FIELD ARTILLERY TARGET ACQUISITION: TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCEDURES
CHAPTER 1 TARGETING TARGET ACQUISITION AND THE MILITARY DECISION MAKING PROCESS 1 CHAPTER 2 FIELD ARTILLERY TARGET ACQUISITION ORGANIZATIONS 13 CHAPTER 3 DUTIES OF FIELD ARTILLERY TARGETING AND TARGET ACQUISITION PERSONNEL 34 CHAPTER 4 EMPLOYMENT 45 CHAPTER 5 TACTICAL EMPLOYMENT OF FIELD ARTILLERY TARGET ACQUISITION SYSTEMS 94 CHAPTER 6 STABILITY OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT OPERATIONS 118 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 TARGETING TARGET ACQUISITION AND THE MILITARY DECISION MAKING PROCESS DEFINITION OF TARGETING TARGETING IS THE PART OF THE MILITARY DECISION MAKING PROCESS USED TO FOCUS BATTLEFIELD OPERATING SYSTEMS BOSS TO ACHIEVE THE COMMANDERS INTENT THE METHODOLOGY USED TO TRANSLATE THE COMMANDER S INTENT INTO A PLAN IS DECIDE DETECT DELIVER AND ASSESS THE FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS METHODOLOGY HELP THE COMMANDER DECIDE WHAT TO ATTACK HOW TO ACQUIRE THOSE TARGETS AND WHEN THOSE TARGETS ARE ACQUIRED HOW TO ATTACK THEM IN A WAY THAT DISRUPTS DELAYS OR LIMITS THE ENEMY S ABILITY TO ACHIEVE HIS OBJECTIVES SIMPLY STATED TARGETING IS THE PROCESS OF SELECTING TARGETS AND MATCHING THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THEM TAKING ACCOUNT OF OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND CAPABILITIES TARGETING METHODOLOGY TARGETING IS A COMBINATION OF INTELLIGENCE FUNCTIONS PLANNING BATTLE COMMAND WEAPONEERING OPERATIONAL EXECUTION AND COMBAT ASSESSMENT CA THE D3A METHODOLOGY FACILITATES THE ATTACK OF THE RIGHT TARGET AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE ASSET INTEGRAL TO THIS PROCESS IS TARGET THIS CHAPTER PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF TARGETING FUNDAMENTALS FIELD ARTILLERY TARGET ACQUISITION PROCESSES AND TARGET ACQUISITION INTEGRATION INTO THE MILITARY DECISION MAKING PROCESS MDMP TARGET ACQUISITION BY NATURE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE TARGETING PROCESS AND REQUIRES THE INTERACTION AMONG MANY GROUPS WITHIN A GIVEN ORGANIZATION FIELD ARTILLERY TARGET ACQUISITION PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE TARGETING PROCESS WITHOUT ACCURATE TARGETING DATA INDIRECT FIRE SYSTEMS ARE OF LIMITED VALUE TARGETING IS A COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY THAT REQUIRES THE PARTICIPATION OF KEY MEMBERS OF MANEUVER AND FIELD ARTILLERY COORDINATING AND SPECIAL STAFFS IT IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE MDMP THAT FOCUSES BATTLEFIELD OPERATING SYSTEMS TO ACHIEVE THE COMMANDER S INTENT AS SUCH THE TARGETING PROCESS FOCUSES ON MISSION REQUIREMENTS THE MISSION COMMANDER S INTENT AND GUIDANCE DRIVE THE TARGETING PROCESS THESE INPUTS ALLOW UNIT PERSONNEL TO DETERMINE THE TARGETS TO BE ENGAGED HOW TO LOCATE AND TRACK THE TARGETS WHEN AND HOW TO ENGAGE THE TARGETS ALONG WITH DETERMINING IF WHEN AND HOW TARGET ASSESSMENT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THE METHODOLOGY USED TO DRIVE THE TARGETING PROCESS IS DECIDE DETECT DELIVER AND ASSESS D3A THIS CHAPTER DISCUSSES D3A THE ROLE OF FIELD