COALITION Wiki - User contributions [en]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2021-11-23T04:29:15Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a visual reference that is not the target, e.g. "Contact, three-way intersection north of FOB Haters."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' SCRIPTED EXAMPLES: '''

'''Example of the typical modern NATO CAS employment using type one with no talk-on based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.

Aircraft: ''Contact red smoke.''

Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

Aircraft weapons release.

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

'''Example using talk-on:'''

JTAC starts with a really, really obvious visual feature that can't possibly be mistaken for something else and guides the pilot to the target step-by-step.

JTAC: Yankee, advise when ready for talk-on.

Aircraft: Sniper, Yankee, go ahead.

JTAC: Yankee, call contact mosque in Reallybad.

Aircraft: Contact mosque.

JTAC: Call contact north/south ASR adjacent to mosque.

Aircraft: Contact ASR.

JTAC: Follow the road north for about 500 meters and call contact first large green field on the West side of the ASR.

Aircraft: Contact field.

JTAC: Call tally vehicle in field.

Aircraft: Tally vehicle!

JTAC: That vehicle is your target. Dispersed infantry nearby. Attack with rockets. Call in.

Aircraft: Copy rockets.

Aircraft positions for attack...

Aircraft: In from the south!

JTAC: Cleared hot.

Kaboom

JTAC: Good hits, looks like the vehicle is destroyed.

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2021-11-23T04:28:27Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a visual reference that is not the target, e.g. "Contact, three-way intersection north of FOB Haters."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' SCRIPTED EXAMPLES: '''

'''Example of the typical modern NATO CAS employment using type one with no talk-on based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.

Aircraft: ''Contact red smoke.''

Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

Aircraft weapons release.

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

'''Example using talk-on:'''

JTAC: Yankee, advise when ready for talk-on.

Aircraft: Sniper, Yankee, go ahead.

JTAC: Yankee, call contact mosque in Reallybad.

Aircraft: Contact mosque.

JTAC: Call contact north/south ASR adjacent to mosque.

Aircraft: Contact ASR.

JTAC: Follow the road north for about 500 meters and call contact first large green field on the West side of the ASR.

Aircraft: Contact field.

JTAC: Call tally vehicle in field.

Aircraft: Tally vehicle!

JTAC: That vehicle is your target. Dispersed infantry nearby. Attack with rockets. Call in.

Aircraft: Copy rockets.

Aircraft positions for attack...

Aircraft: In from the south!

JTAC: Cleared hot.

Kaboom

JTAC: Good hits, looks like the vehicle is destroyed.

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2021-11-23T04:27:50Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a visual reference that is not the target, e.g. "Contact, three-way intersection north of FOB Haters."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' SCRIPTED EXAMPLES: '''

'''Example of the typical modern NATO CAS employment using type one with no talk-on based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

Aircraft weapons release.

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

'''Example using talk-on:'''

JTAC: Yankee, advise when ready for talk-on.

Aircraft: Sniper, Yankee, go ahead.

JTAC: Yankee, call contact mosque in Reallybad.

Aircraft: Contact mosque.

JTAC: Call contact north/south ASR adjacent to mosque.

Aircraft: Contact ASR.

JTAC: Follow the road north for about 500 meters and call contact first large green field on the West side of the ASR.

Aircraft: Contact field.

JTAC: Call tally vehicle in field.

Aircraft: Tally vehicle!

JTAC: That vehicle is your target. Dispersed infantry nearby. Attack with rockets. Call in.

Aircraft: Copy rockets.

Aircraft positions for attack...

Aircraft: In from the south!

JTAC: Cleared hot.

Kaboom

JTAC: Good hits, looks like the vehicle is destroyed.

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2021-11-23T04:27:16Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a visual reference that is not the target, e.g. "Contact, three-way intersection north of FOB Haters."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' SCRIPTED EXAMPLES: '''

'''Example of the typical modern NATO CAS employment using type one with no talk-on based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

Aircraft weapons release.

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

'''Example using talk-on:'''

JTAC: Yankee, advise when ready for talk-on.

Aircraft: Sniper, Yankee, go ahead.

JTAC: Yankee, call contact mosque in Reallybad.

Aircraft: Contact mosque.

JTAC: Call contact north/south ASR adjacent to mosque.

Aircraft: Contact ASR.

JTAC: Follow the road north for about 500 meters and call contact first large green field on the West side of the ASR.

Aircraft: Contact field.

JTAC: Call tally vehicle in field.

Aircraft: Tally vehicle!

JTAC: That vehicle is your target. Dispersed infantry nearby. Attack with rockets. Call in.

Aircraft: Copy rockets.

Aircraft positions for attack...

Aircraft: In from the south!

JTAC: Cleared hot.

Kaboom

JTAC: Good hits, looks like the vehicle is destroyed.

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2021-11-23T04:25:12Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a visual reference that is not the target, e.g. "Contact, three-way intersection north of FOB Haters."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' SCRIPTED EXAMPLES: '''

'''Example of the typical modern NATO CAS employment using type one with no talk-on based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.
''
JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.
''
JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.
''
Aircraft: ''Contact.''

''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.
''
Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.
''
JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

''Aircraft weapons release.
''
JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

'''Example using talk-on:'''

JTAC: Yankee, advise when ready for talk-on.

Aircraft: Sniper, Yankee, go ahead.

JTAC: Yankee, call contact mosque in Reallybad.

Aircraft: Contact mosque.

JTAC: Call contact north/south ASR adjacent to mosque.

Aircraft: Contact ASR.

JTAC: Follow the road north for about 500 meters and call contact first large green field on the West side of the ASR.

Aircraft: Contact field.

JTAC: Call tally vehicle in field.

Aircraft: Tally vehicle!

JTAC: That vehicle is your target. Dispersed infantry nearby. Attack with rockets. Call in.

Aircraft: Copy rockets.

''Aircraft positions for attack...
''
Aircraft: In from the south!

JTAC: Cleared hot.

''Kaboom''

JTAC: Good hits, looks like the vehicle is destroyed.

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2021-11-23T04:23:00Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a visual reference that is not the target, e.g. "Contact, three-way intersection north of FOB Haters."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' SCRIPTED EXAMPLES: '''

'''Example of the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

'''Example using talk-on:'''

JTAC: Yankee, advise when ready for talk-on.

Aircraft: Sniper, Yankee, go ahead.

JTAC: Yankee, call contact mosque in Reallybad.

Aircraft: Contact mosque.

JTAC: Call contact north/south ASR adjacent to mosque.

Aircraft: Contact ASR.

JTAC: Follow the road north for about 500 meters and call contact first large green field on the West side of the ASR.

Aircraft: Contact field.

JTAC: Call tally vehicle in field.

Aircraft: Tally vehicle!

JTAC: That vehicle is your target. Dispersed infantry nearby. Attack with rockets. Call in.

Aircraft: Copy rockets.

'''Aircraft positions for attack...'''

Aircraft: In from the south!

JTAC: Cleared hot.

'''Kaboom'''

JTAC: Good hits, looks like the vehicle is destroyed.

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2021-11-23T04:22:14Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a visual reference that is not the target, e.g. "Contact, three-way intersection north of FOB Haters."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

'''Example using talk-on:'''

JTAC: Yankee, advise when ready for talk-on.

Aircraft: Sniper, Yankee, go ahead.

JTAC: Yankee, call contact mosque in Reallybad.

Aircraft: Contact mosque.

JTAC: Call contact north/south ASR adjacent to mosque.

Aircraft: Contact ASR.

JTAC: Follow the road north for about 500 meters and call contact first large green field on the West side of the ASR.

Aircraft: Contact field.

JTAC: Call tally vehicle in field.

Aircraft: Tally vehicle!

JTAC: That vehicle is your target. Dispersed infantry nearby. Attack with rockets. Call in.

Aircraft: Copy rockets.

'''Aircraft positions for attack...'''

Aircraft: In from the south!

JTAC: Cleared hot.

'''Kaboom'''

JTAC: Good hits, looks like the vehicle is destroyed.

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2021-11-23T04:15:30Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a visual reference that is not the target, e.g. "Contact, three-way intersection north of FOB Haters."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

Communication and Marking

2021-10-17T21:33:40Z

Jester2138:

Communication is top priority whether you're a rifleman or a platoon leader. Remember, during a session, '''if you're not shooting or moving, you should be communicating'''.

== Radio Communication ==
Through our radio system (ACRE2), we use a full-duplex system which allows multiple people with different radios to talk on the same channel at the same time. This means we have to practice certain protocols to ensure information flows up and down the chain of command properly. By default the '''Caps Lock''' key allows you to transmit over the radio. Below is an image of the message that will appear in the bottom right of your screen when you are transmitting over the radio.

[[File:TransmittingImage.png]]

In addition to letting you know that you are transmitting this message also display some useful information. It shows which radio you are broadcasting on (in this case the PRC-343) and which channel you are broadcasting on (in this case Block 1 - Channel 1). This is important to note so you are transmitting on the correct channel using the correct radio. Before the mission starts it is worth checking your gear to see which radios you have. If you have to change the channel you are broadcasting on, you can open and close the currently selected radio by using the hotkey '''Ctrl + Alt + Caps Lock''' Or by double clicking the radio in your inventory. If you need to cycle between multiple radio, use the hotkey '''Ctrl + Shift + Caps Lock'''. A full list of hotkeys can be found in the section below or the mission briefing.

=== Radios & Radio Channels ===
All radio nets are listed at the map briefing screen. However, you can also find a list of them here. All fireteams have their own private AN/PRC-343 ("walkie-talkie") while communication between assets, squads, and the platoon all happen on different long-range radios such as the AN/PRC-152, AN/PRC-148, and the AN/PRC-117F.

'''Short-Range AN/PRC-343:'''

The AN/PRC-343 or 343 is most basic radio we use. It is mostly used for communication between Fireteam leaders. Almost every position uses a 343 to communicate and it is an important radio to become familiar with. The 343 has the shortest range of all the radios we use so it is important to remember it can only be used to contact nearby elements. The 343 comes equipped with a 2.5in antenna, a max output of 50mW and a range of up to 500 metres in rural terrain. The 343 operates on an Ultra High Frequency. This means they cannot transmit or receive messages from a 152 or 148. Below is an image of the 343 when you open it up.

[[File:An-prc-343 interface.jpg|1000px|centre]]

Looking at the 343, you can see there are two dials at the top as well as a detachable handle on the left side. The left dial can be used to change the volume of your radio. The right dial can be used to change the channel of your radio. The radio will go from channel 1 to channel 16. The handle on the right can also be detached to in order to change the block being transmitted on. Currently there is not need to change the block. Make sure the handle is attached or the radio will not work.

[[File:An-prc-343 channel-control.jpg|1000px|centre]]

'''AN/PRC-148'''

The AN/PRC-148, a more advanced radio is generally used by a squad leader and specialty (ex: engineering) leader to communicate with command. The 148 uses pre-programmed channels like the 343 but with a much longer range. It has the same specifications as the 152.

[[File:An-prc-148_interface.png|1000px|centre]]
Use the default key to open up your 148 and you are left with that screen. To change channels, once again you have to press the top middle button. To change volume, simply click the button on the leftmost side.

'''AN/PRC-152'''

'''152s are currently not directly issued in the framework, though may be found mounted in some vehicle racks'''

The AN/PRC-152 handled by the squad leader to communicate with command. It uses predefined, pre-programmed channels like the 343 and 148, but is much more powerful than the 343. It functions on a Ultra High Frequency, has an output of 5W, and a range of up to ten kilometres in ideal conditions.

