Synchronizing Airpower and Firepower in the Deep Battle

By R. Kent Laughbaum

Book Id: WPLBN0002170150
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.5 MB
Reproduction Date: 10/11/2012

Title:	Synchronizing Airpower and Firepower in the Deep Battle
Author:	R. Kent Laughbaum
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, Military Science, Military
Collections:	Authors Community, Technology
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Air University Press

Member Page:	Air University Press
Citation APA MLA Chicago Kent Laughbaum, B. R. (n.d.). Synchronizing Airpower and Firepower in the Deep Battle. Retrieved from http://self.gutenberg.org/

Description
The concept of “deep battle” was formally introduced to US war fighters during the early 1980s through the US Army’s AirLand Battle doctrine. As envisioned by Air Force and Army leaders, the initial purpose for the deep battle 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 responsibility for synchronizing deep operations and for employing air interdiction against Soviet maneuver forces to set the conditions for victory in the decisive “close battle.” The fire support coordination line (FSCL), normally positioned at field artillery maximum range from the forward line of troops (FLOT), separated the Air Force’s deep operations from the Army’s close battle.

Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2 EVOLUTION OF DEEP-BATTLE DOCTRINE DURING THE COLD WAR . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Evolution of AirLand Battle Doctrine . . . . . . 7 Air Force Doctrine and Deep Battle . . . . . . . 11 Evolution of the Fire Support Coordination Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 3 DEEP BATTLE DURING THE PERSIAN GULF WAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Deep-Battle Targeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Fire Support Coordination Line Friction . . . . 34 Synthesis and Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 4 DEEP BATTLE TODAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Army Doctrinal Evolution since the Persian Gulf War . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Air Force Doctrine since the Persian Gulf War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Joint Doctrine and the Deep Battle . . . . . . . 56 Synthesis and Final Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 61 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 5 CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77