MCWP 3-16.1 Artillery Operations.pdf - Marine Corps Community ...

Artillery Operations __________________________________________________________________________________________ 10-29
The S-2 begins by depicting all threat mobility
corridors of platoon size and above that can affect
the artillery’s AO. The S-2 focuses his effort
down to threat platoon level because of the
danger a threat platoon poses to artillery units.
One tank passing through or near an artillery PA
can easily destroy a firing battery. If the MCOO
becomes too busy and unreadable because of too
many platoon-sized mobility corridors, then go
one level higher. Lastly, the mobility corridors
are combined into their appropriate battalion and
regiment avenues of approach. During this
process, the S-2 must depict the avenues of
approach through the artillery’s battlespace.
During COA development, the S-3 selects possible
PAs away from the threat mobility corridors
and avenues of approach. If the situation dictates
that the S-3 must position some units on these
threat air or ground avenues of approach, then the
S-2 must ensure he briefs the affected battery
commanders on the threat they may face. This
provides the battery commander with critical
information he uses during his own planning. See
figure 10-23.
Key and Decisive Terrain
On the same MCOO overlay, key terrain is
marked with a “K” in a circle. Exactly what
constitutes key terrain is situationally-dependent.
During COA development, the S-3 will avoid
positioning batteries in these areas because this is
where the close in fight will likely take place.
Position Areas
The S-2 evaluates the battlespace and templates all
possible battery-size PAs given the considerations
Figure 10-23. Modified Combined Obstacle Overlay Depicting Mobility Corridors,
Avenues of Approach, Key Terrain, and Possible Position Areas.