MAGTF FIRES XXI.

The proposed concept of Marine air ground task force (MAGTF) fire support under development at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC), Quantico, Virginia, is based on current, planned and desired capabilities. By design, it is a broad concept that is adaptive to changes in technology, capitalizes on innovation and experimentation, and helps to enhance joint capabilities. The MAGTF fire support concept will enable the Marine Corps to build fire support principles and operational concepts to succeed in future battles out to 2015.

This article describes the MAGTF Fires XXI concept, starting with the overarching expeditionary maneuver warfare (EMW) warfighting strategy under which it falls, and developments in progress to make the fires concept a reality.

Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare. EMW is the Marine Corps' capstone concept that focuses on the arrangement of air, land, sea and information into a seamless battlespace for action across the full range of military operations. Unlike traditional operations, EMW focuses on maximizing the effects of specific actions, rather than on merely destroying an adversary's military forces.

Exploiting the advantage gained through the application of maneuver warfare principles requires Marines to have an unprecedented understanding of the situation, specific mission, desired end state and the effects necessary to achieve that end state. This requires a fire support package tailored for force projection to be as lean as possible yet retain the firepower to dominate an enemy force, allowing freedom of action for its own maneuver elements.

Fires for future MAGTF will be characterized by enhancements in strategic agility, operational reach and tactical flexibility.

Strategic Agility. Supporting arms systems must be ready to deploy to a theater of operations through any combination of lift (sea, air or land) and be prepared to employ immediately without an "operational pause."

Operational Reach. Fires employed by the MAGTF will support Marine forces from expeditionary bases to objectives within a theater of operations. Coordinated sets of effects enabled through expanded information operations (IO) and produced by all-weather, combined arms expeditionary fires will require the force to employ a single, integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ([C.sup.4]ISR) capability. All systems will be linked by a flexible command and control ([C.sup.2]) architecture capable of supporting naval surface fire support (NSFS), Marine air and surface fire support as part of joint, multinational and interagency operations.

Tactical Flexibility. MAGTF fire support systems must be able to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and support the force with its ability to sequence rapidly from one mission to another without needing to reorganize, re-equip or retrain. All available facets of fire support (air- ground- and sea-based) must be able to support an overwhelming tempo of operations.

Effects-Focused Fires. Marine Corps warfighting is effects-focused operations. These operations center on the notion that all actions undertaken by a joint task force (JTF) are linked to the commander's guidance and desired end state. Effects are the means to achieve that end state. Therefore, within the arena of fires, we can define the ends (purpose) in the following categories: disrupt, limit, delay and divert. Similarly, the means (how) can be categorized as destroy, neutralize, suppress and react (see the figure).

Effects-focused targeting synchronizes all lethal and nonlethal "fires" at the decisive time and place to achieve the commander's intent. The integrated use of informational activities and fires, both lethal and nonlethal, to achieve a common purpose is essential. We recognize that the targeting means is secondary to achieving the desired targeting effects as targets no longer reside strictly in the physical domain but include the perceptions, actions and reactions of civilians, military leaders and military forces.

The MAGTF supports achieving the JTF commander's end state through the application of effects enabled by information superiority. The full range of effects can set conditions for success and crisis termination. For example, the focus of joint fires, although lethal in nature, frequently is to create psychological shock, breaking an enemy's confidence, creating apprehension and confusion, shattering cohesion and causing him to react from a position of disadvantage or quit.

Accurately assessing the operational effects of MAGTF fires requires the early integration of intelligence and operational planning. We can measure physical effects through traditional observation. However, measuring psychological effects is more difficult and requires closely integrated intelligence methods, such as human intelligence (HUMINT), signal intelligence (SIGINT), counterintelligence (CI), enemy prisoners of war (EPW) reports, etc.

MAGTF Fire Support Development. Lethal MAGTF fire support must retain the strengths of its current design and leverage new technologies to enhance it's continuous availability; responsiveness; sufficiency in numbers and volume; ability to provide shaping fires; ability to acquire, track and identify targets; expeditionary nature; joint interoperability; and mutual supportability and survivability.

