CAS Mission Control And Execution Flashcards
What is Line 1, 2, 3 within 9-line brief?
1- IP
2- Heading is given in degrees magnetic
3- Distance given in nautical miles (NM) (Fixed-wing)/ meters (rotary-wing)
What is Line 4, 5, 6 within 9-line brief?
4- target elevation in feet above MSL
5- target description (#, type, disposition)
6- Target coordinates (location)
What is Line 7, 8, 9 within 9-line brief?
7- Mark type (what can I mark with?)
8- Friendlies (which friendlies?)
9- Egress
No visual contact with FRIENDLY aircraft, ship, or ground position.
Opposite of VISUAL
BLIND
Sighting of a FRIENDLY aircraft, ground position, or ship. Opposite of BLIND
VISUAL
Acknowledges sighting of a specified reference point (either visually or via sensor)
CONTACT
Specified surface target or object has been acquired and is being tracked with an onboard sensor.
CAPTURED
(Target/Object)
Aircrew does not have the ground object, reference point, or target in sight. Opposite of CONTACT.
LOOKING
Sighting of a target, nonfriendly aircraft, or enemy position. Opposite of NO JOY.
TALLY
Aircrew does not have visual contact with the TARGET/BANDIT.
Opposite of TALLY.
NO JOY
Name 3 types of night illumination
Ambient
Cultural
Artificial
Natural. Moon phase is the most significant factor of ambient illumination. Starlight and solar glow are also contributing factors.
Ambient
Man-made; ex: street lights, car headlights, typical light observed during pattern of light.
Cultural
Man-made. Any illumination employed by surface or air forces (cover and /or overt)
Artificial
List different functions of ground based infrared devices:
1- good for both target and friendly ID from the air
2- Should never be a sole targeting sources, but they are a good targeting aid.
3- must have positive communications
Name 8 Infrared brevity terms:
1- Sparkle
2- Snake
3- Pulse
4- Steady
5- Cease Sparkle
6- Rope
7- Contact Sparkle
8- Match Sparkle
Mark / marking target by infrared (IR) pointer*
SPARKLE
Oscillate an IR pointer in a figure eight about a target
SNAKE
Illuminate a position with flashing IR energy
PULSE
Stop oscillation of IR pointer
STEADY
Discontinue sparkle activity
CEASE SPARKLE
Circling an IR pointer around an aircraft to help the aircraft identify the friendly ground position
ROPE
Acknowledges sighting of sparkle
CONTACT SPARKLE
Overlay requested target designator type
MATCH SPARKLE
Describe 3 basic characteristics that define the Urban Environment
1 - A complex man-made physical terrain
(Ex- Man-made structures of varying types, sizes, materials.)
2 - A population of significant size and density (Ex- Villages of fewer than 3000 inhabitants to large cities from 100,000 to 20,000,000)
3 - An infrastructure upon which the area depends (Ex - Human services and cultural and political structure.)
Urban Environment Characteristics:
Which characteristic does the below fall under?
Man-made structures of varying types, sizes, materials.
A complex man-made physical terrain -
Urban Environment Characteristics:
Which characteristic does the below fall under?
Villages of fewer than 3000 inhabitants to large cities from 100,000 to 20,000,000
A population of significant size and density
Urban Environment Characteristics:
Which characteristic does the below fall under?
Human services and cultural and political structure.
An infrastructure upon which the area depends
Describe the conditions for effective CAS:
Conditions for effective CAS
• Effective training and proficiency *
• Planning and integration
• Command and control *
• Communications *
• Air superiority
• Target marking *
• Acquisition *
• Streamlined and flexible procedures
• Appropriate ordnance *
• Favorable environmental conditions
- Critical items
Describe the critical conditions for effective CAS:
• Effective training and proficiency
• Command and control
• Communications
• Target marking
• Acquisition
• Appropriate ordnance
Identify common problems associated with the urban environment
• Overload of visual cues
• Uniformity of structural environment
• Disparity in perspective
• Omni directional threat
• Urban canyon
• Presence of noncombatants
• Closer proximity of friendly troops
Common problems with the Urban environment:
Heavy reliant on targeting pods and precision munitions.
Overload of visual cues
Common problems with the Urban environment:
Characteristics: Similar structures in close proximity. Presence of numerous similar references.
Problems for CAS: Difficult to confirm actual DPI even when looking in correct general area.
Uniformity of structural environment
Common problems with the Urban environment:
Characteristics: Inherent problem with all CAS. Lack of perspective for ground FAC. Too much perspective for airborne assets.
Problem for CAS: Perspective disparity exacerbated in urban environment. JTAC rarely has high ground. Ground view often limited to <1 block. Overload of visual cues for airborne assets.
LOS blockages and movement may even prevent JTAC from determining his own position with accuracy. GPS signal blocked when indoors.
Disparity in Perspective
Common problems with the Urban environment:
Characteristics: Every building and structure is a potential enemy position.
Problems for CAS: Difficult / impossible to isolate / avoid threat. Threat particularly elevated at lower altitudes. No air superiority for rotary wing in urban fight! (MANPADS, AAA, small arms, RPGs)
Omnidirectional Threat
Common problems with the Urban environment:
Characteristics: Vertical structures create urban canyons.
Problems for CAS: Targets obscured from all angles except canyon axis. Shadows can obscure target even when on axis. Smoke marks can dissipate prior to reaching top of canyon.
