Air Assault Operations

*** Rate, Comment and Follow ***

Air Assault Operations are actions in which assault forces, using the mobility of rotary-wing assets (helicopters) and the total integration of available firepower (artillery, mortars, CAS), maneuver under the control of a ground or air maneuver commander to engage enemy forces or to seize and hold key terrain and/or key OBJs.

AAOs Introduction

CAB (Combat Aviation Brigade) Force Structure - 82D ABN


AAOs are precisely planned and vigorously executed combat operations. They allow forces to target OBJs over:

• extended distances

• terrain barriers

to attack the enemy forces:

• when and where he is most vulnerable

• in the vertical envelopment dimension

Air Assualt vs. Air Movement

Army Air Movements are operations involving the use of utility and cargo rotary-wing aircraft and Army operational support fixed-wing assets for other than AAOs such as moving the Soldiers in a non tactical fashion from the AA (Assembly Area) to the PLZ (Pick-up Landing Zone). Once at the PLZ, the Air Movement finishes and the tactical movement begins.

CAB (Combat Aviation Brigade) Force Structure

Defenition

Air Assault - The movement of friendly assault forces by rotary-wing aircraft to engage and destroy enemy forces or to seize and hold key terrain.



Serial - A serial is a tactical grouping of two or more aircraft under the control of a serial commander (aviator) and separated from other tactical groupings within the lift by time or space.

Chalk - A chalk comprises personnel and equipment designated to be moved by a specific aircraft.

Lift - Each time all aircraft assigned to the mission pick up Soldiers or equipment and set them down on the LZ, a lift is completed.

Step 1: Planning

METT-TC

Planning is based on precise analysis of the mission (METT-TC) and reverse planning.

The 5 major points of the reverse planning sequence comprise:

• Ground tactical plan

• Landing plan

• Air movement plan

• Loading plan

• Staging plan

Ground Tactical Plan
This plan is the building blockt of the operation and must be done first. Everything done after this is to support this plan.

*** It is important to remember that AAOs are to be viewed as a method of insertion and are executed to achieve a Ground Tactical Plan that would not otherwise be available without the use of rotary winged aircraft. ***

As AAOs pertains to Amra:

• can a recon be performed with 'eyes on' or UAV/UGV ?

• what faction are you fighting (CSAT or FIA) ?

• type of weapon systems does the faction posses (vehicle mounted AA vs. dismounted AA)

• what are the enemy known facts vs assumptions ?

• what can you do to change assumptions into facts ?

• should you seek out a HLZ that is further back but safer ?

• do you have support (MEDEVAC, wixed-wing CAS, artillery, mortar, ATTK helicopter) ?

• do you have battlefield sustainment (ammo/equipment slingloads) ?

Make sure to practice:

• slingloading

• fast roping

• actions on landing

• 'hot' vs 'cold' HLZ actions on the ground

Slingload camera shown highlighted in red box.


Game control option for slingload camera

Step 2: Ground Tactical Plan

Ground Tactical Plan
This plan is the building block of the operation and must be done first. Everything done after this is to support this plan.


The goals of the GTP should mirror those of the OPORD and specifically paragraph 2: MISSION


*** It is important to remember that AAOs are to be viewed as a method of insertion and are executed to achieve a Ground Tactical Plan that would not otherwise be available without the use of rotary winged aircraft. ***

Step 3: Landing Plan

HLZ Diagram


Landing Plan


Landing Plan - Zone Selection Factors


HLZ Considerations


Rehearsals

Step 4: Air Movement Plan

Air Movement Plan

Geared more towards pilots:

• Pick-up Zone, Landing Zone

• Air Corridor(s), ACP (Air Check Points)

• Start Point, Release Point

• flight profile (travelling, travelling overwatch, bounding overwatch)

• flight speed and altitude

Air Movement Worksheet

The non-tactical Air Movement can be made by any means, such as in the illustration above where a fixed wing (C-130/141/5A) is used for transport vehicles to the Assembly Area. From there the troops/equipment is/are brought to the Pick-up Zone for thetactical Air Movement portion of the phase.

Step 5: Loading and Staging Plan

Responsibilities


PLZ Diagram


Load Manifest

This Load Manifest shows the tactical Air Movement from the Pick-up Zone.

Step 6: PZ Extraction

Step 7: Force Multipliers

CAS brief for non-JTAC Soldiers


9 Line MEDEVAC


Artillery Call for Fire

Conclusions

Air Assualt is not to be confused with Air Movement.

AAOs are complex plans that need to be well planned and practiced before mission time.

Coordination is key to synchronize:

• + other units supporting the mission

• + fire support effectiveness

• + multiple PLZ/HLZs

• + follow on missions

[Greybeard]

There you go! Thanks!

[CW5 Darnell]

https://images.app.goo.gl/Hqg87rogWUSuZFHw7

Great chart from the air assault manual

[Greybeard]

Good point...perhaps you could reply with the basic HLZ sizes?!?

[CW5 Darnell]

Please add aircraft type/ size chart and help folks understand that a little bird flight and a chinook flight don’t have the same size HLZs

[Greybeard]

Thanks for the feedback!

[CW5 Darnell]

Makes me miss the 101st even more…

[twa517]

Everything you put together here just screams of how mods should be put together and played out.

[twa517]

Ooooh RAaahhh!!!
You have siezed the day with this.
This kind of guide makes me wish I was back in the military.
Well done, keep up the good work
More Please!!!

[XenoGames48]

If this is the guides people need, just join the real military ffs

[Roadhouse699]

"AIR ASSAULT!" -People at Air Assault School