ARMING THE FORCE
INTRODUCTION
Much has been said and written about the increased lethality of today's battlefield, and an integral part of this lethality is a responsive and continuous supply of ammunition. Within the corps, ammunition operations' primary focus is to support the "big six" combat users,artillery, infantry, armor, air defense artillery, combat engineers, and combat aviation. The corps ammunition system is the maneuver-oriented ammunition distribution system,palletized loading system (MOADS/PLS).
When fighting as part of joint and combined forces, US Army ammunition units may also support other services and possibly coalition forces. In this era of force projection, ammunition planning must have the flexibility to support all types and combinations of forces.
This chapter focuses primarily on conventional ammunition support but also includes an overview of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) operations within a corps and unexploded ordnance (UXO) threats and procedures. The information in this chapter is derived from FMs 9-6, 9-15, 9-38, 54-30, and 63-3. The pre-ponderance of the information in this chapter is based on the example of a heavy division. Since the primary focus of this chapter is corps and division ammunition operations, information about the TA and CONUS is minimal. If this chapter conflicts with doctrinal sources, the doctrinal sources will prevail. You will find there is a blend of doctrine and emerging doctrine. Emerging doctrine will be identified as such. Do not use this chapter as a crutch to avoid becoming familiar with the doctrinal manuals.
Paragraph 5-7 includes several examples of how to apply the lift capability of ammunition units. Remember these are examples that are intended only to illustrate how lift may be used. Do not take them as the only possible solutions.
AMMUNITION SUPPORT
a. General. Providing the required quantity and type of ammunition to the combat user at the time and place it is needed requires a responsive and flexible ammunition supply system. MOADS/PLS provides this capability. The objective of MOADS/PLS is to deliver 100 percent of the "big six" users' ammunition require-ments through supporting ATPs. In addition to these combat users, other units may receive ammunition support on an area basis from the ammunition supply activity [e.g., ATP, ammunition supply point (ASP), or corps storage area (CSA)] closest to the unit. Other units operating in the division rear area receive ammunition support on an area basis from either a DS ammunition company ATP or an ASP unless the division directs otherwise. The ASP can support units and make direct shipments of selected items to the ATPs. MOADS/PLS maximizes the use of combat-configured loads (CCLs). GS companies that operate CSAs in the corps rear provide GS ammunition support.
b. Ammunition basic loads (ABLs). ABLs originate with tactical forces' planned deployment. Ammunition is allocated to units in peacetime so that in the event of deployment, units will have an initial issue of ammunition that can sustain the unit until resupply can be accomplished.
The ABL is that quantity of conventional ammunition a unit is authorized and required to sustain itself until normal resupply can be effected. ABL must be carried in one lift in a combination of weapon systems, unit personnel, and organic equipment. The ABL's size and makeup are designed to meet a unit's anticipated initial combat needs. ABL is normally expressed in rounds per weapon, but it can be expressed in its number of required combat loads (battalion loads for artillery systems). The following factors influence the ABL's composi-tion:
Nature of the enemy threat.
Type of mission.
Intensity of engagement.
Availability of resupply transport.
Availability of ammunition.
Number and types of weapons in unit.
The criticality of high-lethality, special purpose, high-cost ammunition such as the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) requires extraordinary asset management, dispersion, and distribution to ensure availability. Limited availability of these types of ammunition may preclude their inclusion in individual ABLs. Rather than being allocated per weapon, these types of ammunition may be held back to attack preselected, high-priority targets as they appear.
c. Combat load (CL). Another unit of measure that has emerged is the CL. A CL is the designated quantity of munitions each deployable weapon system will carry to initiate combat operations. It is a standard unit of measure used to describe munitions for planning and resource programming. For most weapon systems, the CL is limited to the amount the weapon system can carry; e.g., 40 rounds in an M1A2 tank. The CL for artillery [including the multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS)] is actually a battalion load that includes rounds carried in the howitzer, a dedicated ammunition support vehicle, a field artillery ammunition support vehicle (FAASV), and battalion HEMTTs. CLs for attack helicopter units include more munitions than can be carried in one lift and provide enough munitions to assemble any combination of missiles, rockets, and ammunition the commander desires for a specific mission.