ARTILLERY TARGET ACQUISITION TA AND HOW TA FITS INTO THE MDMP PROCESS 1 TRACKING TRACKING IS ESSENTIAL TO THE DETECT AND DELIVER FUNCTIONS TRACKING ALSO IMPACTS THE ABILITY TO ASSESS A TARGET AND IMPLEMENT SUBSEQUENT REATTACK DECISIONS TARGETING IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS THAT MAINTAINS PACE WITH THE DYNAMICS OF AN EVER CHANGING BATTLEFIELD SITUATION IN ADDITION TO THE ENEMY SITUATION THE INPUTS THAT DRIVE THIS PROCESS COME FROM HIGHER HEADQUARTERS PLANS AND ORDERS SPECIFICALLY THEY ARE THE MISSION INTENT AND SPECIFIED IMPLIED TASKS DECIDE THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN THE TARGETING PROCESS IS THE DECIDE FUNCTION DECIDING THE TARGETS TO BE ATTACKED PROVIDES THE OVERALL FOCUS AND SETS PRIORITIES FOR INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION AND ATTACK PLANNING TARGETING PRIORITIES MUST BE SET FOR EACH PHASE OR CRITICAL EVENT OF AN OPERATION SUCCESSFUL TARGETING IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE COMMANDER S BATTLE PLAN THEREFORE THE TARGETING TEAM MUST UNDERSTAND THE UNIT S MISSION THIS UNDERSTANDING STARTS WITH MISSION ANALYSIS ONCE THE COMMANDER AND STAFF COMPLETE THE MISSION ANALYSIS THE COMMANDER ISSUES THE RESTATED MISSION THE RESTATED MISSION IS THE STARTING POINT FOR THE TARGETING PROCESS KEY TO THE DECIDE FUNCTION IS THE INTELLIGENCE PREPARATION OF THE BATTLEFIELD IPB DURING THIS PROCESS SITUATIONAL TEMPLATES AND EVENT TEMPLATES ARE DEVELOPED AND USED TO ASCERTAIN SUSPECTED ENEMY LOCATIONS AND MOVEMENTS FOR TARGETING PURPOSES IPB IDENTIFIES THE ENEMY COURSES OF ACTION COA AND SUBSEQUENT HIGH VALUE TARGETS HVT ARE IDENTIFIED FROM A TARGET VALUE ANALYSIS TVA HVTS ARE THOSE TARGETS OR ASSETS BELIEVED TO BE ESSENTIAL FOR THE ENEMY COMMANDER TO ACCOMPLISH HIS MISSION AS THE MDMP CONTINUES FRIENDLY COAS ARE DEVELOPED AND WARGAMED AS A RESULT OF WARGAMING HVTS WHOSE LOSS TO THE ENEMY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE FRIENDLY PLAN ARE IDENTIFIED THESE TARGETS ARE HIGH PAYOFF TARGETS HPT EFFECTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF HPTS IS ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF THE FRIENDLY COAS THE INABILITY TO ACQUIRE OR ACHIEVE THE SPECIFIED EFFECTS AGAINST A HPT ALWAYS REQUIRES A REASSESSMENT OF THE FRIENDLY COA TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON A CHANGED ENEMY SITUATION SEVERAL PRODUCTS ARE DEVELOPED DURING THE DECIDE PHASE OF TARGETING THESE PRODUCTS ARE HIGH PAYOFF TARGET LIST HPTL A PRIORITIZED LIST OF HPTS INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION PLAN ICP ANSWERS THE COMMANDER S PRIORITY INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS PIR AND INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS IR THIS INCLUDES HPT DESIGNATED AS PIR TARGET SELECTION STANDARDS TSS DESIGNATED TARGET LOCATION ACCURACY TARGET POSTURE AND TIME REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE MET BEFORE ATTACKING A TARGET TARGETS NOT MEETING TSS REQUIREMENTS ARE CONSIDERED TARGET INDICATORS AND AREN T ATTACKED ATTACK GUIDANCE MATRIX AGM DOCUMENT ADDRESSING WHICH TARGETS WILL BE ATTACKED HOW WHEN AND THE DESIRED EFFECTS