[[File:An-prc-152 interface.png|1000px]]

The 152 has two controllabe buttons that you need to worry about: the top middle one, which changes channels, and the buttons at the side which are used to adjust volume. To change a channel, simply click on the top middle button (left to go up a channel, right to go back one). To change volume, you do the same.

=== Radio Channels ===

'''Short-Range PRC-343 Channels:'''
<pre>
CH1 - Alpha
CH2 - Bravo
CH3 - Charlie
CH4 - Delta
CH5 -
CH6 -
CH7 - Weapon team Specialties (MAT, MMG)
CH8 -
CH9 -
CH10 - Inter-Armor
CH11 - Inter-Air
CH12 -
CH16 - Medical
</pre>

Long-Range PRC-152/148/117F Channels:
<pre>
CH1 - 1st Platoon
CH2 - 2nd Platoon
CH3 -
CH4 - Company Command (Coy)
CH5 - Air Net
CH6 - Armor Net
CH7 - Emergency Net
</pre>

=== Radio Procedures & Prowords===
[[File:D90958430728b867af17e012e2226a11.png|center]]

Before making a transmission, remember the following: 
'''Accuracy:''' Is what you're saying solid information? When reporting contact, ensure that you have double checked the direction and distance of the contact. 
'''Brevity:''' KISS - Keep It Short and Simple, or Keep It Simple Stupid. Convey as much information as necessary in as few words as possible. 
'''Clarity:''' Make sure that you speak slowly, steadily and as clearly as you can. Do your best to remain calm under pressure. 

An example:

Scenario: ''You are Alpha 1 Fireteam Leader and you see enemies in front of your team, but they're not aware of your presence.''

Rather than a message such as:
<pre>
Alpha Squad Lead, this is Alpha 1, we uh, see about a squad size or even maybe two squads of infantry in the open over here and we need to know if we should shoot them or wait. So far, I don't think they uh, have noticed us and we're prone on the hill here.
</pre>

A proper message with brevity would be:
<pre>
One has soft contact enemy squad north three hundred meters in the treeline.

</pre>

Some good key words to remember are listed in the table below. Use them to limit the time you're on net.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Proword !! style="text-align:left;"| Meaning
|-
|| CORRECTION || An error has been made in this transmission. Transmission will continue with the last word correctly transmitted.
|-
|| I SAY AGAIN || I am repeating transmission or portion indicated.
|-
|| OUT || This is the end of my transmission to you and no answer is required or expected.
|-
|| OVER || This is the end of my transmission to you and a response is necessary. Go ahead; transmit.
|-
|| BREAK || I hereby indicate the separation of the text from other portions of the message.
|-
|| ROGER || I have received your last transmission satisfactorily, and loud and clear.
|-
|| SAY AGAIN || Repeat all of your last transmission.
|-
|| SEND || I have received your initial call; pass on the rest of your message.
|-
|| THIS IS || This transmission is from the station whose designator/callsign immediately follows.
|-
|| WILCO || I have received your signal, understand it, and will comply. To be used only by the addressee. Since the meaning of ROGER is included in that of WILCO, the two prowords are never used together.
|}

=== Default Hotkeys ===

By default, your hotkeys are set to the following:

'''CapsLock''' - Default voice over network key 
'''SHIFT + CapsLock''' - Alternative Radio 1 VON 
'''CTRL + CapsLock''' - Alternative Radio 2 VON 
'''ALT + CapsLock''' - Alternative Radio 3 VON 

'''CTRL + DOWN''' - Previous Channel (active radio) 
'''CTRL + UP''' - Next Channel (active radio) 

'''CTRL + SHIFT + LEFT''' - Active Radio Left Ear 
'''CTRL + SHIFT + UP''' - Active Radio Both Ears 
'''CTRL + SHIFT + RIGHT''' - Active Radio Right Ear 
'''CTRL + SHIFT + DOWN''' - Toggle headset (takes them off your ears) 

'''TAB + Scroll UP/DOWN''' - Volume control 

'''ALT + SHIFT + CapsLock''' - Switch radio 
'''CTRL + ALT + CapsLock''' - Open radio 

== Direct Communication ==
Direct communication is any communication done between two or more players in real time. Direct communication is a skill that must be developed in order to relay information between fireteam members more efficiently and ultimately increase surviveability.

=== Acre2 Direct Speech ===

Besides Radio comms ACRE also supplies a direct chat system which can only be heard by those directly around you. This system allows you to choose your voice volume by holding tab and scrolling up or down with your mouse wheel. Based on your mission or surroundings your voice volume can be very important. Below will be an info sheet pulled from the ACRE2 wiki itself. By default your TS3 Push to talk or voice activation setting will be your direct speech.

[[File:Acre2 Speech.PNG|centre]]

Keep these in mind. The AI or players can and will react to you based on what they can hear. In most cases it is not necessary to go over 3/5 and I would recommend staying at 2/5 until you get into combat so you do not end up disrupting briefings or orders.

=== Contact Calls ===
A contact is anything unknown that you're able to visually or audibly identify as being present. A contact is not specifically an enemy vehicle or infantry, so make sure you always identify prior in order to avoid friendly fire incidents. Examples of contact calls:

<pre>
I got audio on something tracked to the north in the treeline. Unknown distance
</pre>

<pre>
Contact, infantry moving in the trees to the southwest, 300 meters.
</pre>

== Marking ==
Marking is any visual form of identification across one or more mediums. This includes marks on the global map, spray painting doors after buildings have been cleared, or even lasing targets with a laser designator.

=== Map Types ===
There are two map types: '''Textured''' and '''Un-textured'''. The map type can be toggled at the top right of the map screen. It is recommended that you use un-textured for clarity of terrain and markings.

==== Textured ====
[[File:TEXTURED.png|center|900px]]

==== Un-Textured ====
[[File:untextured.png|center|900px]]

=== Map Marking ===
There are two kinds of map marking: '''Icons''' and '''Drawn Lines'''. Every mark on the map must be color-coded based on who the mark is for. There are also specific techniques that platoon and squad leaders must use when developing plans.

==== Marking Color Code ====

When marking the map, it is important to use the correct color to indicate which element the mark being added is addressed to. This means that all red marks are for alpha squad and so on for each element. Below is a list of the color code used for each element.

<pre>
Alpha - Red
Bravo - Blue
Charlie - Green
Individual Specialties (MMG, MTR, MAT) - Purple
Command - Yellow
Armor - Orange
Everyone - Black
</pre>

Prior to mission start, you can set your marker color at the top right of the map screen. This should be done by everyone while safe start is on. Below is a image of the drop down to select your marker color.

[[File:ColorSelection.png]]

==== Icons ====
Icons are used for specific points such as dismounting, convoy start points, or even mortar/air strike requests. Icon example:
[[File:icon.png|center|900px]]

==== Drawn Lines ====
Lines are used to draw movement plans, areas of operation, or even specific blocking orders. Lines can be drawn by holding down the left control key and left mouse button. Line example:
[[File:lines.png|center|900px]]

==== EI Map Marks ====
EI: Enemy Infantry

Every "EI call" must be marked on the map once they are pointed out. This allows for direct identification on all levels of command based on color-coded marks. As an example, if it's a green "ei" mark, then charlie has obviously spotted and called out enemy infantry. Alternatively, if it was blue, bravo has spotted them.

In this example, Alpha has marked spotted EI at the top of this hill:
[[File:eimark.png|center|900px]]
In general, we also name terrain within the area of operation. As this hill's overall peak is 100 meters above sea-level, we'd often refer to this as ''hill 100'' and mark it as such.

=== Command Map Planning ===
Regardless of who is in command at the time of mission start, all mission commanders need to follow the same type of planning system. This ensures that all players have a streamlined and structured experience without the need to adapt to different leadership styles as a whole. Failure to do so will result in commanding rights being revoked. The following are examples of full plans.

==== Convoy ====
[[File:convoy.png|center|900px]]

Also note that '''ALL''' convoy planned-missions must have a Mount Order defined prior to mission start. A stand MO looks like this:
[[File:mount order.png|center|900px]]

==== Infantry ====
[[File:infantry.png|center|900px]]

==== Full Plans ====

===== Convoy with Infantry Dismount/Assault =====
[[File:fullplanlines.png|center|900px]]

=== Calls for Fire ===
Calls for fire will always be directed by a Joint Terminal Attack Controller(JTAC)/Forward Observer(FO) if available. If not, all leadership can request support through their chain of command. Only the highest level leader may contact the supports directly for fire if there is no JTAC/FO available.

==== Mortar Support Marking ====
[[File:MORTARS.png|center|900px]]

==== Air Support Marking ====

For non-JTACs, mark the target on the map w/ a descriptor, and then communicate with higher elements to make a request for a strike on that target.

For JTACs, see [http://coalitiongroup.net/wiki/index.php/Vehicle/Aircraft_Operations#JTAC-Aircraft_Operations JTAC-Aircraft Operations].

[[File:airstrike.png|center|900px]]

== Acronym Cheat sheet ==

ARMA is full of Acronyms and letter soup. These list should help you see the order in the madness.

There will also be a few Prowords here.
Prowords are words used in radio Procedure as a form of shorthand.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ General Terms
! Acronym
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AO|| Area of Operations
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CQB|| Close Quarters Battle
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CQC|| Close Quarters Combat
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MOUT|| Military Operations in Urban Terrain|| School of tactics related to fighting in and around Cities
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ROE|| Rules Of Engagement
|}

----

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Infantry Roles And Assets
! Acronym
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ASL || Alpha Squad Leader
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AAR || Assistant Auto-Rifleman || Spotter and ammo bearer for AR
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AR || Automatic Rifleman/Rifle
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |BSL || Bravo Squad Leader
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |COY || Company
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CSL || Charlie Squad Leader
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FO ||Forward Observer || Spots for and directs Artillery assets
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FT || Fireteam || 6 man element. 2 to a squad.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FTL || Fireteam Leader
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |GREN || Grenadier || Carries grenade launcher or extra grenades
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |HAT || Heavy Anti-Tank || Typically Static AT launchers
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |HMG || Heavy Machinegun || Typically A .50 caliber Machinegun
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |INF || Infantry
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |JTAC || Joint Terminal Attack Controller || Spots for and directs Air assets
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |LAT || Light Anti-Tank || Man portable Disposable rocket launchers
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MMG || Medium Machinegun || Typically a belt fed .30 cal (7.62mm) Machinegun
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MRT || Mortar Team
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MO || Medical Officer|| Manages the PLT Field Hospital
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |PL || Platoon or Platoon lead
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |PLT || Platoon
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |RAT|| Rifleman Anti-Tank || Carries FT's anti tank
|}

-----
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Radio Communications
! Acronyms & Prowords
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ACES || Ammo, Casualties, Equipment, Situation || To be reported in order
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |BDA || Bomb Damage Assessment || Report of effectiveness of Air/Arty Strike.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Black || Expended resource|| "A2, black on ammo"
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CallSign || A radio codename
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ETA || Estimated Time of Arrival || "Reinforcements ETA 10 Mikes"
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Green || Full on resource || "Green across the board, ready to fight"
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Mike || Minute
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Net || Network || A radio channel
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Oscar Mike || On The Move
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Over ||Proword used to end a message while asking for a reply
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Out || Proword used to mark the end of a transmission
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Red || Critically Low on Resource|| "Red on Bandages"
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Radio Check|| Please confirm my radio is working and you can hear me
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |SITREP|| Situational Report || Either giving or asking for a report
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Station|| Your Radio
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Yellow|| Have used a small amount of resource|| Not in immediate need of resupply
|}