Continuously Available. Sufficient, accurate, proportional fires must be available in all weather conditions and in periods of reduced visibility. This fire support capability must be prepared for immediate employment without operational pause.

Responsive. Responsiveness is defined as the time lag between fires requested and the desired effects. The time from the request to the attack must provide the desired effects on the target in a timely manner.

The future targeting system will support and automate the decision cycle, providing reliable links from sensor-to-commander-to-shooter. Expeditionary fire support coordination systems will integrate the types of fires available to the MAGTF, allocate those fires, deconflict them and ensure that friendly units and noncombatants are protected. Leveraging revolutions in connectivity, redundancy and security will contribute to the realization of the next level of fires allocation and adjudication.

Sufficient In Numbers and Volume. Fire support assets will be available in sufficient numbers to allow the MAGTF commander to simultaneously shape the battlespace, weight the main effort or reallocate resources rapidly to support decisive maneuver. Fires also will be available in sufficient numbers to address a continuously emerging variety of targets throughout the course of the operation.

Able to Provide Shaping Fires. This will require the MAGTF have sustained, organic indirect fire support assets. Fire support assets must have extended ranges.

Able to Acquire, Track and Identify Targets. MAGTF target acquisition (TA) must locate high-payoff targets (HPTs), quickly share the targeting information, assess the information's accuracy and reliability, make engagement decisions and deliver the targeting data to the fire support asset available that can provide the best effects on target. This vital part of the MAGTF fire support system is often the most difficult.

Expeditionary. The MAGTF fire support system of 2015 will be as quickly deployable, sustainable and maneuverable as the elements of the MAGTF it supports. For first-entry maneuver forces, organic fire support (i.e., the firing system; prime mover, if required; TA systems; and ammunition) must be compatible with available lift assets. This will provide the minimum adequate direct support (DS) ground-based fires to committed maneuver forces.

Prosecuting deep operations requires a mobile long-range fire support system that can provide continuous, all-weather surface fires.

Interoperable with Other Services. Expeditionary fire support will require some systems unique to the Marine Corps. However, the Marine Corps will ensure its systems are fully interoperable with those of other services. This includes maximum possible ammunition, [C.sup.2] and hardware/software application compatibility.

Complementary, Mutually Supporting and Survivable. No one system can provide all capabilities. Systems must be mutually supporting, allowing them to cover deficiencies or capability gaps of other systems. Furthermore, no single system should be so vital and so unique that the loss of that system would cripple the entire fire support effort.

Future Systems. The following are some systems being developed to support MAGTF Fires XXI.

Target Acquisition. Operational forces will require a system that can track both friendly and enemy maneuver elements and fire support systems. MAGTF organic weapons-locating capabilities must be interoperable with all planned fire support communications systems operated by the Marine Corps and other services. It must be transportable by sea, air or land without special preparation and able to operate in any environment.

Marine forces will require an enhanced TA capability to support the EMW force. A proactive TA system will maximize the impact of MAGTF fires by seeking out HPTs or high-value targets (HVTs), allowing the MAGTF to maintain the initiative.

TA assets must provide the commander and fire support personnel the information to make rapid, accurate decisions. In order to do so, the system must verify the reliability of the targets and reduce the time required to transmit the target data into the decision-making/delivery system.

TA will come in many forms of active and passive capabilities, such as special operations forces, ground weapons-locating radars (GWLRs), space-based (satellites), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs)/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and forward observers (FOs). Rather than have a variety of observers, each specializing in one supporting arm, future fire support teams will feature "universal spotter" expertise, allowing them to coordinate and control all MAGTF supporting arms within the team.

Command and Control. Marine Corps doctrine emphasizes decentralized execution with subordinate commanders exercising the maximum possible latitude in accomplishing their missions. Future warfare, with its increased ranges and lethality, will force military formations to disperse to survive, stretching the limits of [C.sup.2].

