¶ Introduction
Joint Terminal Attack Control is a specified role performed by personnel in an Army, Marines, Navy, or Air Force, responsible for guiding cross-branch (or an adjacent nation’s) aviation assets through the terminal phase of an attack, as well as being legally authorized to direct the release of air-to-surface fires, or ordnance.
Joint Air-to-Surface Fires are split into four categories: armed reconnaissance (AR), air interdiction (AI), strike coordination and reconnaissance (SCAR), and close air support (CAS).
- AR is defined as “air operations to locate and attack targets of opportunity, such as enemy materiel, personnel, and facilities in assigned areas, but differs from AI as the target locations are not known or briefed in advance.”
- AI is defined as “air operations conducted to divert, disrupt, delay, or destroy the enemy’s military potential…and conducted at such distance from friendly forces that detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement of friendly forces is not required.”
- SCAR is defined as “a mission flown for the purpose of detecting targets and coordinating or performing attack or reconnaissance on those targets. SCAR missions are flown in a specific geographic area and are an element of the command and control (C2) interface to coordinate multiple flights, detect and attack targets, neutralize enemy air defenses, and provide physical and functional damage assessment.”
- CAS is defined as “…air action by fixed-wing (FW) and rotary-wing (RW) aircraft against hostile targets that are in close proximity to friendly forces and requires detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement of those forces.”
The emphasis on this course will be the fourth category: close air support.
The responsibility of a Joint Terminal Attack Controller is of the safety of friendly ground troops, the safety of attacking aviation assets, the avoidance of harm to noncombatants, and assessing the effects of strikes on an enemy in accordance with a Commander’s Intent.
The training requirements for the responsibility of requesting, planning, briefing, and executing low/medium/high-level Close Air Support (CAS) operations are outlined in NATO Standard (STANAG) 3797 - Minimum Qualifications for Forward Air Controllers.
An individual with this qualification can be referred to as a JTAC, a Forward Air Controller (FAC), or simply as a Controller. They may act as a single individual in an unrelated ground-based echelon (GFAC), or may form part of a Fire Support Team (FiST), a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), airborne in a fixed-wing aircraft (FAC-A), or airborne in rotary-wing asset (ABFAC).
¶ Close Air Support
Close Air Support (CAS) is executed in a twelve step template:
- Routing and safety of flight
- CAS aircraft check-in
- Situation update
- Game Plan
- CAS brief
- Remarks and restrictions
- Readbacks
- Correlation
- Attack
- Assess effects
- Battle damage assessment
- Routing and safety of flight
¶ Routing and Safety of Flight
CAS aircraft will remain at the contact point/marshal as directed by C2 until approved in to the AO by the stack owner.
¶ Routing and Safety of Flight Considerations:
- Three-dimensional directions from the current aircraft position to the intended holding point or area.
- Holding point and altitude, once established, and which agency to contact.
- Other aircraft on station.
- Surface-to-air threats.
- Any gun-target-line information (active or inactive) and azimuth/location.
¶ Inital Point (IP) Selection
Pre-planned, geographic IPs (or rotary Battle Positions (BP) and Holding Areas (HA)) are useful for multi-target environments. These would be briefed prior to a mission’s execution, and could entail things easily visible from the air, such as peaks, intersections, bodies of water, or other distinguishable terrain.
Routing to these are simple: “AIRCRAFT C/S, CONTROLLER C/S, proceed/offset IP X, blocks Y-Z, send check-in.”
Alternatively, the keyhole template is an efficient method for establishing an IP/HA in absence of control points.
- When using the keyhole template with fixed-wing (FW) assets, distances represents nautical miles (NM) from the Echo point and closest allowable hold range to the Echo point.
- When using the keyhole template with rotary-wing (RW) assets, distance represents kilometers (KM) to the center of the BP, with the standard BP being 2 km x 2 km.
Stack owners may direct CAS to loiter the Echo point outside a specified distance, using the term “maintain Echo (distance).” (e.g., “maintain Echo 5”).
The target location may be used as the Echo point.
¶ Examples
- “Keyhole in effect, Echo point NB 234 876. Proceed to Bravo 8, block 17-19, you are the only aircraft on station, send check-in when ready.”
- “Echo point ME 1234 5678, proceed immediately overhead Echo at block 15-16 thousand, hold full check-in, say ordnance and playtime.”
- “Proceed to HA NANCY ANGELS 2 and below, you are the only aircraft on station. Advise established, check-in.”
- “Proceed to MAZDA, block 13-14, check-in when able.”