----
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Map Markers & Briefing
! Acronym
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AO|| Area of Operations
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ASR|| Alternate Supply Route|| The veins that branch from an MSR
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |BOF|| Base Of Fire
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CP|| Command Post
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CCP|| Casualty Collection Point
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |COP|| Combat Outpost || Small fortified outpost relies on supply and patrols from FOB
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |DZ|| Drop Zone || You parachute here
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |EA|| Enemy Armor
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |EI|| Enemy Infantry
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FH|| Field Hospital
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FOB|| Forward Operations Base || Large Fortified forward base
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |HVT|| High Value Target || Valuable enemy to Kill or Capture
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |HQ|| Headquarters
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |LZ|| Landing zone || Where you land your boats or helicopters
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |LOA|| Limit Of Advance|| The furthest extent of an assault or movement
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MSR|| Main Supply Route|| The main artery into an AO Usually a major highway or the largest road
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |PL|| A Phase Line|| A line typically a grid line or road that indicates the starting line of an operational Phase
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Phase|| A codenamed section of the overall plan ||Not to be executed until command uses the codeword
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |RP|| Rally Point / Regroup Point
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |TOC|| Tactical Operations center
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |TRP|| Target Reference Point || A terrain or building feature that aids in navigation and or talking support onto a target
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |VIC / VEH|| Vehicle
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |VIP|| Very Important Person || An ally we need to protect or rescue
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |WP|| Waypoint || A navigational aid to stay on the correct path, usually near something that can be used as a reference point
|}

----

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Vehicle Roles and Assets
! Acronym
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AA|| Anti Aircraft|| Generic term for any Anti Aircraft platform
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AAA / Triple A|| Anti Aircraft Artillery|| Cannons meant to shoot at aircraft
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AH|| Attack Helicopter|| A helicopter with CAS capability
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |APC|| Armored Personal Carrier || A Lightly Armored vehicle meant to transport troops, occasionally armed with machine guns. M113 and BTRs are examples
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ARTY|| Artillery
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CAS|| Close Air Support
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Fast Mover|| A Jet Fighter/Bomber
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FW|| Fixed Wing|| A Plane
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |IFV|| Infantry Fighting Vehicle || An Armored vehicle that can transport and support a small team. Armed with Cannons and anti tank missiles.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MBT|| Main Battle Tank || Heavily Armored vehicle with a large caliber high velocity gun
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MLRS|| Multiple Launch Rocket System|| Rocket Artillery normally vehicle mounted
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |SAM|| Surface to Air Missile|| A form of anti Aircraft
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |SPAA|| Self Propelled Anti-Air|| Sometimes A "G" is added for Gun. SPAAG
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |SPG|| Self Propelled Gun|| A howitzer on tracks or wheels.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |TH|| Transport Helicopter
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Technical|| An improvised combat vehicle|| Normally a pickup truck with a .50cal MG bolted to it.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |UAG|| Unmanned Ground Vehicle
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |UAV|| Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
|}

Communication and Marking

2021-10-17T21:30:52Z

Jester2138:

Communication is top priority whether you're a rifleman or a platoon leader. Remember, during a session, '''if you're not shooting or moving, you should be communicating'''.

== Radio Communication ==
Through our radio system (ACRE2), we use a full-duplex system which allows multiple people with different radios to talk on the same channel at the same time. This means we have to practice certain protocols to ensure information flows up and down the chain of command properly. By default the '''Caps Lock''' key allows you to transmit over the radio. Below is an image of the message that will appear in the bottom right of your screen when you are transmitting over the radio.

[[File:TransmittingImage.png]]

In addition to letting you know that you are transmitting this message also display some useful information. It shows which radio you are broadcasting on (in this case the PRC-343) and which channel you are broadcasting on (in this case Block 1 - Channel 1). This is important to note so you are transmitting on the correct channel using the correct radio. Before the mission starts it is worth checking your gear to see which radios you have. If you have to change the channel you are broadcasting on, you can open and close the currently selected radio by using the hotkey '''Ctrl + Alt + Caps Lock''' Or by double clicking the radio in your inventory. If you need to cycle between multiple radio, use the hotkey '''Ctrl + Shift + Caps Lock'''. A full list of hotkeys can be found in the section below or the mission briefing.

=== Radios & Radio Channels ===
All radio nets are listed at the map briefing screen. However, you can also find a list of them here. All fireteams have their own private AN/PRC-343 ("walkie-talkie") while communication between assets, squads, and the platoon all happen on different long-range radios such as the AN/PRC-152, AN/PRC-148, and the AN/PRC-117F.

'''Short-Range AN/PRC-343:'''

The AN/PRC-343 or 343 is most basic radio we use. It is mostly used for communication between Fireteam leaders. Almost every position uses a 343 to communicate and it is an important radio to become familiar with. The 343 has the shortest range of all the radios we use so it is important to remember it can only be used to contact nearby elements. The 343 comes equipped with a 2.5in antenna, a max output of 50mW and a range of up to 500 metres in rural terrain. The 343 operates on an Ultra High Frequency. This means they cannot transmit or receive messages from a 152 or 148. Below is an image of the 343 when you open it up.

[[File:An-prc-343 interface.jpg|1000px|centre]]

Looking at the 343, you can see there are two dials at the top as well as a detachable handle on the left side. The left dial can be used to change the volume of your radio. The right dial can be used to change the channel of your radio. The radio will go from channel 1 to channel 16. The handle on the right can also be detached to in order to change the block being transmitted on. Currently there is not need to change the block. Make sure the handle is attached or the radio will not work.

[[File:An-prc-343 channel-control.jpg|1000px|centre]]

'''AN/PRC-148'''

The AN/PRC-148, a more advanced radio is generally used by a squad leader and specialty (ex: engineering) leader to communicate with command. The 148 uses pre-programmed channels like the 343 but with a much longer range. It has the same specifications as the 152.

[[File:An-prc-148_interface.png|1000px|centre]]
Use the default key to open up your 148 and you are left with that screen. To change channels, once again you have to press the top middle button. To change volume, simply click the button on the leftmost side.

'''AN/PRC-152'''

'''152s are currently not directly issued in the framework, though may be found mounted in some vehicle racks'''

The AN/PRC-152 handled by the squad leader to communicate with command. It uses predefined, pre-programmed channels like the 343 and 148, but is much more powerful than the 343. It functions on a Ultra High Frequency, has an output of 5W, and a range of up to ten kilometres in ideal conditions.

[[File:An-prc-152 interface.png|1000px]]

The 152 has two controllabe buttons that you need to worry about: the top middle one, which changes channels, and the buttons at the side which are used to adjust volume. To change a channel, simply click on the top middle button (left to go up a channel, right to go back one). To change volume, you do the same.

=== Radio Channels ===

'''Short-Range PRC-343 Channels:'''
<pre>
CH1 - Alpha
CH2 - Bravo
CH3 - Charlie
CH4 - Delta
CH5 -
CH6 -
CH7 - Weapon team Specialties (MAT, MMG)
CH8 -
CH9 -
CH10 - Inter-Armor
CH11 - Inter-Air
CH12 -
CH16 - Medical
</pre>

Long-Range PRC-152/148/117F Channels:
<pre>
CH1 - 1st Platoon
CH2 - 2nd Platoon
CH3 -
CH4 - Company Command (Coy)
CH5 - Air Net
CH6 - Armor Net
CH7 - Emergency Net
</pre>

=== Radio Procedures & Prowords===
[[File:D90958430728b867af17e012e2226a11.png|center]]

Before making a transmission, remember the following: 
'''Accuracy:''' Is what you're saying solid information? When reporting contact, ensure that you have double checked the direction and distance of the contact. 
'''Brevity:''' KISS - Keep It Short and Simple, or Keep It Simple Stupid. Convey as much information as necessary in as few words as possible. 
'''Clarity:''' Make sure that you speak slowly, steadily and as clearly as you can. Do your best to remain calm under pressure. 

An example:

Scenario: ''You are Alpha 1 Fireteam Leader and you see enemies in front of your team, but they're not aware of your presence.''

Rather than a message such as:
<pre>
Alpha Squad Lead, this is Alpha 1, we uh, see about a squad size or even maybe two squads of infantry in the open over here and we need to know if we should shoot them or wait. So far, I don't think they uh, have noticed us and we're prone on the hill here.
</pre>

A proper message with brevity would be:
<pre>
Lead, One, soft contact enemy squad north three hundred meters in the treeline.

</pre>

Some good key words to remember are listed in the table below. Use them to limit the time you're on net.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Proword !! style="text-align:left;"| Meaning
|-
|| CORRECTION || An error has been made in this transmission. Transmission will continue with the last word correctly transmitted.
|-
|| I SAY AGAIN || I am repeating transmission or portion indicated.
|-
|| OUT || This is the end of my transmission to you and no answer is required or expected.
|-
|| OVER || This is the end of my transmission to you and a response is necessary. Go ahead; transmit.
|-
|| BREAK || I hereby indicate the separation of the text from other portions of the message.
|-
|| ROGER || I have received your last transmission satisfactorily, and loud and clear.
|-
|| SAY AGAIN || Repeat all of your last transmission.
|-
|| SEND || I have received your initial call; pass on the rest of your message.
|-
|| THIS IS || This transmission is from the station whose designator/callsign immediately follows.
|-
|| WILCO || I have received your signal, understand it, and will comply. To be used only by the addressee. Since the meaning of ROGER is included in that of WILCO, the two prowords are never used together.
|}

=== Default Hotkeys ===

By default, your hotkeys are set to the following:

'''CapsLock''' - Default voice over network key 
'''SHIFT + CapsLock''' - Alternative Radio 1 VON 
'''CTRL + CapsLock''' - Alternative Radio 2 VON 
'''ALT + CapsLock''' - Alternative Radio 3 VON 

'''CTRL + DOWN''' - Previous Channel (active radio) 
'''CTRL + UP''' - Next Channel (active radio) 

'''CTRL + SHIFT + LEFT''' - Active Radio Left Ear 
'''CTRL + SHIFT + UP''' - Active Radio Both Ears 
'''CTRL + SHIFT + RIGHT''' - Active Radio Right Ear 
'''CTRL + SHIFT + DOWN''' - Toggle headset (takes them off your ears) 

'''TAB + Scroll UP/DOWN''' - Volume control 

'''ALT + SHIFT + CapsLock''' - Switch radio 
'''CTRL + ALT + CapsLock''' - Open radio 

== Direct Communication ==
Direct communication is any communication done between two or more players in real time. Direct communication is a skill that must be developed in order to relay information between fireteam members more efficiently and ultimately increase surviveability.

=== Acre2 Direct Speech ===

Besides Radio comms ACRE also supplies a direct chat system which can only be heard by those directly around you. This system allows you to choose your voice volume by holding tab and scrolling up or down with your mouse wheel. Based on your mission or surroundings your voice volume can be very important. Below will be an info sheet pulled from the ACRE2 wiki itself. By default your TS3 Push to talk or voice activation setting will be your direct speech.

[[File:Acre2 Speech.PNG|centre]]

Keep these in mind. The AI or players can and will react to you based on what they can hear. In most cases it is not necessary to go over 3/5 and I would recommend staying at 2/5 until you get into combat so you do not end up disrupting briefings or orders.

