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As per another thread, I am starting a series of posts on how to do proper CAS missions with a JTAC or FAC(A). I am going to explain it more generically and fill in some of the details and concepts that DCS either glosses over or simply does not even implement in the built-in AI JTAC modeling. Understanding this process should allow you to more easily work a CAS mission with either an AI JTAC or a human JTAC, or even perform the duties of a JTAC or FAC(A).

In this first post, I am going to define a bit of terminology and describe the keyhole concept. In follo- up posts I will start talking about the exchanges between the aircraft and the JATC or FAC(A), as well as explain the "9-line".

Obviously CAS means Close Air Support, which is a specific type of mission where air assets are leveraged to target and destroy elements on the ground in support of the friendly troops that are on the ground at the front lines.

First, JTAC stands for Joint Terminal Attack Controller. This is somebody on the ground with special training to that allows them to call in and work with air assets to target and destroy the enemy elements that are causing problems for the friendly troops. A FAC(A) stands for Forward Air Controller (Airborne) and pretty much serves the same function as a JTAC, only this person is onboard an aircraft or operating through a drone that is in the area of operation. For the remainder of these posts, I will only be referring to JTAC, but you can use JTAC and FAC(A) interchangably.

Since the past couple of decades, the JTAC communication has been enhanced to make use of a simplified reference mechanism referred to as the "Keyhole Template". This makes references relative to a target area easier to communicate and to understand for both the JTAC and the air crew. My understanding is the Keyhole Template concept was proven during the battle of Fallujah in 2004.

The Keyhole Template consists of a target area at its center, marked by a letter {E}cho, and the 4 cardinal directions of North, East, South, and West represented as {A}lpha (North), {B}ravo (East), {C}harlie (South), and {D}elta (West). No matter where you are, the Keyhole Template is always oriented with the E over the target area (center of the template) and A is aligned to magnetic north.

Here is a graphic that represents this, shamelessly stolen from the Internet: If the JTAC is planning to use the Keyhole Template, the JTAC will usually communicate this by saying "Keyhole in effect". The location of the Keyhole Template is the "E", or Echo Point. The JTAC will communicate this location using either a grid location or lat/lon. Example:

ECHO POINT IS GRID [NOVEMBER BRAVO NINER NINER ZERO FOUR, FOUR SEVEN ZERO FIVE]. From that point on, the aircraft knows where the target area is, and when the JTAC says "ALPHA 8", we know that the JTAC is stating 8 nm north of echo point. If JTAC were say "DELTA ONE FIVE", we know the JTAC is referring to 15 nm to the west.

In the next post, we will start talking about the Nine-Line and how the Keyhole Template can be used to reference things like the IP (Initial Point), and other parameters that are important relative to the air action that is being called in.

"ECHO POINT IS GRID [NOVEMBER BRAVO NINER NINER ZERO FOUR, FOUR SEVEN ZERO FIVE]. From that point on, the aircraft knows where the target area is, and when the JTAC says "ALPHA 8", we know that the JTAC is stating 8 nm north of echo point. If JTAC were say "DELTA ONE FIVE", we know the JTAC is referring to 15 nm to the west."

This lesson is already gold. I had no idea. Thanks... much appreciated

My friend fought in the Battle of Fallujah in the US Army. He was a US Army Major at the time (retired as a lieutenant colonel), Fallujah was rough, he doesn't like to talk much about it.

IIRC VF-103 participated in Fallujah using LANTIRN. Tomcats were also FAC(A)s. Toward the end of the main fighting in Iraqi Freedom, the Tomcat FAC(A)s were augmented with ROVER,"remotely operated video enhanced receiver" which was an incredible example of how versatile and adaptable the Tomcat was. The F-14 community didn't want to get left out of the precision high asset game, especially in her final months of service, and from go ahead to implement the system to operational use in the field, was less than 6 weeks! The cost per Tomcat? $800. The actual drilling into the fuselages and wiring the little "nub" to enable ROVER took a few hours to do. After that, JTACs and other troops on the ground with special laptops could see--in real time--what F-14 RIOs were seeing in the LANTIRN and could literally talk each other onto a target:

Ground troop: OK, see that building to the right of your cursor? That's the one!"
RIO: "Got it, you guys are the IR signatures I see to the left of it the other side?"
Ground troop: "Affirm!"

