AIR COMBAT INFORMATION CENTER

Information Sheet Number: 2.10

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of Air Warfare (AW) is to deny the enemy the effective use of airborne assets. To meet this mission, AW personnel must be able to perform assigned tasks to the utmost of their ability. This lesson will briefly discuss basic CIC AW stations, responsibilities, and associated equipment used in an AW environment.

REFERENCES

(a) NWP 32 (Rev L) Air Warfare

(b) SORM (OPNAVINST 3120.32C)

(c) Surface Ship Operations (NAVEDTRA 10776)

(d) Operations Specialist 3 (NAVEDTRA 10105)

INFORMATION

A. AIR CIC EQUIPMENT - It is imperative that junior officer's become thoroughly familiar with equipment used in CIC. The major equipment includes the following:

1. Radar repeaters - have three primary uses in air plot:

a. Provide access to any air search radar onboard.

b. Provide bearing and range information for plotting, or display by the Combat Direction System (CDS).

c. Provide direct transfer of bearing and range data to fire control radars.

2. IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) - is a device which provides the radar operator with a means of identifying air contacts as friendly or potentially hostile (ie. unknown).

a. Non-response may mean the aircraft is neutral, hostile, or friendly with a malfunctioning transponder.

(1) IFF equipment presents a coded signal on the radar display near each radar contact reply to a challenge. This code identifies many characteristics including:

(a) type of aircraft.

(b) unit identifier.

(c) hull or side number.

(d) mission.

(e) aircraft altitude.

(f) whether or not aircraft is friendly military.

NOTE: Lesson 7.6 will give a more detailed explanation of the MK XII AIMS IFF system.

B. DISPLAYS AND STATUS BOARDS - These devices provide a means for the watchstander to organize and evaluate the large amounts of information required to conduct AW operations.

1. XY Grid:

a. A comprehensive relative motion display maintained on a planned position indicator (PPI), normally an NTDS/CDS console, during AW operations. It shows battle group forces, own ship's contacts and force contacts.

b. The console uses a Cartesian coordinate grid method (X-Y Grid) which is standardized for use with NTDS/CDS data links.

(1) A contact is tracked in relation to a known reference point (grid origin). The grid origin, called the Data Link Reference Point (DLRP), can be located at any geographic point. As long as everyone knows the location of the battle group's DLRP, each ship can lay out its grid from the same location. All contacts being reported in reference to DLRP will be plotted in the proper geographic position.

(2) The grid is composed of equally-spaced lines East-West along the X axis and North- South along the Y axis.

(3) The X and Y axes divide the grid into 4 quadrants.

(a) The quadrants are color-coded clockwise starting from the North-West quadrant: Red, White, Blue and Green.

(b) The grid origin is numbered 000 000. Equally spaced lines paralleling the axis are numbered outward from the X-Y axes.

(4) Positions of contacts are reported in reference to the grid origin as follows:

(a) Color of quadrant

(b) Miles along X axis

(c) Miles along Y axis

(d) Example: Red 030 100. This indicates contact's position is North-West quadrant, 30 miles west, 100 miles north of grid origin.

(5) The range can be varied depending on the amount of coverage desired but is usually 200-300 NM.

2. Large Screen Display (LSD) - Large video displays in Aegis and New Threat Upgrade (NTU) CIC's show NTDS tracks with associated symbology.

3. Weapons Status Board - displays the current weapon and threat warning status.

C. SOUND POWERED/ IVCS PHONE CIRCUITS IN AIR CIC - the watchstander must be familiar with the uses of these circuits. The primary circuits and the information passed on each of them are:

1. 22JS (Long Range Air Search Radar) - Air contact information from the air search radar operator to the air plotters (air summary plot, tote board, etc.).

2. 2JS (NTDS/CDS circuit) - Connects all NTDS/CDS consoles on one circuit; it can include the TAO, JOOD and SWC/WCO (Ship's Weapons Coordinator/Weapons Control Officer).

3. 81JS (Electronic Warfare Information) - Intercepted signal characteristics and threat evaluations.

4. Your ship's Combat Systems Doctrine will detail sound-powered phone communications circuits for AW in your CIC. IVCS may also be available on your ship. IVCS (Integrated Voice

Communications System) combines the features of sound powered telephones, dial telephones,

and intercommunications into one system and it can interface with other shipboard communications systems.

D. LOGS USED IN AIR CIC - the following logs are used in the air section of CIC:

1. Air Contact Log - provides initial bearing, range and time data on all air contacts.

2. Radar Performance Log - provides performance, casualty and maintenance information on all air search radars.

3. Contact Identification Log - provides a record of all contact identities as they are established.

E. CIC CONTROL FUNCTIONS IN AN AW EVOLUTION:

1. Fighter/interceptor control:

a. Fighter aircraft (F-14 and F/A-18) from a carrier will engage the threat at distances beyond the carrier's radar ranges.

(1) Control of these interceptor aircraft will be handed over by the AW Commander (AWC) to units which are capable of 3D radar coverage of the threat area.

(a) Surface ships or E-2C (Hawkeye) aircraft can accomplish this function.

(2) Within CIC, control of fighters will be executed by an Operations Specialist (OS) with special training as an Air Intercept Controller (AIC).

2. Emission control (EMCON):

a. The CICWO is responsible for maintaining own ship electromagnetic radiation in accordance with the effective EMCON plan. In order to perform this control function, the CICWO:

(1) Controls designated equipment and emissions.

(2) Assigns EW control to monitor own ship radiations and ensure compliance with the plan in effect.

3. Electronic Attack (EA) control:

a. The use of mechanical jamming (such as chaff) or electronic jamming will be directed by command and control personnel such as the CO or TAO. It will then executed by EW control.

(1) EA may be used against enemy aircraft attempting to target the ship or against incoming missiles from enemy aircraft.

F. THE AIR INTERCEPT CONTROLLER (AIC) - as discussed in section E above, the AIC is a specially trained OS.

1. Primary duties:

a. Responsible for controlling interceptor aircraft assigned to the ship:

(1) The AIC must be thoroughly versed on procedures and aircraft characteristics such as:

(a) Established control procedures.

(b) Combat performance of aircraft.

(c) Fuel consumption data.

(d) Requirements to effect a landing in adverse weather.

(e) Aircraft ranges with respect to remaining fuel.

b. Vectoring the aircraft to its assigned station.

c. Passing tactical information between the aircraft and ship.

2. Types of control provided by AIC:

a. Close: intercept of aircraft is the controller's responsibility.

b. Tactical: intercept of aircraft is pilot's responsibility, but the controller will continue to pass information and instructions.

c. Broadcast: the pilot plans and executes intercept with CIC providing information as needed.