=== Contact Calls ===
A contact is anything unknown that you're able to visually or audibly identify as being present. A contact is not specifically an enemy vehicle or infantry, so make sure you always identify prior in order to avoid friendly fire incidents. Examples of contact calls:

<pre>
I got audio on something tracked to the north in the treeline. Unknown distance
</pre>

<pre>
Contact, infantry moving in the trees to the southwest, 300 meters.
</pre>

== Marking ==
Marking is any visual form of identification across one or more mediums. This includes marks on the global map, spray painting doors after buildings have been cleared, or even lasing targets with a laser designator.

=== Map Types ===
There are two map types: '''Textured''' and '''Un-textured'''. The map type can be toggled at the top right of the map screen. It is recommended that you use un-textured for clarity of terrain and markings.

==== Textured ====
[[File:TEXTURED.png|center|900px]]

==== Un-Textured ====
[[File:untextured.png|center|900px]]

=== Map Marking ===
There are two kinds of map marking: '''Icons''' and '''Drawn Lines'''. Every mark on the map must be color-coded based on who the mark is for. There are also specific techniques that platoon and squad leaders must use when developing plans.

==== Marking Color Code ====

When marking the map, it is important to use the correct color to indicate which element the mark being added is addressed to. This means that all red marks are for alpha squad and so on for each element. Below is a list of the color code used for each element.

<pre>
Alpha - Red
Bravo - Blue
Charlie - Green
Individual Specialties (MMG, MTR, MAT) - Purple
Command - Yellow
Armor - Orange
Everyone - Black
</pre>

Prior to mission start, you can set your marker color at the top right of the map screen. This should be done by everyone while safe start is on. Below is a image of the drop down to select your marker color.

[[File:ColorSelection.png]]

==== Icons ====
Icons are used for specific points such as dismounting, convoy start points, or even mortar/air strike requests. Icon example:
[[File:icon.png|center|900px]]

==== Drawn Lines ====
Lines are used to draw movement plans, areas of operation, or even specific blocking orders. Lines can be drawn by holding down the left control key and left mouse button. Line example:
[[File:lines.png|center|900px]]

==== EI Map Marks ====
EI: Enemy Infantry

Every "EI call" must be marked on the map once they are pointed out. This allows for direct identification on all levels of command based on color-coded marks. As an example, if it's a green "ei" mark, then charlie has obviously spotted and called out enemy infantry. Alternatively, if it was blue, bravo has spotted them.

In this example, Alpha has marked spotted EI at the top of this hill:
[[File:eimark.png|center|900px]]
In general, we also name terrain within the area of operation. As this hill's overall peak is 100 meters above sea-level, we'd often refer to this as ''hill 100'' and mark it as such.

=== Command Map Planning ===
Regardless of who is in command at the time of mission start, all mission commanders need to follow the same type of planning system. This ensures that all players have a streamlined and structured experience without the need to adapt to different leadership styles as a whole. Failure to do so will result in commanding rights being revoked. The following are examples of full plans.

==== Convoy ====
[[File:convoy.png|center|900px]]

Also note that '''ALL''' convoy planned-missions must have a Mount Order defined prior to mission start. A stand MO looks like this:
[[File:mount order.png|center|900px]]

==== Infantry ====
[[File:infantry.png|center|900px]]

==== Full Plans ====

===== Convoy with Infantry Dismount/Assault =====
[[File:fullplanlines.png|center|900px]]

=== Calls for Fire ===
Calls for fire will always be directed by a Joint Terminal Attack Controller(JTAC)/Forward Observer(FO) if available. If not, all leadership can request support through their chain of command. Only the highest level leader may contact the supports directly for fire if there is no JTAC/FO available.

==== Mortar Support Marking ====
[[File:MORTARS.png|center|900px]]

==== Air Support Marking ====

For non-JTACs, mark the target on the map w/ a descriptor, and then communicate with higher elements to make a request for a strike on that target.

For JTACs, see [http://coalitiongroup.net/wiki/index.php/Vehicle/Aircraft_Operations#JTAC-Aircraft_Operations JTAC-Aircraft Operations].

[[File:airstrike.png|center|900px]]

== Acronym Cheat sheet ==

ARMA is full of Acronyms and letter soup. These list should help you see the order in the madness.

There will also be a few Prowords here.
Prowords are words used in radio Procedure as a form of shorthand.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ General Terms
! Acronym
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AO|| Area of Operations
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CQB|| Close Quarters Battle
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CQC|| Close Quarters Combat
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MOUT|| Military Operations in Urban Terrain|| School of tactics related to fighting in and around Cities
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ROE|| Rules Of Engagement
|}

----

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Infantry Roles And Assets
! Acronym
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ASL || Alpha Squad Leader
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AAR || Assistant Auto-Rifleman || Spotter and ammo bearer for AR
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AR || Automatic Rifleman/Rifle
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |BSL || Bravo Squad Leader
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |COY || Company
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CSL || Charlie Squad Leader
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FO ||Forward Observer || Spots for and directs Artillery assets
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FT || Fireteam || 6 man element. 2 to a squad.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FTL || Fireteam Leader
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |GREN || Grenadier || Carries grenade launcher or extra grenades
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |HAT || Heavy Anti-Tank || Typically Static AT launchers
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |HMG || Heavy Machinegun || Typically A .50 caliber Machinegun
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |INF || Infantry
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |JTAC || Joint Terminal Attack Controller || Spots for and directs Air assets
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |LAT || Light Anti-Tank || Man portable Disposable rocket launchers
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MMG || Medium Machinegun || Typically a belt fed .30 cal (7.62mm) Machinegun
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MRT || Mortar Team
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MO || Medical Officer|| Manages the PLT Field Hospital
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |PL || Platoon or Platoon lead
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |PLT || Platoon
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |RAT|| Rifleman Anti-Tank || Carries FT's anti tank
|}

-----
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Radio Communications
! Acronyms & Prowords
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ACES || Ammo, Casualties, Equipment, Situation || To be reported in order
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |BDA || Bomb Damage Assessment || Report of effectiveness of Air/Arty Strike.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Black || Expended resource|| "A2, black on ammo"
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CallSign || A radio codename
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ETA || Estimated Time of Arrival || "Reinforcements ETA 10 Mikes"
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Green || Full on resource || "Green across the board, ready to fight"
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Mike || Minute
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Net || Network || A radio channel
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Oscar Mike || On The Move
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Over ||Proword used to end a message while asking for a reply
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Out || Proword used to mark the end of a transmission
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Red || Critically Low on Resource|| "Red on Bandages"
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Radio Check|| Please confirm my radio is working and you can hear me
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |SITREP|| Situational Report || Either giving or asking for a report
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Station|| Your Radio
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Yellow|| Have used a small amount of resource|| Not in immediate need of resupply
|}

----
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Map Markers & Briefing
! Acronym
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AO|| Area of Operations
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ASR|| Alternate Supply Route|| The veins that branch from an MSR
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |BOF|| Base Of Fire
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CP|| Command Post
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CCP|| Casualty Collection Point
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |COP|| Combat Outpost || Small fortified outpost relies on supply and patrols from FOB
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |DZ|| Drop Zone || You parachute here
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |EA|| Enemy Armor
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |EI|| Enemy Infantry
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FH|| Field Hospital
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FOB|| Forward Operations Base || Large Fortified forward base
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |HVT|| High Value Target || Valuable enemy to Kill or Capture
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |HQ|| Headquarters
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |LZ|| Landing zone || Where you land your boats or helicopters
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |LOA|| Limit Of Advance|| The furthest extent of an assault or movement
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MSR|| Main Supply Route|| The main artery into an AO Usually a major highway or the largest road
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |PL|| A Phase Line|| A line typically a grid line or road that indicates the starting line of an operational Phase
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Phase|| A codenamed section of the overall plan ||Not to be executed until command uses the codeword
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |RP|| Rally Point / Regroup Point
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |TOC|| Tactical Operations center
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |TRP|| Target Reference Point || A terrain or building feature that aids in navigation and or talking support onto a target
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |VIC / VEH|| Vehicle
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |VIP|| Very Important Person || An ally we need to protect or rescue
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |WP|| Waypoint || A navigational aid to stay on the correct path, usually near something that can be used as a reference point
|}

----

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Vehicle Roles and Assets
! Acronym
! Definition
! Notes
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AA|| Anti Aircraft|| Generic term for any Anti Aircraft platform
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AAA / Triple A|| Anti Aircraft Artillery|| Cannons meant to shoot at aircraft
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |AH|| Attack Helicopter|| A helicopter with CAS capability
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |APC|| Armored Personal Carrier || A Lightly Armored vehicle meant to transport troops, occasionally armed with machine guns. M113 and BTRs are examples
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |ARTY|| Artillery
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |CAS|| Close Air Support
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Fast Mover|| A Jet Fighter/Bomber
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |FW|| Fixed Wing|| A Plane
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |IFV|| Infantry Fighting Vehicle || An Armored vehicle that can transport and support a small team. Armed with Cannons and anti tank missiles.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MBT|| Main Battle Tank || Heavily Armored vehicle with a large caliber high velocity gun
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |MLRS|| Multiple Launch Rocket System|| Rocket Artillery normally vehicle mounted
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |SAM|| Surface to Air Missile|| A form of anti Aircraft
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |SPAA|| Self Propelled Anti-Air|| Sometimes A "G" is added for Gun. SPAAG
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |SPG|| Self Propelled Gun|| A howitzer on tracks or wheels.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |TH|| Transport Helicopter
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |Technical|| An improvised combat vehicle|| Normally a pickup truck with a .50cal MG bolted to it.
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |UAG|| Unmanned Ground Vehicle
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |UAV|| Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
|}

Vehicle/Aircraft Operations

2020-03-19T05:21:34Z

Jester2138:

In almost all missions here at Coalition, vehicles will be used in many different capacities. It is important that you understand both ground and air vehicle operations if you plan on using them within sessions.

NOTE: the vehicle spawner also serves as a rearm/refuel/repair pad automatically for any vehicle on it.

== Ground Vehicles ==
Ground vehicles can range from an ATV to an M1A2 Abrams main battle tank during sessions.

=== Transport ===
Transport vehicles range from anything between light cars to heavy transport trucks. They are vehicles with very little to no combat effectiveness that are used to transport troops or supplies.

Transport vehicles are used to get from point A to point B. While most vehicles we use will be armed, you should not rely on them to provide as a frontline combat unit. With little to no armour and no crew protection, they make for easy targets. Instead you should try to use them as a base of fire, or to partially dismount and advance with the infantry.

=== Combat Capable ===
These are armoured personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks. Refer to [http://coalitiongroup.net/wiki/index.php?title=Vehicle_Identification vehicle identification] for a detailed list of such vehicles. APCs and IFVs are capable of transporting troops into the battlefield with added protection.

Your role when you are crewing a combat capable vehicle is to support the infantry. The infantry will keep anti-tank crews away from you, while you support their advance and knock out any armor they encounter. You should never lead a push into a city or through hedgerows without infantry support. You have a mutually beneficial relationship with the infantry so use it to your advantage against enemy forces.

=== AFVs/IFVs ===

[[AFV_Operation]]

[https://youtu.be/2Wf5EQpGTtU Tutorial by Jester on tank operations.] It goes over tactics and strategy at both an individual level and at the company level. If you are interested in operating armored vehicles in ARMA with Coalition, you should watch this.