Urban Canyon
Common problems with the Urban environment:
Characteristics: Interspersion of enemy / targets with civilian population and infrastructure.
Problems for CAS: Restrictive ROE inhibits flexibility. No such thing as an isolated target. Every target has CD potential. Every bomb is tactical and political.
Presence of Noncombatants
Common problems with the Urban environment:
Characteristics: Ground engagements generally occur closer in urban environment.
“Historical studies prove that 90% of all urban engagements occur where friendly and enemy forces are within 50 meters of each other, and that urban engagements using supporting arms occur with less than 250 meters between the same.”
Problems for CAS: Greater friendly exposure to weapons effects. Increased risk of fratricide even when correct DPI is targeted. Structure itself may become fragmentation.
Close proximity of friendly forces
What is medium / high altitude?
Above 8000 fr AGL
What is high altitude?
Above 15,000 ft AGL
• Employed when slant range and altitude negate
adverse effects of local threat systems
• Allows more time for target acquisition, but
degrades accuracy of unguided munitions
Medium / High Altitude Tactics
List the advantages of Medium / High altitude tactics
• Allows observation of tgt area, marks, other aircraft hits
• Lower fuel consumption
• Reduced navigation difficulties
• Improved formation control and mutual support
• Airspace allows higher concentration on mission tasks, less on terrain avoidance
• Communication is less affected by terrain
• Reduced exposure to AAA and IR MANPADS
• Ability to roll-in from any axis
• Easier timing of TOT / TTT
Advantage or disadvantage?
• Allows observation of tgt area, marks, other aircraft hits
• Lower fuel consumption
• Reduced navigation difficulties
• Improved formation control and mutual support
• Airspace allows higher concentration on mission tasks, less on terrain avoidance
• Communication is less affected by terrain
• Reduced exposure to AAA and IR MANPADS
• Ability to roll-in from any axis
• Easier timing of TOT / TTT
Advantages of medium/ high altitude tactics
List the disadvantages of medium/ high altitude tactics
• Increases enemy threat detection and preparation time
• Requires local air superiority
• May require high weather ceilings
• May be difficult for JTAC to visually acquire aircraft
• May be difficult for aircrew to visually acquire the target
Advantage or disadvantage?
• Increases enemy threat detection and preparation time
• Requires local air superiority
• May require high weather ceilings
• May be difficult for JTAC to visually acquire aircraft
• May be difficult for aircrew to visually acquire the target
Disadvantages of medium/ high altitude tactics
What is low / very low altitude?
Below 8000 ft AGL
What is low altitude?
Between 500 ft AGL and 8000 ft AGL
What is very low altitude?
Below 400 ft AGL
Employed when threat system capabilities and / or weather preclude aircraft from operating at higher altitudes
Low / very low altitude tactics
Above 15,000 ft AGL
High altitude
Below 8000 ft AGL
Low / very low altitude
Above 8000 ft AGL
Medium/ high altitude
Below 500 ft AGL
Very low altitude
Between 500 fr AGL and 8000 ft AGL
Low altitude
List advantages of low/ very low tactics
• Decreases enemy threat detection
• Local air superiority not needed
• May be used with low weather ceilings and poor visibility
• Reduced detection by enemy radar acquisition systems,
forcing enemy fighters to rely on visual or on board
acquisition
• Improves target acquisition and accuracy of weapons
delivery due to shorter slant ranges at low altitude
• May allow easier assessment of aircraft geometry
Advantage or disadvantage?
• Decreases enemy threat detection
• Local air superiority not needed
• May be used with low weather ceilings and poor visibility
• Reduced detection by enemy radar acquisition systems,
forcing enemy fighters to rely on visual or on board
acquisition
• Improves target acquisition and accuracy of weapons
delivery due to shorter slant ranges at low altitude
• May allow easier assessment of aircraft geometry
Advantages of low / very low altitude tactics
List the disadvantages of low / very low altitude tactics
• Navigation more demanding requiring higher skill level
• Terrain avoidance and formation control are primary
tasks, decreasing time to focus on mission tasks
• Observation of target area, marks and other aircraft hits
are limited to the attack
• Higher fuel consumption
• Terrain may reduce communications
• Attack timing / geometry are more critical at low altitude
• Exposure to small arms, MANPADS, AAA
Advantage or disadvantage?
• Navigation more demanding requiring higher skill level
• Terrain avoidance and formation control are primary
tasks, decreasing time to focus on mission tasks
• Observation of target area, marks and other aircraft hits
are limited to the attack
• Higher fuel consumption
• Terrain may reduce communications
• Attack timing / geometry are more critical at low altitude
• Exposure to small arms, MANPADS, AAA
Disadvantages of low/ very low altitude tactics
Include multiple flights of aircraft using either combined or sectored tactics in conjunction with some type of deconfliction measure
Coordinated attack
Types of helicopter and CAS attacks?
Combined attack
Sectored attack
Types of helicopter or CAS attack:
Attack helicopters and CAS use the same avenue of attack to the target area?
Combined attack
Types of helicopter or CAS attack:
Attack helicopters and CAS use sectored avenues of attack to the target area?
Sectored attack
Name the 3 Firepower Timing options:
Simultaneous
Sequential
Random
Firepower timing options:
Supporting assets engage the target at the same time
Simultaneous
Firepower timing options:
Supporting assets engage the target one after the other
Sequential
Firepower timing options:
Supporting assets engage the target when ready or at will
Random
