Military Review English Edition July-August 2016 | Page 77

ARTILLERY Corps Responsibility Guided MultipleLaunch Rocket System/Rockets 35 Friendly II kilometers Cannon Forward Line of Own Troops II GS II Battalion X Brigade Unmanned Aerial System Reconnaissance (CFL) II Artillery Reconnaissance Multi-rocket Launcher Brigade Combat Team Responsibility I Section Company X Coordinated Fire Line 101 Airborne Squad (FSCL) II Division Responsibility 20 Enemy U.S. Air Force XVIII Airborne Corps Fire Support Coordination Line kilometers Key X Radar (FLOT) I I GS-R GS-R Aviation Self-propelled Artillery I GS-R General Support Reinforcing GS GS General Support (Graphic by Maj. Travis Robison, U.S. Army) Figure. Delineation of Responsibility Using Fire Support Coordination Measures Dividing responsibility significantly improved fire mission processing times and responsiveness. The targeting officer and the S-2 (intelligence staff officer) then applied predictive battle-damage assessment to determine likely effects on the enemy that facilitated subsequent targeting, positioning, and task-organization decisions. Second, the next counterfire task involves actively targeting enemy indirect fire systems, referred to as “proactive counterfire” in doctrine. However, since counterfire by definition is always reactive, the 101st DIVARTY opted to assign the task of “strike” or “interdiction” fires. It accomplished this task by analyzing patterns in radar acquisitions and ground-movement target indicators (GMTIs). The targeting officer and the S-2 determined what type of indirect fire system was engaging friendly forces based on the range at which the enemy fired. The S-2 mapped patterns of acquisitions and GMTI routes between firing positions to create target areas of interest (TAIs), which the division observed with UAS assets. Once a UAS asset detected enemy artillery formations, the DIVARTY initiated fire missions against the target and conducted immediate battle-damage assessments. Strike fires that integrated UAS and dedicated MILITARY REVIEW  July-August 2016 fires assets proved to be the most effective counterfire technique during both WFXs. These fires maximized the DIVARTY’s extended-range and precision-munition capabilities, while mitigating enemy range advantages. Unmanned aircraft system integration. Integrating UAS and fires assets into a direct sensor-to-shooter link is fast, responsive, and effective. The ability of UASs to loiter over TAIs and provide highly accurate target locations makes them ideal for leveraging advantages in precision-guided munitions against enemy indirect fire systems. UASs are also capable of providing immediate battle damage assessments to inform intelligence collection and targeting processes. During its WFXs, the 101st DIVARTY replicated recent Russian tactics in Ukraine with similar success. The 101st DIVARTY developed techniques and procedures for integrating UASs into the counterfire fight during WFX 15-5, and it perfected dynamic retasking procedures and fire-mission processing during WFX 16-2. Both experiences proved that UAS integration in support of counterfire strike operations works. Planning. The DIVARTY should assist in coordinating, integrating, and synchronizing the division’s 75