The MAGTF fires [C.sup.2] system will have shared situational awareness through a common picture of the battlespace. Links to national, theater and tactical reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence systems will continuously update the tactical picture and provide TA support to the MAGTF.

Automation will streamline fire support procedures and support all aspects of fire support planning and execution. Future capabilities will capture the potentially overwhelming amount of data, manage that volume of information and, as empowered, provide knowledge to support decisions.

Information is valuable only insofar as it contributes to knowledge, understanding and decision-making. It is not the amount of information that is critical, but rather key elements of intelligence (when available as needed and in a useful form) that is critical to improving the commander's knowledge and understanding of the situation.

The fire support [C.sup.2] system will recognize information entered once at any location, update it across the system or provide it to selected users at any location. Commanders will have timely, accurate knowledge of friendly unit locations, activities and status. This improved friendly unit situational awareness will enhance the fire support system's ability to clear fires, significantly reducing the danger of fratricide, while providing more responsive fires.

MAGTF fire support [C.sup.2] will enable rapid analysis, course-of-action (COA) development and decision. The [C.sup.2] system will be survivable, have individual voice recognition, have simple power requirements and be flexible enough to react to task organizing into small, light packages. The [C.sup.2] system will be re-programmable on site, self-integrating with other systems, (joint, combined or interagency) and extendable to any tactical echelon.

Another key aspect under [C.sup.2] relative to fires is IO, which are actions taken to affect adversary information and information systems while defending one's own information and information systems. Historically, fires have been employed in the initial phases of operations to achieve air superiority. Future MAGTF fires will witness a shift in initial priority from obtaining air superiority to achieving information dominance--denying an adversary's ability to collect, process and disseminate information.

The MAGTF will integrate IO planning and execution into its concept of fires in order to disrupt or deny the enemy critical information and information systems necessary for him to operate effectively.

Weapons Systems. Future fire support weapons will have the responsiveness, accuracy, lethality, range and flexibility in terms of effects on targets to support the MAGTF commander throughout the full spectrum of operations. A balance of aviation, naval surface and ground-based capabilities will ensure the force commander will have the support he needs at all times and under all conditions.

* Aviation systems support the MAGTF commander's scheme of maneuver by dramatically expanding his ability to see throughout his battlespace plus assess and influence his battlespace. Aviation fires will provide local air superiority; escort vertical assault forces; provide deep air support, screening and close air support (CAS) for MAGTF maneuver elements; and strike HPTs. As the operational reach and tempo of the MAGTF increases under EMW, the importance of aviation as an integrated element will increase dramatically.

Aviation will continue to improve and may eventually overcome most weather limitations. But in the joint environment, the MAGTF commander must retain sufficient aviation assets to weight the main effort, shape the battlespace or support the JTF commander. MAGTF aviation must focus on developing a true all-weather capability.

The air combat element (ACE) supports the MAGTF commander's scheme of maneuver by dramatically expanding his ability to see, assess, influence and engage throughout his battlespace. Future airlift capabilities will improve the ACE's ability to exploit time and distance factors significantly while reducing today's current limitations on tactical lift.

* NSFS will remain a supporting arm critical to the success of the MAGTF, but the realities of magazine capacity, variety of munitions, terrain and weather, and continuous availability of NSFS will preclude it from filling all surface-to-surface fire support requirements. Further, even with the increased range and precision of new munitions, fire support is time-sensitive and long times of flight may not be acceptable for the ground combat element (GCE) commander with immediate fire support requirements.

* Future ground fire support will provide the MAGTF commander a combination of ground-based organic surface fires, to include a mobile rocket capability, medium artillery and an expeditionary fire support system (EFSS). The high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) will provide the initial rocket weapon; the lightweight 155-mm howitzer (LW155) under development will provide the near-term medium artillery and the EFSS has yet to be designed. Each system will provide unique capabilities and fill deficiencies or gaps in other systems.

