8. Planning Considerations:
EW planning follows the normal staff planning process.
It begins with the
mission and commanders guidance which lead to the development of an EW estimate
and annex.
Planning is based on the principles of EW and the following
considerations:
a. Step 1. Priorities.
The target-rich environment anticipated on the
battlefield will generate competing demands for EW support. These demands will
always exceed the MI unit's capability to respond.
The commander must
establish priorities among the types of targets selected for attack.
These
priorities are guidelines by which the G3 and S3 manage the EW planning and
coordination process.
Although the tactical situation may require frequent
reordering of priorities, the following are used as guidance for establishing
initial priories:
First priority - protect friendly C3 systems.
Second priority - attack enemy artillery and rocket forces.
Third priority - degrade or locate for destruction, the enemy air
defense elements.
Fourth priority - disrupt critical enemy C3 systems.
(1) The outcome of the battle depends largely on the commanders ability
to control friendly forces and weapon systems electronically.
This is
accomplished, in part, by locating enemy jammers and target acquisition systems
for destruction, screening friendly signals operation instructions (SOI) and
communications security (COMSEC) procedures, which are essential for the
commander to retain the capability to control. It is equally essential that
combat information flows without jamming interference.
(2) EW degrades enemy rocket and artillery capabilities by locating
communications and target acquisition assets for destruction and jamming.
Rocket, artillery, rocket launcher, and antitank units operate well forward
within range of our jammers.
(3) Joint
suppression
of
enemy
air
defenses
(JSEAD)
is
the
responsibility of ground and air forces. EW support of JSEAD is a two-phase
operation. First, enemy air defense systems that pose an immediate threat to
friendly air operations are located and either destroyed or jammed.
Second,
critical elements of the enemy air defense system are identified, located, and
destroyed.
(4) The enemy uses command nets to transmit combat orders between
superior and immediate subordinates, or, in a skip-echelon mode, two echelons
down. Regimental command nets are good EA targets, since they represent the
link between the planners at division and the fighters at battalion. Jamming
is particularly effective in close operations when the enemy is forced to
deviate from established plans.
It degrades the enemy's ability to move,
reorganize, and deliver fire on targets. Timing is a key factor because the
value of jamming is very short led.
b. Step 2. Technical Effectiveness. Jamming effectiveness is governed by
the factors listed below. The most important of these are the distances of the
target receiver from the jammer, and between the transmitter and receiver of
the targeted, enemy communications.
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IS3007
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