THE COMMANDER APPROVES THIS PRODUCT 2 IN ADDITION OTHER PRODUCTS ARE DEVELOPED OR REFINED DURING THE DECIDE PHASE THEY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO DECISION SUPPORT TEMPLATE DST TARGETING SYNCHRONIZATION MATRIX TSM COMBAT ASSESSMENT CA REQUIREMENTS TARGET NOMINATIONS AIR INTERDICTION AI ARMY TACTICAL MISSILE SYSTEM ATACMS ELECTRONIC WARFARE EW ETC AS A RESULT OF THE DECIDE FUNCTION THE TARGETING TEAM WILL DETERMINE WHICH TARGETS WILL BE ACQUIRED AND ATTACKED TO MEET THE COMMANDER S INTENT WHEN AND WHERE TIME AND SPACE THEY MAY BE FOUND AND BY WHOM HOW THE TARGETS WILL BE ACQUIRED AND ATTACKED ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS AND THE SYNCHRONIZATION OF SENSORS AND ATTACK SYSTEMS WITH THE SCHEME OF MANEUVER THIS RESULTS IN THE TASKING OF TA ASSETS THE TARGETING SYNCHRONIZATION MATRIX IDENTIFIES TARGETS DESIGNATED FOR ACQUISITION BY FIELD ARTILLERY TA ASSETS DETECT DETECT IS THE NEXT CRITICAL FUNCTION IN THE TARGETING PROCESS THE DETECT FUNCTION TRANSLATES TARGET PRIORITIES DEVELOPED DURING THE DECIDE FUNCTION INTO THE ICP AND TA TASKING CONTAINED IN THE OPERATIONS ORDER OPORD THE G2 OR S2 IS THE PRIMARY STAFF SECTION DIRECTING THE EFFORT TO LOCATE AND IDENTIFY HPTS THE COLLECTION MANAGER OVERSEES THIS EFFORT AND DIRECTS THE TASKING OF ACQUISITION ASSETS AGAINST APPROPRIATE TARGETS SINCE THERE AREN T ENOUGH ASSETS TO DETECT ALL TARGETS PRIORITIZATION IS ESSENTIAL THEREFORE RADAR SCHEDULES AND ZONES ARE ESTABLISHED TO SUPPORT THE DETECTION EFFORT WITH FOCUS ON PIR AND HPTS IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT ALL ACQUISITION ASSETS BE USED EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY DUPLICATION OF EFFORT MUST BE AVOIDED UNLESS IT IS REQUIRED TO CONFIRM A TARGET AT THE DIVISION THE ANALYSIS AND CONTROL ELEMENT ACE MANAGES THE COLLECTION PLAN TO AVOID DUPLICATION THE ANALYSIS AND CONTROL TEAM ACT MANAGES THE COLLECTION PLAN AT THE BRIGADE HPTS MUST BE DETECTED IN SUFFICIENT TIME TO SYNCHRONIZE THEIR ATTACK WITH THE COMMANDER S BATTLE PLAN PRECISE TASKINGS MUST BE GIVEN TO ACQUISITION SYSTEMS DESIGNATED TO DETECT A SPECIFIC TARGET MOBILE TARGETS MUST BE DETECTED AND TRACKED UNTIL THEY ARE ATTACKED FURTHER TRACKING OF MOBILE TARGETS MUST BE PLANNED IN SUFFICIENT DETAIL TO ALLOW THE HANDOFF OF A TARGET FROM ONE COLLECTION ASSET TO ANOTHER WHEN REQUIRED TRACKING PRIORITIES ARE BASED ON THE COMMANDER S CONCEPT OF THE OPERATION AND TARGETING PRIORITIES ONCE DETECTED TARGETS ARE PASSED TO THE FIRE SUPPORT ELEMENT FSE FOR ENGAGEMENT THE FSE PASSES THE TARGET TO THE APPROPRIATE COMMAND OR ASSET FOR EXECUTION HPTS MAY BE PASSED DIRECTLY FROM A SENSOR TO A FIRING UNIT WHEN AUTHORIZED BY THE MANEUVER COMMANDER THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY ESTABLISHING A SENSOR TO SHOOTER LINK THIS IS A USEFUL TECHNIQUE FOR ENGAGING CRITICAL TARGETS WITH A SHORT DWELL OR TARGET DECAY TIME TARGETS AND SUSPECTED TARGETS MAY BE PASSED TO THE TARGETING TEAM BY A NUMBER OF MEANS IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE PROPER INFORMATION BE PASSED TO FACILITATE ANALYSIS AND ATTACK AS A MINIMUM TARGET REPORTS SHOULD INCLUDE 3