Every single infantry battalion participating in war will soon have its "very own” IAF fighter jet at its beck and call, waiting for its instructions to give it close air support, the IDF has decided. A battalion that identifies a target it wants destroyed from the air will be able to authorize the strikes easily and independently, without having to pass the order up through the chain of command.
Standing army battalions will receive this extra empowerment by the end of 2010, and reserve battalions will all receive it in the course of the next three years.
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A missile's eye view of a terror squad's last moments.
These goals were defined in the course of staff work currently being carried out by the Ground Force Command and the Air Force, with the goal of laying systematic rules of combat support for ground battalions.
Responsibility for directing the actions of the fighter jets supporting the battalions will be in the hands of the Artillery Liaison Officers (ALOs), because the Artillery Corps is responsible for elements of firepower from the regimental level downwards. The ALOs will be deployed as part of an Aerial Direction Crew that will also include a communications operator and Assistant ALO.
Learning lessons
The need for deployment of fighter jets in support of IDF battalions was one of the conclusions from the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and from Operation Cast Lead in 2009. As a first step, the IDF decided to embed close air support in the regimental level by creating the positions of Air Support Officers (ASOs).
The IDF has yet to decide whether the final authorization for attacks will be given by the ALO and the Battalion Commander, or by the ASO, who is in effect the IAF representative in the regiment.
It was decided that the fighter jet will attack ground targets at the request of the battalion commander only after other options have been tried, including the firing of ‘Gil’ missiles (see video above), mortars, artillery and combat helicopters.
It was also decided that in certain cases, fighter jets will be allowed to attack targets that are less than 1,000 meters (about 3,300 ft.) away from the IDF forces – the minimum range of safety that was in force in the IAF until now. The new orders apply mainly to combat in urban settings, in which most targets are situated at a relatively close range to the troops. Authorization for decreasing the minimum range of safety will only be given by the Division Commander.