Extremely useful video material can be found in RIFLE’s YouTube Channel, a brilliant Canadian ex SF Operator and JTAC Instructor (Discord server).
“CAS” stands for Close Air Support, and can be defined as:
air action by fixed and rotary wing aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces, requiring detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement of those forces.
Close Air Support takes advantage of the characteristics of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, in terms of speed, range, and manoeuvrability, to take action against hostile forces. Contrary to common land vehicles, in fact, an aircraft is usually not impeded by the terrain, and it can provide support faster and quicker. However, the terrain is still a factor, for example high altitude can affect rotary-wing, narrow and deep valleys can affect fixed-wing assets. This and other considerations are an integral part of a CAS mission.
The Controller
The “Controller” is the entity that coordinates the mission. In case of DCS, the two common types of controllers are:
- Joint Tactical Air Controller (JTAC): if you own Combined Arms, you can use the JTAC feature to spot, lase and mark targets with smoke.
- Forward Air Controller (Airborne) (FAC(A)): almost any aircraft can satisfy the role of the FAC(A), although more modern can use their equipment to lase or provide more precise information about the target.
Having a fancy pod is not necessary though: for instance I used to play as FAC(A) with the Ka-50 ten years ago, using the Shkval and the PVI to 567get the target’s location, and the ABRIS and ERBL function to compute line 1, 2, 3 of the 9-line.
Without a laser designator, other means of marking a target can be rockets (both standard and dedicated, such as the S-8TsM), tracers, smoke (from the JTAC “bino view”) and so on.
Types of CAS Missions
There are two macro types of Close Air Support Missions, Preplanned and Immediate, which can then divided into additional subtypes:
- Preplanned: a CAS mission properly planned, briefed and usually scheduled to meet a defined number of requirements (such as Time-On-Target – TOT).
- Immediate: the necessity of the CAS mission is raised by the situation on the battlefield. The requirement is typically to get the asset on the target as fast as possible to provide relief to the friendly troops on the ground. Hollywood loves these, along big explosions and Danger Close.
In DCS, the type of mission often follows your preferences (simulation vs random experience).
if an ordnance is requested close to the friendly troops, where there is concrete chance that a friendly unit may be hit. The chance is defined as Probability of Incapacitation (Pi). Pi is greater than 0.1 in case of Danger Close drop, meaning that 1 in 1,000 troops would be injured if that particular ordnance impacted at the specific distance.
Types of CAS Control
There are three types of CAS control, depending on the multiple factors. In DCS, it again depends on the type of experience you are looking for. Speaking out of experience, Type 1 is the least used, Type 2 is common for simulative groups, followed by Type 3.
The definitions of the three types of control are summarised following this paragraph. The higher the level of required control, the greater the freedom of the ground-attack assets and the lesser the level of detailed controlled required by the JTAC.
Type 1 Control
[…] JTAC/FAC(A) requires control of individual attacks and the situation requires the JTAC/FAC(A) to visually acquire the attacking aircraft and the target for each attack.
Type 1 control should be utilized when the visual acquisition of the attacking aircraft and analysis of attacking aircraft geometry by the JTAC/FAC(A) is the best means available to ensure mission success and reduce the risk of the attack affecting friendly forces and/or collateral concerns.
Type 2 Control
The JTAC/FAC(A) must visually acquire the target or utilize targeting data from another asset with accurate real-time targeting information.
[…] While not required, if the tactical situation allows, the JTAC/FAC(A) should make every effort to visually acquire the attacking aircraft and assess attack geometry in order to provide an additional measure of safety, enhance SA, and be able to abort the attack if necessary.
Type 3 Control
Type 3 control is used when the controller requires the ability to provide clearance for multiple attacks within a single engagement and any or all of the following conditions exist:
- Controller is unable to visually acquire the attack aircraft at weapons release;
- Controller is unable to visually acquire the target;
- Attack aircraft is unable to acquire the mark/target prior to weapons release.
Attack Methods: BOT and BOC
BOT and BOC are similar acronyms. They stand for “Bomb on Coordinates” and “Bomb on Target” respectively.
Bomb on Coordinates
The caveat of this employment method is the accuracy:
The coordinates must be of sufficient fidelity/mensuration to produce the desired effect on the target and be used for fires approval. If the aircraft is never required to have the TALLY / CAPTURED the target or CONTACT the mark, it is a BOC attack.
The main advantage of this attack is the relative safety of the CAS platform. Moreover, the JTAC / FAC(A) does not need to spend time to create SA or guide the aircraft onto the target.
Examples of Bomb On Coordinates attack include:
- LASER guided weapons employed into a LASER attack zone with the intent to be guided by a source outside the attacking aircraft flight/section (e.g., [JTAC], another close air support [CAS] flight/section).
- Unguided ordnance dropped from medium to high altitude above an overcast with ability to achieve the supported commander’s intent for CAS.
- Unguided ordnance dropped from low altitude on coordinates provided by JTAC/FAC(A) with ability to achieve the supported commander’s intent for CAS.
- Initially aided munitions employed on a static coordinate sufficient to achieve the supported commander’s intent for CAS.
- Weapons employed on a Global Positioning System coordinate and then lased by an off-board source/JTAC/FAC(A).
The F-14A and B currently available in DCS are incapable of performing any attack involving GPS-guided ordnance (the F-14D was). The Tomcat is still capable to deliver laserguided ordnance on a defined position, then buddy-lased by the mentioned external assets (JTAC or another supporting aircraft).
Bomb on Target
Bomb On Target is very different from Bomb On Coordinate. In primis it requires additional effort to guide the aircraft onto the target, then the confirmation that the target (or mark) is seen by the aircrew is necessary.
Examples of Bomb On Target include:
- LASER guided weapons employed into a LASER attack zone and self lased by the delivering CAS aircraft
- Unguided ordnance dropped from any altitude under the weather with CAS aircraft TALLY or CONTACT and employing off of the correction
- Correction from mark or reference point
- Weapons employed on a Global Positioning System coordinate and then lased by the CAS aircraft
- Rockets and guns on positively identified targets, or contact a mark and correction.
The F-14 is more suited to this kind of attack, rather than Bomb On Coordinate.
Restrictions: Time-On-Target (TOT) and Time-To-Target (TTT)
TOT and TTT are two means to restrict the operations of specific CAS assets in the area. Both use “time hacks” to establish coordination.
Time-On-Target
The TOT indicates the time at which the bombs are to impact the target. To be effective, it requires that every player:
- is aware of the time standard in use (e.g. Zulu time or local time);
- synchronizes by means of a time check.
NATO standard is GPS-provided time
Time-To-Target
The TTT indicates the amount of time, expressed in minutes and seconds, that passes between the time-hack and the bombs on the target.
This method is used less often the Time-On-Target, the time hack is passed after the CAS brief and is read back by the aircrew.
Restrictions: Altitude Separation and Lateral Separation
These two means of restricting the operations of the CAS assets are simple yet very effective: they consist is “slicing” the area either on the horizontal plane or the vertical plane, hence limiting the assets to operate only in such volumes of airspace.
Altitude Separation
The CAS assets are limited to the airspace where the altitude is constantly higher (“stay above”) or lower (“stay below”) a defined value determined by the JTAC / FAC(A)
Lateral Separation
The Lateral Separation divides the area where, for example, different assets operate to ensure safety and enabling coordinated and parallel attacks.
Features used to divide the area must be clearly identifiable and can be either man-made or natural features, or arbitrary other means, such as Grid lines or latlong references.
FlyAndWire 