FM 100-5 Operations - Survival Ebooks Military Manuals Survival ...

WWW.SURVIVALEBOOKS.COMFM 100-5In an NBC environment, battle command becomesmore difficult. Command posts and headquarters atall levels are likely targets. Control will be difficulteven within the smallest unit. Personnel in protectiveclothing will be slow to respond to rapid changes inmission. The employment of these weapons willgreatly alter the tempo of combat. Consequently, commandersmust never assume that they are immune toattack but consider ways of decreasing their risk.Contamination avoidance is essential for successfuloperations when faced with an NBC threat. Avoidingcontamination allows units to maintain tactical momentumand preserves combat power by keeping soldiersout of increased NBC protective postures. It alsoremoves or lessens the need for decontamination. FM3-3 provides detailed information on NBC contaminationavoidance.Combined operations become more risky with thethreat of NBC use. Countries that cannot protect themselvesagainst these weapons may become the primarytarget of an enemy, whose aim is to disintegrate thecoalition. The likelihood that an enemy will use massdestruction weapons against other coalition memberswill increase as US forces demonstrate the ability todefend effectively against their effects. Commandersshould consider that possibility in all strategic, operational,and tactical planning.Nuclear WeaponsAs a force that now has no organic nuclear capability,the Army must rely on Air Force and Navynuclear capabilities to deter regional threats from usingweapons of mass destruction, and should it be necessary,to respond to regional use of these weapons.The integration of nuclear weapons and long-rangeballistic missile systems expands the scope of regionalconflict. Ballistic missiles significantly reduce reactiontimes and create complex planning and decisioncriteria. The ability of some nations to employ nuclearweapons at extended ranges, using ballistic or cruisemissiles and high-speed aircraft, will significantly enhancetheir effectiveness as instruments of terror. Withthis ability comes the possibility of conflict escalationbeyond the boundaries of the region.Using intelligence systems, planners advise thecommander of the enemy’s capability to employnuclear weapons and under what conditions he is mostlikely to do so. A significant intelligence task is locatingthese weapons and assessing the probability of theiremployment. Accordingly, the integration of national,joint, and combined intelligence means is vital to thiseffort.The immediate effects of a nuclear detonation areblast, thermal radiation, initial nuclear radiation, andelectromagnetic pulse (EMP). These effects can causesignificant personnel and materiel losses. Secondaryeffects include urban devastation, fires, and radiologicalcontamination. The EMP from a nuclear detonationcan affect unshielded electronic equipment anddegrade command, control, communications, and intelligence(C3I) systems. Residual radiation also canhave long-term effects on personnel, equipment, facilities,terrain, and water sources. Therefore, ensuringthat friendly force dispositions do not provide lucrativetargets for nuclear weapons is important.Biological WeaponsWhile the US has renounced the use of biologicalweapons, many nations have not. The availability ofbiological weapons to possible enemies requires thatcommanders prepare for operations in a biological environment.Defensive measures are necessary to mitigatethe effects of a biological attack. Both militaryand civilian populations require informational, psychological,and medical preparation.Chemical WeaponsAll current and future operations have the potentialto occur in a chemical environment. Although USpolicy does not condone or authorize first use of chemicalweapons, preparedness to operate in this environmentnegates many possible advantages for an enemyto employ these weapons—in itself a deterrent to theiruse.Chemical weapons produce immediate and delayedeffects that can hamper operations through the contaminationof equipment, supplies, and critical terrainfeatures. Commanders can reduce the effects of chemicalemployment by applying the fundamentals of contaminationavoidance, protection, and decontamination.Chemical reconnaissance and decontaminationare two planning imperatives for all future missions;training is the key. Detailed information on providingNBC protection to the force, as well as risk analysisand assessment, is found in FM 3-4.THE BATTLEFIELD FRAMEWORKA battlefield framework helps commanders relatetheir forces to one another and to the enemy in time,6-11