¶ Aircraft Check-in
¶ Example
- “Mission number AB2061, 2 by F/A-18 “Hornet”. 10 miles north of MAZDA, inbound from 200, to block 13 to 14. 4 by MK-82 instantaneous and delay fuzing, 450 rounds of 20mm each. 35 minutes of playtime. ATFLIR. Abort code PINEAPPLE.”
¶ Situation Update
JTACs will provide the situation update to arriving aircraft, when able. Arriving aircraft should provide the JTAC with factor threat information, if known.
¶ Example
- “FLIGHT01, CONTROLLER, situation update is as follows:”
- “The current surface-to-air threat is an unlocated ZSU 23-4, last seen west of MSR 5.”
- "The enemy situation is a light armored company attempting to flank us to the north and two companies dug in three klicks to our west, break.”
- “Friendlies are two companies in the vicinity of OP 2, one on the high ground and the other in a blocking position to the east. I am with the company on the high ground. There is also a team at the northwest tip of Blue Mountain.”
- “81mm mortars are firecapped south of OP 2, firing generally northwest, break.”
- “Winds on the deck are 15–20 knots out of the northwest.”
- "I have infared, but no laser.
- "Request ‘IN’ with heading for all type 2 controls. I plan on using you to disrupt the light armor. Advise when ready for game plan.”
¶ Game Plan
- Type of Control
- Type 1: JTAC requires control of individual attacks, and the situation requires the JTAC to visually acquire the attacking aircraft AND the target for each attack. This may be necessary when attacking aircraft geometry is required to reduce risk of collateral damage, language barriers when controlling coalition aircraft, lack of confidence in a particular platform, adverse weather, or aircrew capability.
- Type 2: JTAC requires control of individual attacks and is unable to visually acquire the aircraft OR is unable to visually acquire the target. This may be applicable under certain conditions, such at night, adverse weather, high altitude, or standoff ordnance employment.
- Type 3: JTAC requires the ability to provide clearance for multiple attacks, within a single engagement, subject to attack restrictions. This DOES NOT require the JTAC to visually acquire the aircraft OR the target. JTACs provide targeting restrictions (such as time, geographic boundaries, final attack headings), and then grant a “blanket” weapons release clearance to achieve the prescribed restrictions. The JTAC monitors radio transmissions and maintains abort authority.
- Method of Attack
- Bomb-on-Target (BOT): Aircraft will acquire the target or intended aimpoint using the best method available. Requires a TALLY/CONTACT/CAPTURED call. Examples include: laser guided munitions, unguided ordnance with aircraft visually acquiring the target and making self-corrections, correction from a mark or reference point, GPS weapon employment that is lased, or rockets/guns on PID’d targets.
- Bomb-on-Coordinates (BOC): Aircraft will employ weapons on the specified coordinates given in the CAS brief. Useful in situations where an enemy may be concealed to the attacking aircraft, a talk-on would take too much time, or any situation where the intended effects can only be created with an 8 or 10-digit-grid / precise Lat/Long.
- Ordnance / Effects Desired
- Interval of Aircraft Attacks, if appropriate
¶ Examples
- “RUMBLE41, REDMAN01, Type 2 control, bomb on coordinate, 1 by GBU-32 each, airburst fusing, simultaneous impacts, advise when ready to copy 9-line.”
- “FANG24, Type 1, bomb on coordinate, advise when ready for 9-line.”
- “WINDER61, Type 1 control, BOT, 2 by MK-82 each, instantaneous fuzing, 30-second separation, advise when ready for 9-line.”
¶ CAS Brief (9-line)
Do not transmit the line numbers. Units of measure are standard unless briefed.
If you do not want to deliberately ingress your attacking aircraft, begin your CAS brief at line 4. The elevation transmission should begin with “Elevation.” (E.g., “From the overhead. Elevation, four-hundred fifty feet …”)
- IP/BP: “__________________.”
- Heading: “__________________.” (degrees magnetic or IP/BP position-to-target) | Offset: “-----------.” (left or right, when requested)
- Distance: “__________________.” (IP-to-target in NM, BP-to-target in meters)
- Target elevation: “__________________.” (in feet, mean sea level)
- Target description: “__________________.”
- Target location: “__________________.” (Lat/Long, MGRS, or offsets)
- Type mark/terminal guidance: “__________________.” (omitted if BOC, description of the mark; if laser, callsign of lasing platform & code)
- Location of friendlies: "__________________. (from target, cardinal direction and distance in meters) | Position marked by “-----------.”
- Egress: “__________________.” (cardinal direction or keyhole routing)
¶ Remarks and Restrictions
Remarks include:
- Laser-to-target line/pointer target line.
- Surface-to-air threat, location, and type of air defense suppression.
- Gun-to-target line, weather, hazards, etc.