== JTAC-Aircraft Operations ==

[https://www.coalitiongroup.net/wiki/index.php/JTAC-Aircraft_CAS_procedures Has it's own page here.]
== Flying Aircraft Effectively ==

===Notes Common to Helicopters and Fixed-Wing===

*Object view distances (VERY IMPORTANT): For transport, sufficient to see the LZ early enough to make a good approach (e.g. 2-3km). For attack, greater than your longest-range weapon (e.g. 4-6km). A tip: set your Arma vanilla object view distance settings to the max, then limit with ACE settings (found in top left of ESC screen) to your preference. Otherwise, if you set your vanilla object distance to e.g. 2km and go to ACE and increase view distance to 6km, you still won't see objects past 2km.

*Key bindings: everyone has different preferred keybindings, but here are some important default bindings:

**"Next Target" = R = useful for targeting a vehicle/aircraft/laser that you can see but aren't pointing directly at
**"Lock Target" = T = lock the vehicle/aircraft/laser you are pointing directly at (also ranges your gun in some RHS vehicles that require manual ranging of the gun)
**"Switch Weapon" = F = switch weapon
**"Radar on/off" = Control + R = turn your radar on and off
**"Release Countermeasures = C = drops both chaff and flares to confuse radar and IR seekers
**It's highly recommended to create keybindings for the left/right display panel functions so you don't need to use the scroll menu. A useful combination is NAV on one side and SENSOR on the other.

[[File:sensors.png|thumb|right|alt=caption|Arma 3 Sensor Panel Symbology]]

*Radar: All aircraft have a radar-warning receiver which will show radar emitters as a yellow circle on the SENSOR display panel in your HUD. It's important to pay attention to these because they are likely to be an anti-air threat. Some aircraft have radars themselves, which they can use to find other aircraft beyond visual range or fire radar-guided missiles like AIM-120s. However, turning your radar on makes you instantly visible to anyone with a radar-warning receiver, so you need to strategize your use of it (Arma's AI, however, is not coded to look for radar emitters; this may change). Make sure you understand most of the symbology in the SENSOR panel, as it will keep you alive:

[[File:evade_missiles.jpg|thumb|right|alt=caption|When the missile warning goes off, turn and burn]]

*Evading missiles: The trick to avoiding missiles is three-fold: 1) release countermeasures early 2) change your velocity relative to the missile as much as possible and 3) never get shot at from short-range. Missiles don't turn well, so if you confuse them with countermeasures and require them to turn you have a good chance of evading them. If you're within 1.5km and moving slowly not only will your countermeasures not attain sufficient spread but the missile probably doesn't have to turn much to hit you. So don't risk getting that close to a target unless you know there are no AA missile threats.

*Radios: You'll likely be equipped with 3 radios: a 343 (short range, talk to crew outside the aircraft), a 152 (platoon net, if no JTAC you'll use this to talk to PL), and a 148 (air net, talk JTAC and your fellow pilots). The vast majority of your time will be spent talking to PL/JTAC so make sure you can access that radio easily. It's highly recommended to set the 152 and 148 to different ears so you know who's talking to you quickly.

*Hardware: A flight stick and head tracker are both highly recommended, but not necessary. The head tracker is probably the more useful accessory to get, especially for helicopters, as it gives you much greater situational awareness which is especially important when taking off and landing in confined areas.

=== Flying Helicopters Effectively ===

Helicopters are a complex and powerful tool for the Platoon. Platoon leaders need to understand their capabilities in order to make effective use of them. Pilots need to know how to properly fly the airframe in question in order to provide those capabilities. Don't take pilot/crew slots unless you know how to use those aircraft and their weapons.

Let's consider the many different types of helicopters and the different strategic and piloting considerations relevant to them.

[[File:hiding_terrain.jpg|thumb|right|alt=caption|A good helo pilot hides in terrain until it's safe]]

====Transport Helicopters====

*Principle function is to move infantry across the battlefield rapidly and safely. Great care must be taken to remain low (so as to avoid radar and IR AA systems), fast (so as to avoid small-arms fire), and precise (so as to avoid spending more time in danger than necessary). Pilots must be able to approach an LZ directly without overflying it or gaining altitude right before landing, as either situation can quickly become disastrous if there are enemy in the area.

*As a pilot, you are responsible for the safety of the aircraft and its passengers first and foremost. It's not Platoon's job to make sure you don't crash, so don't be a hero and agree to fly into a bad LZ or one beyond your piloting capabilities. You should suggest an alternative LZ.

*A good way to navigate in helicopters equipped with the necessary equipment is to draw a course line on the map and open a NAV display panel in your HUD so you can easily follow the line and navigate without hitting M constantly.

*[[Air Assault for Pilots]] - Jester's guide on multi-craft based operations in tandem.

====Attack Helicopters====

*Attack helicopters require a completely different set of considerations than transport helicopters and are much more challenging to use well. The attack helicopter must be close enough to see the enemy while remaining far enough away to not get shot down. This requires a very careful balancing act by the pilot and great situational awareness of the local friendly and enemy forces and their makeup.

*Attack helicopters must always prioritize their tasks:

**First, don't get shot down, because if you are then you can't help the ground pounders. You must live in constant fear of anti-air threats in order to be a good attack pilot. There are three main types of threats and they must be approached differently:

***Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA or triple-A): These can be tracked vehicles, like the Russian ZSU series, or just huge machine guns mounted to a truck or emplacement, like the Russian ZU series. A ZSU often is coupled to a radar and uses it for finding you and ranging its air-burst munitions or for targeting its missiles. Any radar emitter will show up as a yellow circle on your SENSOR display panel so make sure you keep an eye on it. A good rule of thumb is to not get closer than 3km to a radar-equipped AA threat unless you are actively attempting to kill it or can use terrain masking, and even then you need to be very careful.

***MANPADS: These are Man Portable Air-Defense Systems - usually shoulder-fired missiles like Stingers. They are possibly the most dangerous threat to helicopters because they are very difficult to find and can hit you with little warning. They don't emit radar or significant IR signatures so the only way to find them is to see them optically. Generally, pilots should ''always'' assume an enemy force has MANPADS and never get closer than 1.5km to known enemy forces until they are sure it's safe to do so.

***Other Aircraft: If you're in most helicopters, the only thing you can do is not be seen in the first place. If you spot enemy aircraft, stay low, move away, hide behind terrain, and keep your radar off. Some gunships carry anti-air missiles, and can fight back. For proper use of anti-air missiles see the section on fixed-wing combat.

**Second, kill the enemy.

***How to use your missiles:
****Hellfires will only successfully track a lock/laser if the helicopter is pointed almost directly at the target at the time of firing. The crew must communicate so that the gunner waits for the pilot to line the aircraft up before firing. Don't waste missiles firing before the pilot's ready!
****AGM-114K Hellfire II: Laser-guided anti-tank guided missile. Turn on laser, switch back to AGM-114K, press T to lock onto the laser, wait for lock, fire, hold laser on target until impact.
****AGM-114L Hellfire II: Heat-seeking anti-tank guided missile. Look at target, press T, wait for lock, fire missile.
****AGM-114N Hellfire II: Laser-guided thermobaric missile. Same operation as K-model, but used against infantry and buildings.
****9M120M & 9M121M: radio-command guided anti-tank missiles. Look at target, fire, hold cross-hair on target until impact. The 121M IRL is a laser-guided missile but in Arma it functions identically to the 120M.
***How to use your guns:
****Apache/Cobra: To range your gun automatically, turn on your laser, switch back to gun, press T. You'll see a green box around your cross-hair indicating the gun is ranging to the laser automatically. It won't range off water/sky for obvious reasons, so hitting boats and other aircraft this way can be tricky. NOTE: The Apache has a very powerful 30mm that can disable light armor like BMPs. Strategize your weapon usage to delay rearming as much as possible.
****Mi24, Mi28, Ka50/52: you must manually range the gun to each target before firing. Look at target, press T, fire. Repeat for each target. NOTE: Some Mi24s do not have a turret-mounted gun. All Mi28s do. The Ka50/52 has a very powerful gun with very limited traversability.
***How to use your rockets:
****Point and shoot! Try not to use them all at once. They are very powerful, so spread them out for maximum effect. Don't put a bunch of rockets into the same spot.

**Example scenarios:
***If working in a permissible airspace, meaning no threats of enemy aircraft or radar-guided AA missiles (e.g. Afghanistan, Iraq), the biggest threat is enemy direct fire weapons. In that case, staying high and fast is your friend. Fly a pattern over friendly terrain at an altitude of 600-1000m, approximately 1.5 km behind the front line. Go closer only as needed for specific attacks, and return as soon as possible. If you get a radar/missile warning, dump flares, turn perpendicular to the threat, lose altitude, and gain speed immediately. Then proceed to find/kill the threat as if you were in a non-permissible airspace (see below).
***If working in a non-permissible airspace, meaning there are threats of enemy aircraft or radar-guided AA missiles (e.g. Desert Storm, U.S. vs. RU war, etc.), stay low and hidden over friendly territory as you slowly work around the terrain to find/kill AAA threats. Maximum altitude might be 100m until you KNOW where the threat is and then can work up a suitable plan to kill it. Only once you're sure all such threats are gone might you want to use higher altitudes.

*Two common mistakes Arma attack pilots make are hovering near the AO and/or overflying the enemy when not absolutely necessary. Hovering in a combat zone makes you a sitting duck. Your gunner does not need a stable platform more than you both need to not get shot down. Overflying the enemy is also dangerous and should only be done when your aircraft doesn't have the ability to fire off-center. Aircraft that can fire off-center, like the Apache, should never overfly the enemy or come anywhere close to them. This is why knowing where the enemy is or might be is so important: you need to keep yourself moving within weapons range but not so close you might get shot down.

===Flying Fixed-Wing Effectively (TBA)===

I definitely need to expand this more.

The RHS CAS jets have systems that don't follow Arma conventions:

A-10A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4xBWO5WOE

SU-25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrION09pv8E

Flying VTOL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkLWjC0C93o&feature=youtu.be

File:Jtac3.jpg

2020-02-14T19:26:28Z

Jester2138: Jester2138 uploaded a new version of "File:Jtac3.jpg"

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T19:26:14Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

[[File:jtac3.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T19:25:08Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
*'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
**'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
**'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
**'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T19:24:55Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
**'''Types of CAS:''' In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
***'''Type 1 CAS''' requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***'''Type 2 CAS''' also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***'''Type 3 CAS''' does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T19:23:54Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*'''What is CAS''': Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*'''What is a JTAC''': Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*'''Words''': Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
**In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T19:23:29Z

Jester2138:

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
**In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T19:23:18Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

[[File:jtac2.jpg|border|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
**In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

File:Jtac3.jpg

2020-02-14T19:21:41Z

Jester2138:

File:Jtac2.jpg

2020-02-14T19:21:20Z

Jester2138:

File:Jtac1.jpg

2020-02-14T19:21:09Z

Jester2138:

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T19:12:09Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
**In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy strike.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:54:46Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
**In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) type of CAS so the aircraft knows what to expect 2) target location 3) target description 4) general location of nearest friendlies 5) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:53:24Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
**In the real world, there are three types of CAS, and the JTAC always tells the aircraft which type an attack will be under:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:52:23Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft. Of course, when you're dealing with a JTAC who may not know what he is doing, a little prompting might be necessary in the world of Arma...
**In the real world, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:44:49Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft.
**In the real world, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:43:28Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a MOS, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft.
**In the real words, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:41:20Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a job, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**No joy: I do not see the enemy, opposite of tally
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft.
**In the real words, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:39:31Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a job, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."
**Cleared hot: You are authorized to release weapons for this attack pass.
**Cleared to engage: You are authorized to perform attacks as you wish within parameters I've given you.
**Abort: Stop all attacks immediately.

