Counterfire for the IBCT.

The Initial Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) closes with and defeats enemy forces using dismounted infantry in a combined arms environment. A key capability that allows the IBCT's infantry to conduct operations is protection from enemy counterfire. Although the reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) squadron and military intelligence (MI) assets play unique and key roles in proactive and reactive counterfire, counterfire planning and execution falls on the IBCT's Field Artillery battalion--1-37 FA, 3d IBCT, 2d Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington-and the 3d IBCT's fires and effects coordination cell (FECC).

This article focuses on how the Army's first IBCT and its FA battalion are accomplishing the critical common task of providing responsive counterfire and how the IBCT's organization differs from current legacy forces. The IBCT's unique ability to conduct proactive counterfire is the primary distinction between it and its legacy counterpart.

But before discussing counterfire in the IBCT, I present an update of the development of the first IBCT's FA battalion.

Update on the IBCT FA. 1-37 FA's transformation has come at a faster pace than it has for the infantry battalions, the RSTA squadron or the brigade support battalion. The reason is the vast majority of the FA equipment was readily available for fielding-to include the 12M198 155-mm towed howitzers, medium tactical vehicle (MTV) 5-ton trucks, meteorological section, advanced FA tactical data system (AFATDS) and Force XXI battle command brigade and below ([FBCB.sup.2]).

In March, 1-37 FA was the first unit in the brigade to field its digital tactical operations center (TOG). The battalion plus combat service support (CSS) slice elements then air deployed on 18 Air Force C-17 sorties to Moses Lake (intermediate staging base) and road marched to the Yakima Training Center, Washington, as part of exercise Striker Thunder. The battalion also redeployed by air to Fort Lewis at the end of the exercise.

These deployments marked the first time an IBCT battalion-sized unit trained on the common task training list (CTTL) of "Deploy/redeploy by air." The other CTTL tasks are Coordinate and control battalion moves, Conduct counterfire operations, Control delivery of fires, and Coordinate and monitor CSS operations.

Once the 3d IBCT fielded its digital TOC in April/May, the focus of brigade training shifted from the battery/company/battalion level to battalion/brigade/joint task force (JTF) level inpreparation for the September Warfighter exercise. This intensive train-up was significant in that it was the first time 1-37 FA trained with the FECC while being able to leverage the brigade's fairly robust intelligence structure and organic sensors that are primarily embedded in the RSTA squadron.

During the September Warfighter at Fort Lewis, we fought as an integrated combined arms brigade for the first time. Much of the tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) for proactive and reactive counterfire is the results of training and the Warfighter exercise.

Legacy versus IBCT Counterfire Structure. Counterfire TTP at the brigade level have served legacy forces since the introduction of the Firefinder radar; basically, counterfire has been an artillery mission. In the IBCT, the unique RSTA squadron plays a significant role in counterfire.

The task and purpose of counterfire doctrine outlined in FM 6-121 TTP for Field Artillery Target Acquisition has not changed with the advent of the IBCT, just the method of execution. Counterfire is still the maneuver commander's responsibility and the effects coordinator (ECOORD)/fire support coordinator (FSCOORD) is still his primary advisor and executor. Field Artillery TA exists to support the commander's scheme of maneuver during the offense and to protect his most vulnerable assets during the defense or in stability and support operations (SASO).

In the legacy brigade TOC, the emphasis is on reactive counterfire and, basically, leaves proactive counterfire to chance encounters with the enemy's indirect weapon systems. For the IBCT, which is lighter and more deployable than the legacy force, protection is emphasized--proactive counterfire plays a vital role.

To accomplish both proactive and reactive counterfire, the IBCT differs from its legacy counterpart in its TOC layout, personnel structure, equipment and TTP.

TOC Layout. The FECC in the brigade TOC is composed of two sub-cells: the operations and counterfire cell and the targeting and plans cell. The operations and counterfire cell focuses on the current fight while the targeting and plans cell focuses on planning for future operations and the deep fight.

If the brigade TOC employs a forward and main command post (CP), the operations and counterfire cell pushes ahead with the forward CP and the targeting and plans cell remains in the main CP with the brigade planners and maintains a link to all the brigade's military intelligence assets.

