Synchronizing Airpower and Firepower in the Deep Battle
Abstract
Deep battle was formally introduced to US warfighters through the Armys AirLand Battle doctrine during the early 1980s. The initial purpose for the deep battle, as envisioned by Air Force and Army leaders, was to delay and weaken Soviet second and follow-on echelons during a European conventional war. Within the AirLand Battle construct, the Air Force had the responsibility for synchronizing deep operations, and planned to employ air interdiction against Soviet maneuver forces to set the conditions for victory in the decisive close battle. The fire support coordination line, normally positioned at field artillery maximum range from the FLOT, separated the Air Forces deep operations from the Army s close battle. During the late 1980s, the Army fielded a potent deep battle capability. Concurrently, Army doctrine assigned the ground forces commander the responsibility for synchronizing deep operations with the close battle germinating the seeds of conflict with the Air Force over deep battle management. To better influence deep operations, the Army defined the FSCL as a permissive fire support coordination measure and also extended the range of fire support coordination line from the FLOT. The Persian Gulf War tested US deep battle doctrine. The JFACC, synchronized deep operations using several ad hoc procedures approved by the JFC. By most Air Force accounts the deep battle was well managed and executed, except for the Army s use of the FSCL during the last days of the war. Conversely, the Army was thoroughly disappointed with the prosecution of the deep battle during Desert Storm. Army frustration stems from the fact that the deep battle was synchronized by the JFACC and not by the ground forces commander in violation of Joint and Army doctrine. Joint doctrine produced since the Gulf War attempts to create a framework to synchronize airpowerand acceptable guidance to synchronize Air Force and Army deep operations. Re-defi
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA392017
Entities
People
- Kent Laughbaum
Organizations
- Air University