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft.
**In the real words, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:38:04Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a job, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft.
**In the real words, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:37:54Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures called Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained and qualified individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a job, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft.
**In the real words, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:37:31Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*What is CAS: Close Air Support refers to the usage of air attack on enemy forces that are in close proximity to friendly forces. It does not mean the aircraft is close, it means the weapons are landing close. CAS has specific procedures that NATO forces use to ensure the safe execution of the attacks and limitation of collateral damage and fratricide. Attacks on enemy forces that are far away from friendlies and do not require close coordination to prevent fratricide use a different set of procedures call Air Interdiction, which is outside the scope of this article.
*What is a JTAC: Joint-Terminal Attack Controller is a term used by NATO forces to refer to a specially-trained and qualified individual who is qualified to authorize weapons release from aircraft in close proximity to friendly forces, i.e. CAS. There have been dozens of variations on this concept since WWII, but the general ideas have remained pretty similar. FAC, FAC-A, TACP, JFO, and ANGLICO are all terms used that have been used to describe people doing basically this same thing. Generally, JTAC is a qualification, not a job, so almost everyone who is a JTAC has another term they may be using depending on context. Speaking of terms...
*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft.
**In the real words, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:31:37Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*Words: Using certain keywords allows you to transmit more information at once. These words are very important and you should not mix them up under any circumstances, as their whole point is meaning something very specific and distinct from one another.
**Visual: I see something I know is friendly e.g. "Visual, Alpha."
**Tally: I see something I know is enemy e.g. "Tally, technical at the intersection."
**Contact: I see a target marker, e.g. "Contact, red smoke at the intersection."

*A few concepts:
**JTAC is the only one who says the words "cleared" and "hot." The aircraft should never ask, for example, "Am I cleared hot?" Imagine what happens if another aircraft on the net hears only the last two words - or any number of other possible scenarios. Those words should only exist on the radio when they are being used by the JTAC to clear imminent weapons release on an aircraft.
**In the real words, there are three types of CAS:
***Type 1 CAS requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 1 CAS, the JTAC is both visual and tally, i.e. he sees both the attacking aircraft and the target at the same time and will directly confirm the nose-direction of the aircraft as being on-target before calling "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. Because of this visual confirmation of parameters, Type 1 CAS can be used in the most risky situations (e.g. danger close).
***Type 2 also requires "cleared hot" for every single attack pass. In Type 2 CAS, the JTAC is visual or tally ''but not both'', and different language is used to signify this and provide extra detail and clarification on exactly where the target is and what the means of attack are. For example, GPS-guided bombs through a weather layer, or a rocket run on a target the JTAC can't actually see.
***Type 3 CAS does NOT require clearance for every attack pass. In Type 3 CAS, the JTAC provides clearance for multiple attack passes at once, and will use "cleared to engage" instead of "cleared hot" to signify multiple attack passes are permitted without specific clearance.

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''This will be Type One. Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:18:52Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

*Words:
**Visual
**Tally
**Contact

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:18:38Z

Jester2138:

''' KEY CONCEPTS: '''

Words:
- Visual
- Tally
- Contact

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:17:44Z

Jester2138:

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''

Aircraft: “Sniper”

JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:17:33Z

Jester2138:

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''
Aircraft: “Sniper”
JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:17:27Z

Jester2138:

'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''
Aircraft: “Sniper”
JTAC: “Yankee”

*'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:17:16Z

Jester2138:

***'''This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.'''
Aircraft: “Sniper”
JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:16:42Z

Jester2138:

This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.

Aircraft: “Sniper”
JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: ''Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.''

Aircraft: ''Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.''

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: ''Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.''

Aircraft: ''Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.''

JTAC: ''Readback is correct.''

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: ''Contact.''

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: ''In from the south.''

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: ''Cleared hot.''

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:16:03Z

Jester2138:

This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.

Aircraft: “Sniper”
JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.'''

JTAC: Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.

Aircraft: Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.'''

JTAC: Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.

Aircraft: Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.

JTAC: Readback is correct.

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.'''

Aircraft: Contact.

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.'''

Aircraft: In from the south.

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.'''

JTAC: Cleared hot.

'''Aircraft weapons release.'''

JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

JTAC-Aircraft CAS procedures

2020-02-14T03:15:16Z

Jester2138:

This is an example sequence of events for the typical modern NATO CAS employment, based on real-world techniques but greatly simplified for Arma.

Aircraft: “Sniper”
JTAC: “Yankee”

'''JTAC has decided he needs CAS on a particular target. He first establishes communication with the aircraft and cues them to get ready to listen to a longer transmission.
'''
JTAC: Sniper, Yankee, advise when ready-to-copy fire mission.

Aircraft: Yankee, Sniper, go ahead.

'''JTAC gives full transmission of 1) target location 2) target description 3) general location of nearest friendlies 4) type of weapon requested, then asks the aircraft to confirm he understood the target.
'''
JTAC: Target is on the northwest side of town Reallybad, marked with red smoke. Target is a squad-size group of infantry with a technical moving across a large field. Friendlies are 700 meters to the south of the target. Requesting rockets. Readback target.

Aircraft: Target is marked by red smoke on the northwest side of town Reallybad. Attacking with rockets.

JTAC: Readback is correct.

'''Aircraft looks for target or marking and calls “tally” if he sees the actual target and “contact” if he sees the marking method. In this case, he likely sees the red smoke well before seeing the actual target, and the use of the word “contact” instead of “tally” tells the JTAC exactly what he's seeing. “Visual” is reserve only for friendlies.
'''
Aircraft: Contact.

'''Aircraft repositions if necessary and begins attack run. He makes the “in” call which also tells the JTAC he is ready for weapons release and where he is coming from.
'''
Aircraft: In from the south.

'''JTAC visually confirms aircraft nose-position if possible before clearing hot.
'''
JTAC: Cleared hot.

'''Aircraft weapons release.
'''
JTAC: [Battle Damage Assessment, adjusting of fire, etc.]

Vehicle/Aircraft Operations

2020-02-14T03:12:20Z

Jester2138:

In almost all missions here at Coalition, vehicles will be used in many different capacities. It is important that you understand both ground and air vehicle operations if you plan on using them within sessions.

NOTE: the vehicle spawner also serves as a rearm/refuel/repair pad automatically for any vehicle on it.

== Ground Vehicles ==
Ground vehicles can range from an ATV to an M1A2 Abrams main battle tank during sessions.

=== Transport ===
Transport vehicles range from anything between light cars to heavy transport trucks. They are vehicles with very little to no combat effectiveness that are used to transport troops or supplies.

Transport vehicles are used to get from point A to point B. While most vehicles we use will be armed, you should not rely on them to provide as a frontline combat unit. With little to no armour and no crew protection, they make for easy targets. Instead you should try to use them as a base of fire, or to partially dismount and advance with the infantry.

=== Combat Capable ===
These are armoured personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks. Refer to [http://coalitiongroup.net/wiki/index.php?title=Vehicle_Identification vehicle identification] for a detailed list of such vehicles. APCs and IFVs are capable of transporting troops into the battlefield with added protection.

Your role when you are crewing a combat capable vehicle is to support the infantry. The infantry will keep anti-tank crews away from you, while you support their advance and knock out any armor they encounter. You should never lead a push into a city or through hedgerows without infantry support. You have a mutually beneficial relationship with the infantry so use it to your advantage against enemy forces.

=== AFVs/IFVs ===

[[AFV_Operation]]

[https://youtu.be/2Wf5EQpGTtU Tutorial by Jester on tank operations.] It goes over tactics and strategy at both an individual level and at the company level. If you are interested in operating armored vehicles in ARMA with Coalition, you should watch this.

== JTAC-Aircraft Operations ==

A re-write of this on its own page is being worked on here [link].

These are mostly real-world rules but modified in some specific ways to better suit our playstyle and set of knowledge.

* What a JTAC does:
*# find and identify enemy forces to the fullest of their ability
*# (type 1) provide direct targeting information on enemy forces to aircraft
*# (type 2) provide CAS support to ground forces as they request it
*# maintain coordination with Ground Commander [GC] to ensure highest-possible situational awareness all-around

* What a JTAC does not do:
*# control aircraft at all phases of flight or act as their commander
*# act as a passive radio relay between forward teams and aircraft and provide no further input or usefulness on their own
*# provide unnecessary instructions/restrictions to aircraft, e.g. a specific IP ''if'' none is necessary for current target, as this will only delay the attack

* JTAC general knowledge responsibilities:
*# know location and description of all enemies
*# know location and description of all friendlies
*# know GC's overall intentions and priorities
*# maintain communication with individual ground units
*# know technical abilities and available ordnance of aircraft

* JTAC target knowledge responsibilities:
*# know specific location and description of target, ideally w/ line-of-sight
*# know specific location of nearby friendly forces
*# know munitions on aircraft and select them w/ mind to efficiency

* JTAC general action responsibilities:
*# stay alive
*# with mind to above: position self as-needed to maintain situational awareness and obtain LOS wherever possible
*# rapidly and independently find targets
*# press ground units for specific and actionable information on any targets they provide that the JTAC does not have LOS for
*# determine best method of attack, appropriate munitions, necessary cardinal directions for attack (if any), and appropriate considerations re: air defenses, terrain, weather, etc.
*# transmit clear, precise, and detailed information to aircraft
*# provide BDA as much as possible

* Targeting methods and considerations [For ALL METHODS, specific verbal target description and location must still be provided to the aircraft; these methods are not to be used as the only information provided to aircraft]
** laser designator
**# suitable for laser-guided munitions only
**# only visible to seeker from same direction as designation
**# JTAC should transmit direction-of-attack if necessary to ensure spot visibility to aircraft
**# avoid ingresses that allow ordnance to fly over friendly positions, so that in case guidance fails, the bomb won't fall short onto friendlies
** red smoke
**# provides rapid visual identification of an area for aircraft
**# due to area nature, care must be taken to provide location information relative to the smoke
** direct-fire tracers
**# very effective, esp. at night
**# can mark very specific target e.g. a particular window
**# also necessarily provides information on nearby friendly forces
**# must be timed carefully to ensure aircrew is looking while tracers are fired
**# due to presence of direct fire already on target, it's very possible target will be destroyed before aircraft can engage
** map marks
**# probably the least useful and slowest method due to need to correlate aircraft position, map knowledge, and visual landmarks
**# to be used only when better methods are unavailable
**# extremely difficult at night

* Important words:
*# “ABORT”: cease current action immediately
*# “CLEARED HOT”: cleared to release ordnance on this pass for this target
*# “CLEARED TO ENGAGE”: cleared to release ordnance within the specified parameters, e.g. for multiple passes or within a kill box
*# “INBOUND”: aircrew's call to indicate the beginning of an attack on the specified target
*# “TALLY”: visual acquisition of something, e.g. “tally tanks” or “tally laser”
*# “kill box”: a designated area in which further coordination with control is not necessary for attack by aircraft, e.g. anything in kill box X is a valid target
*# “RFA” [restrictive fires area]: a designated area in which specific restrictions apply, e.g. no explosives within town limits
*# "Pickle": statement by aircrew to announce a bomb release
*# "Rifle": statement by aircrew to announce an air-to-ground missile (AGM) has been fired
*# "Guns, guns, guns": statement by aircrew to announce that guns are being fired
*# "Rockets": statement by aircrew to announce that rockets are being fired

* The two types of CAS and their procedures:
** type 1: JTAC has LOS on target
**# JTAC visually acquires the target
**# JTAC determines attack plan
**# JTAC transmits target information, targeting instructions, and location of nearby friendlies to aircraft, incl. phrase “cleared hot”
**# aircrew acknowledges
**# aircrew cross-checks target location with appropriate means, calls “tally [target]”
**# aircrew moves to engage target as requested and calls “inbound”
**# JTAC provides BDA as soon as possible
** type 2: JTAC does not have LOS on target
**# JTAC acquires target information from other unit
**# JTAC cross-checks target information via appropriate means
**# JTAC passes target information, targeting instructions, and location of nearby friendlies to aircraft, incl. phrase “cleared hot”
**# aircrew acknowledges
**# aircrew cross-checks target location with appropriate means, calls “tally [target]”
**# aircrew moves to engage target as requested and calls “inbound”
**# JTAC forwards “inbound” call to the other unit
**# JTAC requests and forwards BDA from the other unit to the aircraft

== Flying Aircraft Effectively ==

===Notes Common to Helicopters and Fixed-Wing===

*Object view distances (VERY IMPORTANT): For transport, sufficient to see the LZ early enough to make a good approach (e.g. 2-3km). For attack, greater than your longest-range weapon (e.g. 4-6km). A tip: set your Arma vanilla object view distance settings to the max, then limit with ACE settings (found in top left of ESC screen) to your preference. Otherwise, if you set your vanilla object distance to e.g. 2km and go to ACE and increase view distance to 6km, you still won't see objects past 2km.