FECC Personnel. The FECC is staffed with the soldiers shown in Figure 1. These soldiers are not taken out of the FA battalion staffing, but are organic to the brigade's headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) and an integral part of the brigade staff. Such staffing allows the FECC to operate around the clock, solving one of the legacy brigade TOC's manning challenges.

The addition of a dedicated counterfire officer in the FECC to facilitate proactive counterfire in the brigade TOC best supports the scheme of maneuver and protects assets in the defense or in a SASO environment. This position also eliminates the need for establishing a counterfire headquarters at either the direct support (DS) FA battalion or reinforcing FA battalion TOC.

The TA platoon leader and platoon sergeant operate at the brigade TOC during the planning process and then serve in either the brigade or battalion to which the radars are assigned or attached. This ensures the radar teams have input for the security, location and logistics necessary to accomplish their mission. A targeting and plans battle captain, targeting NCO, plans NCO and two AFATDS operators augment the targeting officer, who in the legacy force is often over tasked due to manning shortfalls.

The brigade conducts nearly simultaneous planning cycles with its battalions, fields enhanced targeting assets and has the ability to "reach back" for information and intelligence. These capabilities can increase the brigade's operational tempo significantly, making the addition of the positions in the FECC necessary to plan and facilitate proactive counterfire and execute the overall brigade plan.

Finally, the addition of the battle captains in the two cells not only provides 24-hour leadership, but also fills the need for an assistant brigade fire support officer (FSO)--a need that still exists in the legacy TOC.

The addition of these personnel creates a formula for success in the IBCT.

IBCT Counterfire Equipment. The FECC relies on a robust automation

After the R&S plan has been established with NAT to TAI links, enemy indirect fire assets can be detected, tracked and then attacked to generate full-spectrum effects.

The TUAV is the most flexible and dynamic IBGT targeting asset for counterfire. The TUAV allows the RSTA squadron to rapidly extend "eyes on target" over the brigade battlespace to locate threat fire support systems that meet the target selection standards (TSS) for a variety of delivery systems--intelligence and electronic warfare (IEW) systems, cannon or rockets and tactical air supportplatforms. In th recent IBCT Warfighter, the RSTA squadron FSE was able to detect supporting threat tube artillery elements, initiate an immediate GAS request and provide terminal control using the TUAV "eyes on" to achieve positive indirect control. The TUAV also served as an "observer" to provide corrections for indirect fire cannon missions.

See Figure 3 for a summary of proactive counterfire 'ITP. The LBCT will refine the TTP as the brigade conducts additional integrated, combined arms training exercises.

Reactive Counterfire. In the legacy force, the reactive counterfire process started at the brigade with the brigade FSO's and targeting officer's selecting desired zones and the FA battalion counterfire headquarters' completing the other tasks to make counterfire successful. Within the legacy FA battalion TOC, the battalion S3 positions the radar, the S2 creates the radar deployment order (RDO) and the battalion TOC, as a whole, conducts the time-honored counterfire drill.

In the IBCT, the FECC's counterfire cell is the focus of the reactive counterfire fight. The counterfire cell employs the brigade's two counteffire radars.

Much like the proactive counterfire fight, the reactive counterfire fight begins with the TSM. The TA platoon leader or platoon sergeant with the plans and targeting cell and counterfire officer map out a draft RDO, based on the requirements of the TSM for the radar. This draft RDO is posted digitally on the FECC plans cell AFATDS web site for the FA battalion staff to have input into radar planning. When ordered to do so by the ECOORD, the FECC counterfire cell AFATDS digitally inputs the RDO and sends it to the radar.

When the radar receives the information, it stores the new zones in the database and activates the RDO, which automatically turns the radar to the desired azimuth. When the radar receives an acquisition, it sends a priority-one call-for-fire or an artillery target intelligence coordinates report (ATI;CDR) to the counterfire cell AFATDS. Both message formats initiate a fire mission in the counterfire cell AFATDS; the counterfire officer takes the appropriate action. As with any other fire mission, coordination must be accomplished as needed and a firing unit that can support the mission must be chosen.

If the fire mission is denied because of an NFA or ROE restriction, the counterfire officer can coordinate with the brigade battle captain to send a maneuver unit to that location-an action that must not violate a ROE restriction. If the target is confirmed, the maneuver unit can destroy the target within the restrictions of the ROE.

