant norteast
of grid 6215”
GUN TGT LINE
ALTITUDE & LATERAL SEPARATION

“Stay north of grid

line 62 and remain below
3000 feet.”

Grid Line 62
 TIME SEPARATION (SEAD)
“TOT 1410, SEAD MINUS 2

90 DEG RESTRICTED
MANEUVER AREA

GUN TGT LINE

CAS REQUESTS
• PREPLANNED
– SCHEDULED MISSION (TOT)
– ALERT MISSIONS (PLANNED TGT
OR TGT AREA)
– DESIGNATED PERIOD
– PRIMARIALY COMMUNICATED
VIA ARMY C2 CHANNELS
 CAS REQUESTS

• IMMEDIATE
– NOT ON ATO
– DIVERSION OF OTHER CAS SORTIES
– PRIMARIALY REQUEST VIA AIR FORCE
C2 CHANNELS
• “PUSH CAS”
– CONSTANT FLOW OF CAS IN DAYLIGHT
HOURS AGAINST THE “SCHWERPUNKT”
 CAS REQUESTS
“THE 9 LINE”
• ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE
REQUEST:
– HEADING
– DISTANCE
– TARGET DESCRIPTION
– TGT LOCATION
– TGT ELEVATION
– TGT MARK
– FRIENDLY LOCATIONS
– EGRESS ROUTE
– TIME ON TARGET AND SEAD DATA
QUESTIONS
 SUMMARY

• ROLES
• TACTICAL AIR CONTROL SYSTEM
• PLANNING/EMPLOYMENT
CONSIDERATIONS
• CAS AIRCRAFT/ ORDNANCE AND
CAPABILITIES
• JOINT ATTACK