FIRE SUPPORT COORDINATION MEASURES
TTP-220-FSCM
This publication provides a single source tactics, techniques, and procedures that focuses on aircrews conducting air to ground operations in operations that utilize fire support coordination measures.
FSCMs can be broken down into two main categories:
In addition to FSCMs, this document is also concerned with Manuever Control Measures (MCMs) which are a coordination measure that does not imply permissive or restrictive fire but organizes the battlespace and outlines areas of responsibility
A kill box is a three-dimensional Fire Support Coordination Measure (FSCM), typically a cube, designed to allow interdiction flights to maneuver and engage targets without coordination.
AI, SCAR, Strike, and other air-to-ground taskings may be assigned to a kill box. A kill box is a measure, not a mission.
When a flight is assigned to a kill box, they control the airspace within that kill box, provided they are the only flight operating there. If multiple flights are operating within the same kill box, a SCAR flight must conduct deconfliction within the kill box. Flights not assigned to a kill box must not enter it for any reason other than an emergency.
Within a kill box, targets may be prosecuted based on Rules of Engagement (ROE) and other briefed targeting constraints. Designation of a kill box is not authorization to fire indiscriminately. A Mission Maker may construct ROE so that KBs have more permissive ROE than the default operational ROE.
Kill boxes should be portrayed as as purple (205,161,161) shaded polygon with solid border. They should be labeled with the prefix BKB or PKB for Blue Kill Box or Purple Kill Box respectively.
The Fire Support Coordination Line (FSCL) delineates coordination requirements for the joint attack of surface targets. The permissive area of this FSCM is beyond the FSCL, where targets can be engaged according to the operation’s standard Rules of Engagement (ROE) for identifying hostile forces. Areas between the FSCL and the Forward Line of Own Troops (FLOT) cannot be engaged without meeting the coordination requirements established by the Joint Force Commander (JFC).
FSCLs themselves do not determine the types of tasking that can operate either short of or beyond the FSCL. However, a common convention is:
Note that this convention is not technically correct, however it is convenient for DCS: World. AI flights operating short of the FSCL need to be controlled in a manner established by the JFC, typically via Forward Air Controller (Airborne) [FAC(A)] or Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC).
FSCLs should be portrayed as solid black lines with the word FSCL visibly attached to the line.
A Free Fire Area (FFA) is a designated area where any aircraft may employ any weapon system without coordination. Within an FFA,targets may be prosecuted based on Rules of Engagement (ROE) and other briefed targeting constraints. Designation of a kill box is not authorization to fire indiscriminately.
The primary difference between a FFA and a Kill Box, is that an FFA does not grant or imply exclusive use of the airspace to a flight. A flight should not be assigned to an FFA specifically, although they may be operating within one. A Mission Maker may construct ROE so that FFAs have more permissive ROE than the default operational ROE.
A No Fire Area (NFA) is an area where weapons and their effects may not:
This means that even stand-off munitions may not cross through an established NFA, although fighters themselves may. NFAs are established for various reasons:
NFAs should be portrayed as black-shaded polygons, with -X-X-X- print on their borders.