The location of the counterfire cell at the brigade headquarters allows a level of flexibility in the reactive counterfire fight that previously was difficult to achieve.

Even with the addition of the 120-mm mortars with their 7.2 kilometer range in the infantry battalions and RSTA squadron, Field Artillery plays an important role in the close fight in the LBGT and will not walk away from that vital mission.

One of 1-37 FA's primary missions in support of maneuver forces in the IBCT is counterfire. But like all DS FA battalions, 1-37 FA must provide and coordinate for effects-based fires, lethal and nonlethal, throughout the brigade's battlespace--deep, close and rear.

Captain Kevin E. Finch is the Targeting and Plans Battle Captain in the Fires and Effects Coordination Cell (FECC) of the 3d Initial Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 2d Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington. His previous assignments include serving as a Battalion Assistant S3, Battalion Fire Support Officer (FSO), Battalion Fire Direction Officer (FSO), Firing Battery Platoon Leader, Platoon FDO and Company FSO, all with theist Battalion, 82d Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Lieutenant Colonel Henry S. (Skip) Larsen III commands the 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery, direct support to the IBCT at Fort Lewis. His previous assignments include serving as the Chief of the Policy and Strategy Division of the US Southern Command, Miami, Florida; S3 for the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, Ill Corps Artillery, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Executive Officer of 3d Battalion, 18th Field Artillery, also in the 17th Field Artillery Brigade; and Chief of Division Plans for the 2d Infantry Division in Korea. He commanded B Battery, 3d Battalion, 82d Field Artillery, 1st Cavalry Division during Operations Desert Shield and Storm.

Captain Vincent J. Bellisario is the FSO for theist Squadron, 14th Cavalry, the Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) Squadron of the IBCT at Fort Lewis. His previous assignments include serving in the 1st Armored Division as a Battalion FSO for 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry in Germany; as a Combat Observation Lasing Team Leader for the 16th Airborne Battalion (Polish) in Bosnia-Herzegovina during Operation Joint Guard; as a Firing Platoon Leader for 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery; and as an FDO for the 4th Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, also in Bosnia-Herzegovina during Operation Joint Endeavor.

Figure 1

Fires and Effects Coordination Cell (FECC) Staffing

DECOORD-04 (*)

Fire and Effects NCO-E7

FECC Forward Operations             FECC Main
and Counterfire Cell                Targeting and Plans Cell

Shift A:                            Shift A:

 Operations and Counterfire Battle   Targeting Officer-CW2
 Captain-03                          PlansNCO-E6
 Counterfire NCO-E6                  Fire Support Specialist/
 Fire Support Specialist/            Driver-E4
 Driver-E4

Shift B:                            Shift B:

 Counterfire Officer-CW2             Plans and Targeting Battle
 Operations NCO-E6                   Captain-03
 Fire Support Specialist/            Targeting NCO-E6
 Driver-E4                           Fire Support Specialist/Driver-E4

(*)ECOORD-05 serves in the tactical command post (TAC) with an
AECOORD-03

Legend:

AECOORD = Assistant Effects Coordinator

DECOORD = Deputy Effects Coordinator

ECOORD = Effects Coordinator (FA Battalion Commander)

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Figure 3: Proactive Counterfire Tactics. Teechniques and Procedures (TTP)

1. A digital call-for-fire (CFF) is sent from the reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) squadron fire support element (FSE) to the fires and effects coordination cell (FEOC).

2. The tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (TUAV) mission payload commander (MPC) inputs the appropriate battery's location into his workstation, allowing the ground control station (GCS) software to match the gun target (GT) and observer target (OT) lines; hence, the corrections from the TUAV MPC are identical to the corrections from the battery location.

3. The battery fires on the target; as rounds impact in the target area, the MPG operator captures the 10-digit grid of the impact on his workstation, and the software derives the correction.

4. Subsequent corrections derived by the MPG are verified by the RSTA fire support officer (FSO) and sent digitally to the FEOC. Simultaneously, voice commands are used to ensure positive observation of the target and target area to capture corrections and adhere to the rules of engagement (ROE).

5. The TUAV MPG provides combat assessment for the mission, and the RSTA FSO transmits battle damage assessment (BDA) to the FEOC.