Page 17 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

Once you have the intel you need,
targeting and tasking assignments
are laid out. Start on the objective,
and time you want to be there, then
work backwards. What do you need to
accomplish your task? How do you get
there? From where do you arrive? When
do you launch? Will you need to refuel?
What supporting assets do you need to
mitigate as much risk as possible?
The di erent steps to planning DT are
all inter-related, as they should work
together as an integrated whole to
achieve mission success. Targeting and
tasking should be planned in parallel,
and concurrently, to ensure seamless
integration. That can be challenging
since, in this era of modern warfare, no-
one ghts alone. When your objective
is one of particularly high value, you
can count on tremendous involvement
across the branches of armed service and
the intelligence community, as well as
overview at the most senior levels.
Devil is in the detail
The planning process for a mission
like this encompasses the complete
progression of taking the mission
commander’s intent (read: we’re going
to get this person, come hell or high
water) and guidance (read: get us there
safely, cover us while we’re there, and
get us out safely — we’ll handle the rest).
There needs to be a determination of
where to surgically apply force, where to
avoid contact at all cost, and how to get
there while causing the least amount of
alarm, tipping o scouts or informants,
right personnel and capabilities are like a well-oiled machine. Other times and crossing through airspace and
assigned, given the location of the will be complete chaos, wrought with over terrain controlled by potentially
target, the nature of area defenses, both spilled co ee, ared tempers, nger- hostile forces.
surface and air, the presence of other pointing, and all-round disdain for other Sounds easy, right?
‘Blue’ (friendly) forces, and a myriad of participants and their unique processes. As the mission nears its execution
other factors. But it works out, thanks to professionals phase, the charge becomes putting the
A typical DT mission template is broken like US Air Force weapons o cers, who required information into an integrated,
down into the following steps, referred to are masters of this type of chaos, and are synchronized, and co-ordinated order.
as an air tasking cycle: often the glue that holds it all together. That involves distributing the products
• Objectives, e ects, and guidance Recent events in the news are no to all users, not all of whom will be
• Target development exception. joining the party from the same place(s),
• Weaponeering and allocation The DT mission is built on the monitoring the execution of mission
• Air tasking order (ATO) production and foundation laid by the intelligence planning to adapt to changes in the
dissemination preparation of the operational operational environment, and assessing
• Execution planning and force execution environment (IPOE). Whether that intel the results of the combined e ort of all
• Assessment comes from signals intercepts, satellites, The 160th Special the agencies involved.
Operations
While these steps are provided in a human sources, hacking computer Aviation Regiment For the nal mission planning
sequence, the process of planning a networks, or whatever else is available, fl ies the uniquely portion, the goal is to produce the
mission like this, especially when so it all matters, and it all must paint the confi gured mission package materials and taskings
MH-47G for the
many di erence agencies are involved, same picture. If you don’t have credible, type of missions contained therein, ensuring they are
is anything but sequential. There will actionable information on which your described in this handed out to all the participating units
be moments in the mission planning plan will be based, your mission will fail feature. in order to place a dizzying array of
US Army/SSgt
cell when all will be humming along — if it launches at all. Reed Knutson capabilities into a position to accomplish

www.Key.Aero // January 2020 17 17

21/11/2019 20:55
16-19 Ops Desk C.indd 17
16-19 Ops Desk C.indd 17 21/11/2019 20:55