*Key bindings: everyone has different preferred keybindings, but here are some important default bindings:

**"Next Target" = R = useful for targeting a vehicle/aircraft/laser that you can see but aren't pointing directly at
**"Lock Target" = T = lock the vehicle/aircraft/laser you are pointing directly at (also ranges your gun in some RHS vehicles that require manual ranging of the gun)
**"Switch Weapon" = F = switch weapon
**"Radar on/off" = Control + R = turn your radar on and off
**"Release Countermeasures = C = drops both chaff and flares to confuse radar and IR seekers
**It's highly recommended to create keybindings for the left/right display panel functions so you don't need to use the scroll menu. A useful combination is NAV on one side and SENSOR on the other.

[[File:sensors.png|thumb|right|alt=caption|Arma 3 Sensor Panel Symbology]]

*Radar: All aircraft have a radar-warning receiver which will show radar emitters as a yellow circle on the SENSOR display panel in your HUD. It's important to pay attention to these because they are likely to be an anti-air threat. Some aircraft have radars themselves, which they can use to find other aircraft beyond visual range or fire radar-guided missiles like AIM-120s. However, turning your radar on makes you instantly visible to anyone with a radar-warning receiver, so you need to strategize your use of it (Arma's AI, however, is not coded to look for radar emitters; this may change). Make sure you understand most of the symbology in the SENSOR panel, as it will keep you alive:

[[File:evade_missiles.jpg|thumb|right|alt=caption|When the missile warning goes off, turn and burn]]

*Evading missiles: The trick to avoiding missiles is three-fold: 1) release countermeasures early 2) change your velocity relative to the missile as much as possible and 3) never get shot at from short-range. Missiles don't turn well, so if you confuse them with countermeasures and require them to turn you have a good chance of evading them. If you're within 1.5km and moving slowly not only will your countermeasures not attain sufficient spread but the missile probably doesn't have to turn much to hit you. So don't risk getting that close to a target unless you know there are no AA missile threats.

*Radios: You'll likely be equipped with 3 radios: a 343 (short range, talk to crew outside the aircraft), a 152 (platoon net, if no JTAC you'll use this to talk to PL), and a 148 (air net, talk JTAC and your fellow pilots). The vast majority of your time will be spent talking to PL/JTAC so make sure you can access that radio easily. It's highly recommended to set the 152 and 148 to different ears so you know who's talking to you quickly.

*Hardware: A flight stick and head tracker are both highly recommended, but not necessary. The head tracker is probably the more useful accessory to get, especially for helicopters, as it gives you much greater situational awareness which is especially important when taking off and landing in confined areas.

=== Flying Helicopters Effectively ===

Helicopters are a complex and powerful tool for the Platoon. Platoon leaders need to understand their capabilities in order to make effective use of them. Pilots need to know how to properly fly the airframe in question in order to provide those capabilities. Don't take pilot/crew slots unless you know how to use those aircraft and their weapons.

Let's consider the many different types of helicopters and the different strategic and piloting considerations relevant to them.

[[File:hiding_terrain.jpg|thumb|right|alt=caption|A good helo pilot hides in terrain until it's safe]]

====Transport Helicopters====

*Principle function is to move infantry across the battlefield rapidly and safely. Great care must be taken to remain low (so as to avoid radar and IR AA systems), fast (so as to avoid small-arms fire), and precise (so as to avoid spending more time in danger than necessary). Pilots must be able to approach an LZ directly without overflying it or gaining altitude right before landing, as either situation can quickly become disastrous if there are enemy in the area.

*As a pilot, you are responsible for the safety of the aircraft and its passengers first and foremost. It's not Platoon's job to make sure you don't crash, so don't be a hero and agree to fly into a bad LZ or one beyond your piloting capabilities. You should suggest an alternative LZ.

*A good way to navigate in helicopters equipped with the necessary equipment is to draw a course line on the map and open a NAV display panel in your HUD so you can easily follow the line and navigate without hitting M constantly.

====Attack Helicopters====

*Attack helicopters require a completely different set of considerations than transport helicopters and are much more challenging to use well. The attack helicopter must be close enough to see the enemy while remaining far enough away to not get shot down. This requires a very careful balancing act by the pilot and great situational awareness of the local friendly and enemy forces and their makeup.

*Attack helicopters must always prioritize their tasks:

**First, don't get shot down, because if you are then you can't help the ground pounders. You must live in constant fear of anti-air threats in order to be a good attack pilot. There are three main types of threats and they must be approached differently:

***Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA or triple-A): These can be tracked vehicles, like the Russian ZSU series, or just huge machine guns mounted to a truck or emplacement, like the Russian ZU series. A ZSU often is coupled to a radar and uses it for finding you and ranging its air-burst munitions or for targeting its missiles. Any radar emitter will show up as a yellow circle on your SENSOR display panel so make sure you keep an eye on it. A good rule of thumb is to not get closer than 3km to a radar-equipped AA threat unless you are actively attempting to kill it or can use terrain masking, and even then you need to be very careful.

***MANPADS: These are Man Portable Air-Defense Systems - usually shoulder-fired missiles like Stingers. They are possibly the most dangerous threat to helicopters because they are very difficult to find and can hit you with little warning. They don't emit radar or significant IR signatures so the only way to find them is to see them optically. Generally, pilots should ''always'' assume an enemy force has MANPADS and never get closer than 1.5km to known enemy forces until they are sure it's safe to do so.

***Other Aircraft: If you're in most helicopters, the only thing you can do is not be seen in the first place. If you spot enemy aircraft, stay low, move away, hide behind terrain, and keep your radar off. Some gunships carry anti-air missiles, and can fight back. For proper use of anti-air missiles see the section on fixed-wing combat.

**Second, kill the enemy.

***How to use your missiles:
****Hellfires will only successfully track a lock/laser if the helicopter is pointed almost directly at the target at the time of firing. The crew must communicate so that the gunner waits for the pilot to line the aircraft up before firing. Don't waste missiles firing before the pilot's ready!
****AGM-114K Hellfire II: Laser-guided anti-tank guided missile. Turn on laser, switch back to AGM-114K, press T to lock onto the laser, wait for lock, fire, hold laser on target until impact.
****AGM-114L Hellfire II: Heat-seeking anti-tank guided missile. Look at target, press T, wait for lock, fire missile.
****AGM-114N Hellfire II: Laser-guided thermobaric missile. Same operation as K-model, but used against infantry and buildings.
****9M120M & 9M121M: radio-command guided anti-tank missiles. Look at target, fire, hold cross-hair on target until impact. The 121M IRL is a laser-guided missile but in Arma it functions identically to the 120M.
***How to use your guns:
****Apache/Cobra: To range your gun automatically, turn on your laser, switch back to gun, press T. You'll see a green box around your cross-hair indicating the gun is ranging to the laser automatically. It won't range off water/sky for obvious reasons, so hitting boats and other aircraft this way can be tricky. NOTE: The Apache has a very powerful 30mm that can disable light armor like BMPs. Strategize your weapon usage to delay rearming as much as possible.
****Mi24, Mi28, Ka50/52: you must manually range the gun to each target before firing. Look at target, press T, fire. Repeat for each target. NOTE: Some Mi24s do not have a turret-mounted gun. All Mi28s do. The Ka50/52 has a very powerful gun with very limited traversability.
***How to use your rockets:
****Point and shoot! Try not to use them all at once. They are very powerful, so spread them out for maximum effect. Don't put a bunch of rockets into the same spot.

**Example scenarios:
***If working in a permissible airspace, meaning no threats of enemy aircraft or radar-guided AA missiles (e.g. Afghanistan, Iraq), the biggest threat is enemy direct fire weapons. In that case, staying high and fast is your friend. Fly a pattern over friendly terrain at an altitude of 600-1000m, approximately 1.5 km behind the front line. Go closer only as needed for specific attacks, and return as soon as possible. If you get a radar/missile warning, dump flares, turn perpendicular to the threat, lose altitude, and gain speed immediately. Then proceed to find/kill the threat as if you were in a non-permissible airspace (see below).
***If working in a non-permissible airspace, meaning there are threats of enemy aircraft or radar-guided AA missiles (e.g. Desert Storm, U.S. vs. RU war, etc.), stay low and hidden over friendly territory as you slowly work around the terrain to find/kill AAA threats. Maximum altitude might be 100m until you KNOW where the threat is and then can work up a suitable plan to kill it. Only once you're sure all such threats are gone might you want to use higher altitudes.

*Two common mistakes Arma attack pilots make are hovering near the AO and/or overflying the enemy when not absolutely necessary. Hovering in a combat zone makes you a sitting duck. Your gunner does not need a stable platform more than you both need to not get shot down. Overflying the enemy is also dangerous and should only be done when your aircraft doesn't have the ability to fire off-center. Aircraft that can fire off-center, like the Apache, should never overfly the enemy or come anywhere close to them. This is why knowing where the enemy is or might be is so important: you need to keep yourself moving within weapons range but not so close you might get shot down.

===Flying Fixed-Wing Effectively (TBA)===

I definitely need to expand this more.

The RHS CAS jets have systems that don't follow Arma conventions:

A-10A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_4xBWO5WOE

SU-25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrION09pv8E

Flying VTOL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkLWjC0C93o&feature=youtu.be

Air Assault for Pilots

2020-01-03T02:13:47Z

Jester2138:

'''AIR ASSAULT EXTREME BASICS:'''

There are three important geographical points: Pickup Zones (PZ), Release Points (RP), and Landing Zones (LZ).

''Pickup Zone:'' Where troops are picked up.

''Release Point:'' Where helicopters begin their final approach to the LZ. Determines the azimuth of approach and all pilots should visualize what the LZ (and their part of it) will look like from the RP. Also marks the point-at-which pilots begin slowing down, and therefore should be 1-2km away from the LZ depending on the chopper type.

''Landing Zone:'' Where troops are dropped-off.

An Air Assault consists of moving a large number of troops rapidly from a PZ to an LZ, over an RP. There are two types of such lifts: formation and sequenced.