In force-projection operations, the CL system will be used to manage ammunition operations. The intent is to match the required number of CLs to the particular mission, and the required quantity of CLs will flow into the theater.
d. Lift capability. Ammunition units' capabilities are measured in lift. A lift uses materials handling equipment (MHE) to pick up ammunition and put it down, with each pickup and put-down constituting one lift. Lift is usually measured in short tons (STON) (2,000 pounds). Lift capabilities are limited by availability of personnel and MHE. There are several categories of activities that constitute lift,receipts, issues, rewarehouse/ configure, and transload. At an ATP, the only lift required is transload. At all other ammunition storage areas, there will be a combination of all types of lift. The ammunition manager's goal is to effectively manage ammunition unit lift capabilities to adequately support ongoing operations.
CONTROL PROCEDURES
a. Ammunition supply rates. The procedures used to control ammunition consumption are the required supply rate (RSR) and the controlled supply rate (CSR). The Standard Army Ammunition System (SAAS) is the management information system used to support these control procedures.
TheRSR is the amount of ammunition a maneuver commander estimates will be needed to sustain tactical operations, without restrictions, over a specified time period or for a specific mission. The RSR is expressed as rounds per weapon per day or, for selected items, as a bulk allotment per day or per mission. As the threat or missions change, RSRs should change to reflect revised ammunition forecasts. Maneuver com-manders develop RSRs and submit them to the next higher HQ through operations channels. Each HQ reviews, adjusts, and consolidates RSRs and forwards them through operations channels. At the HQ that has ammunition management responsibilities, normally at TA level, the total ammunition requirements are compared against total ammunition assets expected for that period. If there is a restriction, a CSR will be established.
TheCSR is that amount of ammunition that can be allocated based on the availability of ammuni-tion types or quantities, class V storage facilities, and transportation assets over a specific time period. The CSR is expressed in the same terms as the RSR. Commanders should use CSRs to allocate or prioritize the flow of ammunition assets to units engaged in combat and to units held in reserve. They should also withhold some ammunition, especially high-lethality, low-density ammunition, to meet unforeseen requirements.
The commander with ammunition management responsibilities, normally the TA commander, will announce the CSR for each item of ammunition to the corps commanders through logistics channels. The rates may vary from corps to corps depending on priorities, the projected threat, and ammunition availability. Each maneuver commander announces a CSR to the next subordinate maneuver commander. Commanders making CSR allocations to subordinate units should not allocate 100 percent of the CSR received from the higher HQ. They should retain a portion to meet unforeseen contingencies.
The CSRs should be published in the OPORD, a fragmentary order (FRAGO), a service support annex, or a fire support annex. The CSR may change daily. If there are no restrictions, the statement, "The CSR is the RSR," is used. The next higher commander may give permission for a unit to exceed its CSR. The commander granting permission for a unit to exceed its CSR must release contingency stocks, withhold or reduce issues to other units, or request an increase in his own CSR from the next higher commander before permitting a unit to increase its CSR.
b. The division ammunition officer (DAO). DAOs are responsible for ammunition distribution in the division. They are located in the DMMC where they can oversee the division's class V assets. The DAO maintains constant communication with the users, the MSC staffs, the CMMC, and ATPs while coordinating ATP operations/resupply with corps and division units. This communications capability and knowledge of planned and current operations enables the DAO to anticipate the ammunition consumption of supported units, thereby ensuring ammunition is available to support user requirements.
The division commander determines the quantity of ammunition to supply each brigade based on planned operations, the current CSR, and subordinate commanders' ammunition requirements. The DAO then coordinates with the CMMC for the required or authorized ammunition to be shipped to the designated ATP for the using unit to pick up. The DAO notifies the ATP representative and MSC S4s of inbound ammunition shipments. The MSC S4s must notify subordinate units when and where to pick up ammunition. Based on the division commander's concept of the operation, the DAO specifies which units (division, corps, or other) each ATP supports. The DAO also recommends locations for the ATPs to the command organizations responsible for their positioning.
In some situations, the DAO may designate an ASP rather than an ATP to provide more responsive ammunition resupply to units operating in the division rear. Upon issuing, the users may reconfigure the ammunition into appropriate LOGPACs for movement forward and distribution. Munitions barrier material should be delivered directly to an engineer supply point (ESP) near the emplacement site.
c. The CMMC. The CMMC's missile and munitions division interfaces with the DAOs and MSC S4s. The CMMC performs the following ammunition support functions:
Approves stockage objectives for CSAs/ASPs.
Recommends CSRs to the corps staff.
Directs ammunition distribution in the corps.
Provides requirements for moving ammunition to the MCC.
Coordinates with the theater army MMC (TAMMC) and or national inventory control point (NICP) to fill ammunition requirements.
Operates the SAAS 1/3 to maintain visibility of ammunition assets on hand and in transit and determines authorized levels.