22nd STS

Joint Terminal Attack Controller

Course

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N-7 Training

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to train personnel in all aspects of air operations to allow them to function as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller or (JTAC). The JTAC is the link between the aircraft above and friendly units on the ground. This JTAC from a forward position directs support by fire missions and other air operations in close proximity to ground forces. A certified and qualified JTAC will be recognized across the Department of Defense as capable and authorized to perform Tactical Air Control. In Close Air Support (CAS) operations, Terminal Attack Control (TAC) is the authority to control the maneuver of and grant weapons release clearance to attacking aircraft. In order to do this the JTAC must:

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1. Know the enemy situation and location of enemy units
2. Know the supported teams target priority, desired effects, and timing of fires
3. Know the commander's intent and applicable ROE’s in place
4. Validate targets of opportunity
5. Submit calls for various types of air support to support aircraft
6. Control CAS and other air support assets in support of the mission
7. Deconflict aircraft in the airspace
8. Provide BDA reports

Poseidon

Poseidon is the senior battlespace commander that coordinates air and ground assets from a FAC(A) position. Poseidon is a senior TFT Officer, that retains ultimate authority over the battlespace and makes the final decisions on all airborne and ground based decisions in operations. Poseidon will actively monitor JTAC frequencies and will provide JTACs will tactical updates on the situation in the overall battlespace.

JTAC Frequencies & Callsigns

• STRIKE 1
• 250.000
• Primary Strike net
• Used for all JTAC comms (ISR/LZ/CAS)
• STRIKE 2
• 270.000
• Aux Strike net when 2+ JTACs or AOs
• Used for all JTAC comms (ISR/LZ/CAS)

NATO Phonetic Alphabet & Numbers

• Alpha
• Bravo
• Charlie
• Delta
• Echo
• Foxtrot
• Golf
• Hotel
• India
• Juliet

• One
• Two
• Tree
• Fo-ur
• Fife
• Six
• Seven
• Eight
• Niner
• Zero

• Kilo
• Lima
• Mike
• November
• Oscar
• Papa
• Quebec
• Romeo
• Sierra
• Tango

• Uniform
• Victor
• Whiskey
• X-ray
• Yankee
• Zulu

Procedure Words

• Go Ahead - Cleared to send traffic “Ugly 1-1 this is 1-2 GO AHEAD with traffic”
• Say Again - Request last station to repeat their message “Ugly 1-1 this is 1-2 SAY AGAIN your last”
• Repeat - Redo last strike DO NOT USE AS SAY AGAIN “Ugly 2-3 BDA 50/100 REPEAT”
• Interrogative - Request confirmation or ask question “Ugly 1-1 INTERROGATIVE what’s your heading”
• Wait Over - Pause for a few seconds before responding “Ugly 1-2 this is 1-1 WAIT OVER”
• Wait Out - Pause for 30+ seconds & will re-call to transmit information “Ugly 1-2 this is 1-1 WAIT OUT”
• Break - Break up blocks of information Physically release radio PTT “Ugly 1-1 proceed direct WP1 BREAK Climb & maintain Angles 20 at speed 350”

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• Read Back - Request station to read-back information “Ugly 1-1 this is 1-2 READBACK last report”
• Roger - I received & understand your transmission “Ugly 1-1 ROGER last traffic”
• Wilco - I received & will comply with your transmission “Ugly 1-1 WILCO your last”
• Correction - Made a mistake then say correct information “Ugly 1-1 CORRECTION bearing to mother is 200”

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• Over - Done transmitting waiting for a response “Ugly 1-1 this is 1-2, OVER”
• Out - Done transmitting no response expected “Ugly 1-1 copy all, OUT”
• 99 - Everyone on net “99 Paddles, taxi lights on”

Laser Brevity Terms

Laser Designator

• TEN SECONDS: Standby for LASER ON in approximately 10 seconds
• LASER ON: Laser designator is switched on target
• SHIFT (Direction): Used when switching to next target OR in multi aircraft attack
• SPOT: Acquisition of laser target (Called by aircrew)
• TERMINATE: Stop laser illumination of the target
• DEADEYE: Laser designator inoperative
• NEGATIVE LASER: Aircraft unable to acquire laser

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Laser Pointer

• SPARKLE: JTAC marks target with weapon IR laser
• SNAKE: Laser “jiggled” on the target
• PULSE: JTAC pulses laser by turning on and off several times
• STEADY: Indicates laser going stable after SNAKE or PULSE
• STOP: JTAC turns of laser
• ROPE: Circle the target with the laser

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Aircraft Brevity Terms

These represent calls pilots will make to JTACs and communication specific revelation information in a single world.