(re-enactment for a loose example to illustrate its functional use)

v6,
boNes

Time to talk about the CAS 9-line (literally pronounced "nine line"). This refers to a universal form that the JTAC fills out with the vital information that he will be reading off to the air crew at the appropriate time. The JTAC usually has a pad of these forms, and he'll use a separate form for each new engagement. Each line on the form has a specific meaning and is labeled for the information that goes there. There happen to be 9 separate lines, which is where the "9-line" term comes from. It's possible that the aircrew might also utilize a similar pad of forms and fill in the information as it is being radioed to the crew. Some information will have to be read back to the JTAC to confirm it is correct. You can think of the 9-line as a checklist of parameters for the attack, and to make sure nothing is missed or left out that might be pertinent to the attack. I should also point out that there are other types of 9-lines other than CAS, and those are very different. For example, a MEDEVAC 9-LINE is used for medical evacuation, and is obviously very different from a CAS 9-LINE. Also note that rotor wing uses a 5 or 6-line that is slightly different. I'll be sticking with the 9-line for this post.

Before we get there, the JTAC will need to tell us whether this is a type I, type II, or type III control. I won't go into this just yet, but it will be in an upcoming post.


Let's do a quick overview of each of the lines.

Line 1: IP/BP.
Examples:
"IP CRATER"
"IP ALPHA ONE FIVE"
IP refers to "Initial Point", which is a flexible area where the attack aircraft should loiter while waiting to be told to attack. Be aware that there could be multiple IP's in use in the same time over the target area, and the JTAC may stack aircraft at the same IP at different altitudes, usually separated by 2000 feet.
BP refers to "Battle Position", and is only in use for rotor wing (helicopters!). This is usually an area protected by terrain that masks or hides the helicopter when they are not attacking.

Basically this is the location where the attacking aircraft (or helicopter) will be starting their attack run from. This is usually a named waypoint that both JTAC and aircrew are aware of. If a JTAC needs to create a new IP, they could use a keyhole reference or MGRS grid coordinates.

Line 2: Heading + Offset
Examples:
"ONE SIX ZERO"
"ZERO NINER ZERO, Offset RIGHT"
Heading refers to the the magnetic bearing from the IP to the target that the aircraft should fly. If Offset is provided, this means aircraft should stay on the left or right of the line between IP and target to avoid a hazard or friendly. For example, let's say attack direction is to the east and JTAC says offset left. The JTAC wants you to stay north of the line between UP and target, maybe because there is artillery be fired south of that line or some other reason.


Line 3 - DISTANCE
Examples:
"ONE ZERO NAUTICAL MILES"
This is the distance from IP to target, in NM.

Line 4 - TARGET ELEVATION
Examples:
"FIVE FIVE SIX ZERO FEET"
This is the elevation of the target.

Line 5 - TARGET DESCRIPTION
This could be a simple or complex description of the target.
Examples:
"CONVOY OF SIX TRUCKS"
"JET AIRCRAFT ON PARKING RAMP"
"INFANTRY"
"BUNKER"


Line 6 - TARGET LOCATION
Examples:
"GRID NOVEMBER MIKE, SIX ONE FOUR THREE, SEVEN ONE TWO FOUR"

This is usually given as a grid location with the MGRS 2-digit grid letters followed by 4 digits + 4 digits for the complete grid location. Location could also be given as lat / lon but this is not typical.

Line 7 - TYPE MARK
Examples:
"TALK ON"
"MARKED LASER ONE SIX EIGHT EIGHT"
"N/A"
"MARKED SMOKE"
"MARKED STROBE"
"MARKED IR"

This indicates how the target will be marked, if any. Possible values given could be:


Probably only the first 3 are applicable to DCS.

Line 8 - LOCATION OF FRIENDLIES
Examples:
"ALPHA THREE, TROOPS, MARKED STROBE. BRAVO FOUR, TANKS".

This gives the location(s) of any friendlies in reference to the target, in cardinal direction and distance. For example, "ALPHA THREE" or "NORTH THREE" both mean that there are friendlies 3 miles north of the target. If the friendlies are marked (such as with a strobe), this would also be indicated. "ALPHA THREE, MARKED STROBE"

Line 9 - EGRESS [CARDINAL DIRECTION]
Examples:
"EGRESS SOUTH"
"EGRESS SOUTHWEST"
This is the direction the aircraft should use to egress after the attack. It's assumed that after egress, pilot will return to IP unless told otherwise.


Ok, so that's all 9 lines. That's all we need to know, right? Well, not exactly. There's some additional information that needs to come in the form of remarks. I'll save that for the next post, and start laying down the steps in the JTAC/aircrew exchange - because I haven't covered everything that goes on as of yet.