- Additional calls requested.
Restrictions include:
- Final attack headings or attack direction.
- Airspace coordination areas.
- Danger close and approval initals.
- Post launch abort restrictions.
- Time on target/time to target.
- Approval out of battle position for rotary-wing aircraft.
¶ Readbacks
Lines 4, 6, and any restrictions are mandatory readbacks, but the JTAC may request additional readbacks.
¶ Correlation
This is the process by which the JTAC coordinates and confirms the attacking aircraft have acquired the correct target or mark. Correlation is required on each attack.
¶ Bomb-on-Coordinates
Correlation is complete when the attacking aircraft completes readbacks on lines 4, 6, and restrictions.
¶ Bomb-on-Target
The JTAC coordinates actions to mark the target and positions the aircraft to acquire the mark and/or the target. Throughout correlation, JTACs should confirm that the aircrew is looking at the same reference points as is the JTAC by asking questions with unique and distinct answers that will indicate the correlation is on track.
Once the JTAC is satisfied that the aircrew has acquired the correct target, the JTAC should confirm the target, and strive to include what the target is in this statement, such as “the third vehicle is your target”, or “the individual north of the road is your target”, to avoid ambiguity. Aircrew should respond with “TALLY” (target/object), “CAPTURED”, or “CONTACT” as appropriate.
¶ Examples - BOT
For laser hand-off:
- “LATCH65 proceed inbound heading 230 to 260, STARE 1688, Papa Uniform 123456.”
- When in position, “Ten seconds … BROADSWORD11, LASER ON.”
- “BROADSWORD11, LASING, 1688.”
- The JTAC shall ensure continuous lasing until the aircrew directs, “LATCH65, SPOT, CEASE LASER.”
Once the aircrew has called SPOT, the JTAC will begin verbal correlation. - “LATCH65, what do you have under your crosshairs?”
- “LATCH65 has a single armored vehicle oriented north-south.”
- “LATCH65, that armored vehicle is your target.”
- “LATCH65, CAPTURED.”
For talk-ons:
Descriptions should be simple and short, driving the aircrew’s eyes or sensors from one point to another. A technique for doing this is known by the mnemonic “FIDO”.
- From a easily recognizable start point.
- In a cardinal direction.
- Distance to travel.
- Object seen (what the JTAC wants the aircrew to see.)
- “RAZOR53, from the cubby-hole, proceed south across MSR Michigan to the first building and call CONTACT.”
- “RAZOR53, CONTACT.”
- “RAZOR53, that building will be called the bank; from the bank, go two buildings east and call CONTACT on a building with a courtyard in the middle.”
- “RAZOR53, CONTACT.”
- “RAZOR53, Which side of the courtyard opens to the street?”
A two-to-one ratio should be used when conducting talk-ons. Give two directing statements, then ask a confirming question of the aircrew.
¶ Attack
Once an aircraft calls “IN”, all other calls should be held until after the JTAC has issued weapons-release or an abort. The exception to this is that anyone can, and should, call an abort at any time they deem necessary.
¶ Clearance to Drop/Fire
Once requirements for the prescribed type of control are met, it is important to pass clearance in a timely manner to give aircrews time to prosecute the attack before release parameters have expired.
¶ Abort Procedures
Communications security encourages the use of a pre-briefed challenge & reply abort code. For example, if during aircraft check-in, the abort code “BRAVO ROMEO TANGO” is given, it may be pre-briefed that “DELTA” is the authenticated reply, and should be used as:
- “AIRCRAFT C/S, CONTROLLER C/S, ABORT DELTA, ABORT DELTA, ABORT DELTA”.
In the absence of this, or in the absence of an abort code given during check-in, simply transmitting “ABORT, ABORT, ABORT” will suffice.
¶ Assess Effects
The JTAC provides assessment of weapon(s) effects and updated commander’s intent. The controller should ensure that previous restrictions are still applicable to reattacks and change them if necessary.
¶ Battle Damage Assessment
An accurate BDA is critical to confirm CAS attacks met the commander’s intent. Depending on target type, sensor capabilities, and threat level, the aircrew may be able to provide a BDA, however; the JTAC may be able to provide a more accurate BDA.
- Size: “____________.” (number and type of equipment/personnel observed)
- Activity: “____________.” (movement direction, stationary, dug-in, etc.)
- Location: “____________.”
- Time: “____________.”
- Remarks: “____________.” (munitions expended, observed damage, mission number, mission accomplishment, etc.)
Optional lines include:
- Munitions Effective Assessment: “____________.”
- Re-attack Recommendation: “____________.”
¶ References
Joint Publication 3-09.3 (With note to Appendix E)
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