Night CAS TTP

Question 1

What are the different types of CAS employment?

Answer 1

Visual employment

System needed employment

Night vision devices

Question 2

What are the general advantages with night CAS?

Answer 2

Operations at night is a benefit if we have technological advantage

Enemy more likely to move at night

Complicates optical surface to air threat targeting

NVG use allows us to see dark

Marking systems quickly, pinpoint targets and friendly positions

Increases possibility of surprise attacks

Able to blind enemy NVG with elimination ordnance

Question 3

What are the general disadvantages with night CAS?

Answer 3

Need of night vision goggles

Increase risk of fratricide

Locating friendly positions can be more difficult

Mission can take more time due to lack of visibility and hard to get the full picture

Question 4

What are the planning considerations for night CAS?

Answer 4

Everything gets twice as hard during darkness
-Situational awareness
-Reading a map
-Handling equipment and writing

preparation is vital:
- Get to know the target area
- Know the game plan
- Rehearsals
- Reports
- Friendly markings
- IR use on ground units

Question 5

Night CAS brevity terms

Answer 5

Rope equals called made from the air crew to a quiet, friendly position

Stop/cease rope equals JTAC stops the beam

Snake equals make a figure 8 on the target

Sparkle equals marks target with IR pointer

Pulse equals mode on some iron pointers

Steady equals JTAC studies the beam after snake or pulse

Match sparkle equals directive to overlay an IR mark on an already existing mark

Contact sparkle equals air crew can make out target side of the IR beam

Question 6

Name the three different illumination levels

Answer 6

Ambient illumination

Cultural lightning

Artificial illumination

Question 7

Aircraft night CAS brevity terms

Answer 7

Cloak equals directive or informative call to switch from normal external lightning to NVD lightning

Flash equals temporary activate of system

Lights on/off equals directive to turn on/off all exterior light

Smash on/off equals direct to turn on/off anti-collision lights

Sunshine equals direct or informative call indicating illumination of target is being conducted with artificial illumination

Question 8

Are sniper/Litening pods able to see IR pointers or strobes?

Answer 8

Negative