This triad of ground-based fire support systems will increase the MAGTF commander's firepower significantly, especially in the GCE. They will provide shaping fires, long-range counterfires and immediately responsive direct support firepower for the close battle. The EFSS will be a very lightweight expeditionary system able to penetrate deep with maneuver units.

If an adversary is in a position to threaten current or future operations, the MAGTF will be able to locate and engage him early enough to prevent him from inhibiting operations--will be able to execute proactive counterfire. These requirements affect weapons, but also apply to associated capabilities, such as TA, intelligence, communications and the transport necessary to reposition weapons and ammunition.

Infantry mortars will continue to provide very close, continuous fire support to MAGTF units. Mortars will have advanced fire control systems for faster response, greater first-round accuracy and integration into the fire support coordination network. Increased lethality for mortar projectiles is also desirable.

Conclusion. To support the MAGTF and the dynamic nature of future conflict, MAGTF fires will be expeditionary in nature, naval in character, flexible, adaptable and sustainable. Improvements in expeditionary fire support in concert with dramatic improvements in the operational and tactical mobility of the landing force will enable the MAGTF commander to generate overwhelming combat power, tempo and momentum.

Combined arms doctrine will remain valid in the future. The synergistic effects of the MAGTF's warfighting functions will enable the commander to shape his battlespace and exploit the enemy's critical vulnerabilities to achieve the decisive action envisioned in EMW.

Major Brian D. Ken, US Marine Corps (USMC), is the Fire Support and Amphibious Doctrine Officer in the Doctrine Division of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command (MCCDC), Quantico, Virginia. Among other billets, he also has served as the Artillery Representative as part of the Tactical Training, Exercise Control Group (TTECG) at Twentynine Palms, California, and Executive Officer for the Marine garrison at Camp Fuji, Japan. He commanded A Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines in Hawaii and Headquarters Company, 3d Marines, also in Hawaii. He is a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and holds a master's degree in Management from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri.

Major Thomas O. Mayberry, USMC, until recently, was a Naval Surface Fire Support Requirements Officer in the Warfighting Requirements Division of MCCDC. Currently, he is a Program Coordinator in the Program and Resources Division at Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, DC. Among other billets, he was the Commander of Headquarters Battery, 2d Battalion, 11th Marines at Camp Pendleton, California, where he also served as the Regimental Assistant Operations Officer. He served with the 2d Air Ground Liaison Company, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, deploying to Somalia as a Firepower Control Team Officer and to Haiti as a Supporting Arms Liaison Team Officer. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Averett College, Danvillle, Virginia.

Ends (Purpose)

Disrupt--Fires to preclude the interaction or cohesion of enemy combat and combat support systems.

Limit--Fires to reduce the options or courses-of-action (COAs) available to the enemy commander.

Delay--Fires to alter the time of arrival of forces at a point on the battlefield or the ability of the enemy to project combat power from a point on the battlefield.

Divert--Fires delivered as an interdiction objective to tie up critical enemy resources.

Means (How)

Destroy--Fires to destroy the target's combat effectiveness. A unit, weapon system or other battlefield operating system (BOS) is destroyed when it can't accomplish its combat mission until reorganized, regrouped or replaced.

Neutralize--Fires to render a target temporarily ineffective or unusable. A unit, weapon system or other BOS is neutralized when it can't accomplish its combat mission for a period of time.

Suppress--Fires on or about a weapons system (a combination of one or more weapons with all related equipment, materials, services, personnel and means of delivery and deployment required for self-sufficiency) or some other BOS to degrade the system's performance below the level needed to fulfill its mission objectives during the conduct of the fire mission.

React--Fires to cause a given effect (inform, influence, warn, gain cooperation, disorganize, isolate or deny) on an opposing force other than destroy, neutralize or suppress. Reactionary effects include lethal and nonlethal fires and information operations (IO) designed to influence the adversary.

Effects-Focused Marine Corps Warfighting Philosophy