READY FOR TODAY – EVOLVING FOR TOMORROW
control (C2) systems. The TSFC’s
critical capabilities are designated as
‘Plan, Integrate and Deliver’ (Figure
1). The TFSC’s identified critical
requirements are the need for a common
doctrine, a suitable and sustainable
multinational manning model, integrated
communications, an integrated fire
control solution (likely to be based on
Artillery Systems Cooperation Activities
(ASCA)) and suitable common training
opportunities.
The TSFC’s first proof of concept was
DF18. Its structure was based on a US
FAB headquarters and headquarters
battery (HHB), but the manning was a
representative skeleton of 26 personnel
as opposed to the HHB’s standard
170. The stated manning liability for
a fully functional TSFC headquarters
is 271 personnel. The outputs of the
HHB and, therefore the TSFC, is
equivalent to a MN FFAHQ. However,
the number of personnel, their roles and
responsibilities, capabilities,
and working practises may
differ. The representative
manning of the TSFC
during DF18 was provided
by a mixture of personnel
from
the
USAREUR
fires staff and 19th BCD
(framework manning), as
well as artillery staff officers
from across NATO and its
partners (Figure 2).
The communications infrastructure was
pooled from various sources (mainly
US/UK) and ably configured to form
Mission Secret (MS) and NATO Secret
(NS) Federated Networks (FN). These
FNs allowed NATO and US systems and
services to run in parallel and, where
required, integrate and interoperate. The
level of understanding and the outputs
from the HQ were amplified by the efforts
of:
1. The
2500th (US) Digital Liaison
Detachment (DLD), which provided
liaison officers (LOs) and integrated
systems (Command Post of the
Future (CPOF), Air and Missile
Defence Workstation (AMDWS),
Advanced Field Artillery Tactical
Data System (AFATDS) and Tactical
Airspace Integration System (TAIS))
within the ARRC’s operations centre
(OPSCEN).
2. The 138th (US) FAB, which provided
a fires LO party and was positioned in
the OPSCEN in order to enable digital
fires.
3. The 1st (UK) Signals Brigade, which
provided NATO common services
across the force down to divisional
level.
Figure 1. TSFC Critical Capabilities and Requirements
These systems and their supporting
personnel enabled the integration of
air, aviation, S2S fires and air defence
within the headquarters, and provided
excellent situational awareness through
the delivery of a combined US CPOF
and NATO’s Integrated Command and
Control (ICC) common operating picture.
This combination of systems and level
of integration and cooperation provided
unparalleled fires C2 connectivity.
When coupled with excellent situational
awareness, the result was the effective
delivery of LCC, corps and division
fires using ASCA compliant fire control
systems and JCHAT (Figure 3). So
effective was this arrangement that it was
possible to resource and action a call for
fire (CFF) from any source within any of
the exercising command levels up to the
LCC level. This also included requests
for counter-fires (CFs), reinforcing fires,
cross-boundary fires (practised up to
corps level) and CFF in support of SOF.
The concept proved highly successful
and enabled a true synergy of fires
across the force. It is certainly the type of
integration and interoperability the ARRC
and its FFAHQ must replicate in its role
as a JTF, LCC or corps.
Figure 2. TSFC manning during Ex DF18
ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS
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