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• BLIND: Aircraft cannot establish visual contact with FRIENDLY forces
• VISUAL: Spotting of friendly ground forces
• CONTACT: Acknowledges the sighting of a specific ground reference
• NO JOY: No contact established with target
• # AWAY: JDAM dropped
• # PIGS: JSOW dropped
• PAVEWAY: Laser Guided Bomb dropped
• PICKLE: Unguided Bomb dropped
• RIPPLE: FFARs fired
• MAGNUM: HARM launch
• RIFLE: AGM launch
• GUNS: Guns being fired Air to Air/Air to Ground
• SHACKED: Kill on ground target
• SPLASH: Impact of A2G ordnance
• ARIZONA: Out of HARMs
• DAKOTA: Out of Air-Ground Munitions
• WINCHESTER: No ordnance remaining
• BINGO: Aircraft must leave station and RTB

Types of Calls

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)

The airframes at the disposal of the JTAC are not only used for engaging targets from the air, but also to provide eyes in the sky. The JTAC and ground assets may not always be able to see the entire area, in these situations they can rely heavily on the ability of air assets to get a complete picture of the battlespace.

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Landing Zone Operations (LZ)

As a JTAC you will be called upon to coordinate landing zone (LZ) operations with aviation assets. LZ operations require specific information but are highly dynamic in nature and vary from place to place.

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Close Air Support Operations (CAS)

As a JTAC you will be called upon to call in airstrikes on hostile forces and structures. 9-line fixed wing and 5-line rotary wing calls required specific information that provide critical information to pilots and ensure the safety of friendly units and civilians in the area.

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Broken Arrow

Friendly units in danger of being overrun or are actively being overrun. ALL aircraft called for direct support of ground units. Fire is brought within 500 meters of green smoke(s) thrown denoting friendly positions.

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Precedence of Calls

Mission and Tasking Precedence Mission and tasking precedence must be followed always. Precedence flows from highest on the chart to lowest. For example, if one JTAC has an Immediate CAS request and another has an ISR mission, the Immediate CAS would take radio/tasking precedence because of its location on the chart. The only way precedence will really work is if pilots and JTACs police each other on following the order.

Aircraft Check In

Aircraft when initially checking in with the JTAC will complete an aircraft check in that will provide key information to the JTAC about their capabilities. It is structured as follows:

1. Aircraft comms on net and flight leader checks in
1. “Hammer this is Ugly 1-1 checking in on STRIKE-1, west of the AO, ready for check in”
2. JTAC acknowledges flight leader
• “Ugly 1-1 this is Hammer 1-2 on STRIKE-1, proceed with check in”
3. Aircraft states check in following structure
• Callsign
• # of aircraft and type
• Semi-cardinal direction from AO
• Altitude in Angles
• Weapons list
• Time of Station
• Laser Capable (If not said they are not capable), DCS (Data Link)
• Abort Code
• “Hammer 1-2 this is Ugly 1-1, Ugly 1 is a flight of x4 F/A-18s, Currently NE of your AO, angles 12, GBU-12s, GBU-31s, AGM-65s on board, Time on Station 25 mikes, Laser & DCS Capable, Abort code is Whiskey, Ready for Tasking”
4. JTAC task aircraft
• “Ugly 1-1 abort is Whiskey, standby for tasking”

Situation Update

Situation updates are utilized to pass key information to any assets monitoring a specific frequency are passed throughout operations to provide live updates about the mission or battlespace. They are structured as follows:

1. Situation Update #
2. Threat Activity
3. Friendly Activity
4. Opening or closing of LZs, IPs, BPs, or FFAs
5. Ordnance Restrictions
6. Any other information necessary

ISR Missions

ISR missions can be utilized to determine the locations of friendly/neutral/hostile units, structures, or civilians and can help paint a more complete picture of the battle space. ISR mission calls consist of:

1. ISR Mission Grid Location
1. Lat/Long
2. MGRS
2. Area Description
• Urban area with industrial district
• T-intersection near river with checkpoint
• Military base east of the coast
3. Friendly Grid Location
4. Remarks
• AA west of the area
• Known armored vehicles

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Landing Zone Missions

Landing Zone (LZ) missions are utilized to land rotary wing assets in an AO, they are one of the most risky missions for rotary wing assets and require special consideration on behalf of the JTAC. LZ missions consist of:

• LZ Grid Reference
• Lat/Long
• MGRS
• Ingress & Egress
• Semi-Cardinal Direction
• Magnetic Bearing
• LZ Marking
• Smoke
• Designator
• IR Laser
• LZ Security
• Green - No enemy contact for 5+ minutes or known within 2 miles
• Yellow - Enemy contact <5 minutes or known within 2 miles
• Red - Troops in contact, Known AA, REQUIRES ARMED ESCORT

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Example Call

“TROLL 2 this is Hammer 1-1, LZ to follow, Grid YM51, Ingress from the North West, Egress 160, LZ Marked by Smoke confirm color on approach, LZ Yellow known Technicals west 2 miles”

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Close Air Support Missions

Close Air Support encompasses any air-ground offensive actions aimed to destroy hostile forces. They are the most hazardous task for JTACs to perform as it puts aircraft, civilians, and ground units at risk. Close Air Support is called in via two different formats. The 5-line utilized for rotary wing assets and 9-line utilized for fixed wing assets. These calls provide specific and critical information needed to conduct close air support operations effectively and safely.

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Flow of CAS Missions

Request aircraft from WARLORD -> Aircraft Checks in -> Get SITREP (If needed) -> Give 5/9-line to aircraft -> Conduct Battle Damage Assessment (BDA)

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Battle Damage Assessment (BDA)

Relayed to pilot after completion of strike mission. Scored as a percentage with 100 = 100% destruction of target. Read as a Number over 100 such as 80/100 (“eighty OVER one-hundred” = 80% target destruction). If BDA is low (<70/100) correct any error in the strike and call for REPEAT MISSION. - Once “end mission” is called, pass the desired EP you wish for the airframe to egress.

Terminal Attack Control Types

There are three types of terminal attack controller (TAC) Type I, II, and III each requiring a different set of procedures on behalf of the JTAC & pilot. Type of controls are designed to lower risk and give battlefield commanders the maximum safe latitude to execute close air support.

• Type I Control
• JTAC MUST have eyes on the Target AND Attacking Aircraft AT Weapons Release for each attack
1. This could mean eyes on via optics (binos) OR via digital assets (F10 map/LotATC in DCS)
• Utilized with pilots with language barriers, newer and lower trained pilots, adverse weather, lack of confidence
• Ensures pilots are targeting correct target by visually acquiring the target and ensuring no BLUE on BLUE
• Type II Control
• JTAC MUST have eyes the Target OR Attacking Aircraft for each attack
• If no eyes on target MUST get targeting data from another JTAC, Aircraft, SF Teams, or Drone
• Useful for guided munitions strikes where aircraft drops from altitude, adverse weather, or night ops
• Type III Control
• JTAC DOES require eyes on Target OR Attacking Aircraft
• Allows for multiple attacks within a single engagement
• JTACs provide general restrictions on when/where/how strikes are conducted, then blanket release is allowed
• JTAC monitors pilot radio traffic and maintains ABORT authority, JTACs can provide target designation
• Pilots assume responsibility for safety of strike

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9-Line Fixed Wing Call

Pre Call: Type of Control & Control Authority

1. Initial Point
2. Final Attack Heading (IP -> Target)
3. Target Distance (IP -> Target)
4. Elevation of Target (In Feet)
5. Target Description
6. Target Grid (Lat/Long or MGRS)
7. Target Marking (If Designator Call Code)
8. Nearest Friendly Unit & Mark
• Under 1 km call danger close
• No mark allowed over 500 meters
9. Egress Direction or Heading

Remarks (Munitions, Threats, Restrictions)

Example Call

“SWORD 1 this is Hammer 1-2, 9-line to follow, Type 3 control is in effect clearance through Sword 1, IP Tesla, 330, 15 miles, 360 feet, Factory Building, N 31 25 17 E 17 61 53, Marked by laser code 1445, Friendly 900 meters west danger close no mark, Egress East, Remarks GBU-24, Igla at OBJ, read back grid and remarks only”

5-Line Rotary Wing Call

1. Control Type, BOT or BOC, and Ordnance
1. BOT - Specific Target (EX - T-80 at crossroads)
2. BOC - Grid Coordinate
2. Friendly Location & Mark
• Grid (Lat/Long or MGRS)
• Mark (Smoke, Laser, None - Allowed if over 500m away)
• Must call danger close if under 1 km
3. Target Grid
• Lat Long OR GMRS
4. Target Description & Mark
5. Remarks & Restrictions

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Example Call

“TROLL 1 this is Hammer 1-1, 5 line to follow, Type 1 control is in effect, BOT, Hellfire, YM51 danger close marked by smoke green, N 51 31 35 E52 41 44, 52 ft, T-80 at the crossroads near the checkpoint, AA to the west, Restrict egress to the east, readback target grid only”

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