''Formation lifts:'' When the entire group of helicopters lifts and lands together all at once in formation. The formation can be rough, and is determined by the desired layout of ground forces in the LZ. If Alpha needs to be on the left side of the LZ from the POV of the RP looking at the LZ, the chopper carrying Alpha needs to be on the left side of the formation. When landing in the PZ, choppers should arrange themselves in as similar formation to the LZ as possible, so nobody has to cross over/under another helicopter on the way - such movement is extremely dangerous.

For simplicity's sake, it's reasonable to not use any formation other than loose trail. Choppers can simply join up and break off to their specific point around LZ/PZs as needed.

In any case, the lead helicopter establishes the speed and navigates the group. He needs to be very situationally-aware. He also needs to fly at 50-70% of max speed to ensure everyone can catch up if-needed and maintain formation.

[[File:LZ_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]
[[File:PZ_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|The corresponding Pickup Zone.]]
[[File:Overview_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|An overview of the whole plan.]]

''Sequenced lifts:'' When the helicopters take a specific interval in seconds and lift and land one-by-one following each other into the same LZ. 30 seconds is a good interval and results in each chopper having 5-7 seconds in the LZ before needing to takeoff and clear for the following chopper. Two things are critical to a sequenced lift: 1) each pilot honor the FULL time interval using the watch (press Oscar) and 2) each pilot fly the same speed on the way to the LZ. A rule-of-thumb can be to fly full speed and cut to idle at ~1.7km to the LZ, which will slow you down in time to land carefully with a little error margin. Yes, it actually can take that long to slow down in the Unsung Hueys.

'''Communication:'''

Standard radio concepts apply. You are identified by your callsign number, e.g. Ghost 1-3, and use that to refer to yourself. When in a flight with other helicopters, call out quickly and concisely what you are doing when taking-off and landing. Here are some examples:

''Taking off, nobody nearby:'' "Ghost 1-3 lifting"

''Taking off with other helicopters on the ground nearby:'' e.g. "Ghost 1-3 lifting, passing overhead." When clear: "Ghost 1-3 clear."

''Landing:'' "Ghost 1-3 touchdown in LZ"

If, for example, only Ghost 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are involved in an operation, it can be appropriate to shorten your callsign to simply "1," "2," or "3," and say e.g. "3's lifting, passing overhead... 3's clear."

Air Assault for Pilots

2020-01-03T02:12:58Z

Jester2138:

'''AIR ASSAULT EXTREME BASICS:'''

There are three important geographical points: Pickup Zones (PZ), Release Points (RP), and Landing Zones (LZ).

''Pickup Zone:'' Where troops are picked up.

''Release Point:'' Where helicopters begin their final approach to the LZ. Determines the azimuth of approach and all pilots should visualize what the LZ (and their part of it) will look like from the RP. Also marks the point-at-which pilots begin slowing down, and therefore should be 1-2km away from the LZ depending on the chopper type.

''Landing Zone:'' Where troops are dropped-off.

An Air Assault consists of moving a large number of troops rapidly from a PZ to an LZ, over an RP. There are two types of such lifts: formation and sequenced.

''Formation lifts:'' When the entire group of helicopters lifts and lands together all at once in formation. The formation can be rough, and is determined by the desired layout of ground forces in the LZ. If Alpha needs to be on the left side of the LZ from the POV of the RP looking at the LZ, the chopper carrying Alpha needs to be on the left side of the formation. When landing in the PZ, choppers should arrange themselves in as similar formation to the LZ as possible, so nobody has to cross over/under another helicopter on the way - such movement is extremely dangerous.

For simplicity's sake, it's reasonable to not use any formation other than loose trail. Choppers can simply join up and break off to their specific point around LZ/PZs as needed.

In any case, the lead helicopter establishes the speed and navigates the group. He needs to be very situationally-aware. He also needs to fly at 50-70% of max speed to ensure everyone can catch up if-needed and maintain formation.

[[File:LZ_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]
[[File:PZ_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|The corresponding Pickup Zone.]]
[[File:Overview_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|An overview of the whole plan.]]

''Sequenced lifts:'' When the helicopters take a specific interval in seconds and lift and land one-by-one following each other into the same LZ. 30 seconds is a good interval and results in each chopper having 5-7 seconds in the LZ before needing to takeoff and clear for the following chopper. Two things are critical to a sequenced lift: 1) each pilot honor the FULL time interval using the watch (press Oscar) and 2) each pilot fly the same speed on the way to the LZ. A rule-of-thumb can be to fly full speed and cut to idle at ~1.7km to the LZ, which will slow you down in time to land carefully with a little error margin. Yes, it actually can take that long to slow down in the Unsung Hueys.

'''Communication:'''

Standard radio concepts apply. You are identified by your callsign number, e.g. Ghost 1-3, and use that to refer to yourself. When in a flight with other helicopters, call out quickly and concisely what you are doing when taking-off and landing. Here are some examples:

''Taking off, nobody nearby:'' "Ghost 1-3 lifting"
''Taking off with other helicopters on the ground nearby:'' e.g. "Ghost 1-3 lifting, passing overhead." When clear: "Ghost 1-3 clear."
''Landing:'' "Ghost 1-3 touchdown in LZ"

If, for example, only Ghost 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are involved in an operation, it can be appropriate to shorten your callsign to simply "1," "2," or "3," and say e.g. "3's lifting, passing overhead... 3's clear."

Air Assault for Pilots

2020-01-03T02:12:08Z

Jester2138:

'''AIR ASSAULT EXTREME BASICS:'''

There are three important geographical points: Pickup Zones (PZ), Release Points (RP), and Landing Zones (LZ).

''Pickup Zone:'' Where troops are picked up.

''Release Point:'' Where helicopters begin their final approach to the LZ. Determines the azimuth of approach and all pilots should visualize what the LZ (and their part of it) will look like from the RP. Also marks the point-at-which pilots begin slowing down, and therefore should be 1-2km away from the LZ depending on the chopper type.

''Landing Zone:'' Where troops are dropped-off.

An Air Assault consists of moving a large number of troops rapidly from a PZ to an LZ, over an RP. There are two types of such lifts: formation and sequenced.

''Formation lifts:'' When the entire group of helicopters lifts and lands together all at once in formation. The formation can be rough, and is determined by the desired layout of ground forces in the LZ. If Alpha needs to be on the left side of the LZ from the POV of the RP looking at the LZ, the chopper carrying Alpha needs to be on the left side of the formation. When landing in the PZ, choppers should arrange themselves in as similar formation to the LZ as possible, so nobody has to cross over/under another helicopter on the way - such movement is extremely dangerous.

For simplicity's sake, it's likely in the CCO we will not do any formation other than loose trail, with choppers joining up and breaking off to their specific point around LZ/PZs as needed.

In any case, the lead helicopter establishes the speed and navigates the group. He needs to be very situationally-aware. He also needs to fly at 50-70% of max speed to ensure everyone can catch up if-needed and maintain formation.

[[File:LZ_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]
[[File:PZ_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|The corresponding Pickup Zone.]]
[[File:Overview_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|An overview of the whole plan.]]

''Sequenced lifts:'' When the helicopters take a specific interval in seconds and lift and land one-by-one following each other into the same LZ. 30 seconds is a good interval and results in each chopper having 5-7 seconds in the LZ before needing to takeoff and clear for the following chopper. Two things are critical to a sequenced lift: 1) each pilot honor the FULL time interval using the watch (press Oscar) and 2) each pilot fly the same speed on the way to the LZ. A rule-of-thumb can be to fly full speed and cut to idle at ~1.7km to the LZ, which will slow you down in time to land carefully with a little error margin. Yes, it actually can take that long to slow down in the Unsung Hueys.

'''Communication:'''

Standard radio concepts apply. You are identified by your callsign number, e.g. Ghost 1-3, and use that to refer to yourself. When in a flight with other helicopters, call out quickly and concisely what you are doing when taking-off and landing. Here are some examples:

''Taking off, nobody nearby:'' "Ghost 1-3 lifting"
''Taking off with other helicopters on the ground nearby:'' e.g. "Ghost 1-3 lifting, passing overhead." When clear: "Ghost 1-3 clear."
''Landing:'' "Ghost 1-3 touchdown in LZ"

If, for example, only Ghost 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are involved in an operation, it can be appropriate to shorten your callsign to simply "1," "2," or "3," and say e.g. "3's lifting, passing overhead... 3's clear."

Air Assault for Pilots

2020-01-03T02:11:02Z

Jester2138:

'''AIR ASSAULT EXTREME BASICS:'''

There are three important geographical points: Pickup Zones (PZ), Release Points (RP), and Landing Zones (LZ).

''Pickup Zone:'' Where troops are picked up.

''Release Point:'' Where helicopters begin their final approach to the LZ. Determines the azimuth of approach and all pilots should visualize what the LZ (and their part of it) will look like from the RP.

''Landing Zone:'' Where troops are dropped-off.

An Air Assault consists of moving a large number of troops rapidly from a PZ to an LZ, over an RP. There are two types of such lifts: formation and sequenced.

''Formation lifts:'' When the entire group of helicopters lifts and lands together all at once in formation. The formation can be rough, and is determined by the desired layout of ground forces in the LZ. If Alpha needs to be on the left side of the LZ from the POV of the RP looking at the LZ, the chopper carrying Alpha needs to be on the left side of the formation. When landing in the PZ, choppers should arrange themselves in as similar formation to the LZ as possible, so nobody has to cross over/under another helicopter on the way - such movement is extremely dangerous.

For simplicity's sake, it's likely in the CCO we will not do any formation other than loose trail, with choppers joining up and breaking off to their specific point around LZ/PZs as needed.

In any case, the lead helicopter establishes the speed and navigates the group. He needs to be very situationally-aware. He also needs to fly at 50-70% of max speed to ensure everyone can catch up if-needed and maintain formation.

[[File:LZ_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|An example Landing Zone plan, with helicopter movement marked in black.]]
[[File:PZ_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|The corresponding Pickup Zone.]]
[[File:Overview_plan_1.jpg|thumb|alt=Alt|An overview of the whole plan.]]

''Sequenced lifts:'' When the helicopters take a specific interval in seconds and lift and land one-by-one following each other into the same LZ. 30 seconds is a good interval and results in each chopper having 5-7 seconds in the LZ before needing to takeoff and clear for the following chopper. Two things are critical to a sequenced lift: 1) each pilot honor the FULL time interval using the watch (press Oscar) and 2) each pilot fly the same speed on the way to the LZ. A rule-of-thumb can be to fly full speed and cut to idle at ~1.7km to the LZ, which will slow you down in time to land carefully with a little error margin. Yes, it actually can take that long to slow down in the Unsung Hueys.

'''Communication:'''

Standard radio concepts apply. You are identified by your callsign number, e.g. Ghost 1-3, and use that to refer to yourself. When in a flight with other helicopters, call out quickly and concisely what you are doing when taking-off and landing. Here are some examples:

''Taking off, nobody nearby:'' "Ghost 1-3 lifting"
''Taking off with other helicopters on the ground nearby:'' e.g. "Ghost 1-3 lifting, passing overhead." When clear: "Ghost 1-3 clear."
''Landing:'' "Ghost 1-3 touchdown in LZ"

If, for example, only Ghost 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 are involved in an operation, it can be appropriate to shorten your callsign to simply "1," "2," or "3," and say e.g. "3's lifting, passing overhead... 3's clear."

File:Overview plan 1.jpg

2020-01-03T02:10:43Z

Jester2138:

File:PZ plan 1.jpg

2020-01-03T02:10:29Z

Jester2138:

File:LZ plan 1.jpg

2020-01-03T02:10:15Z

Jester2138: