text: Chapter 11
  (cid:122) Diverttothealternatelandingzone.
  (cid:122) Abortremainingserials.
  (cid:122) Slowairspeedstodelayserials.
  (cid:122) Racetrackserials.
  11-15. Racetracking is considered a high-risk option. All serials orbit at their current position. Once the
  enemyhas been neutralized or destroyed on the landing zone, the air assault resumes in the order outlined
  in the air movementtable. The air mission commander determines whether enoughfuel, spacing, and time
  isavailablebetweenserialstoconductthisoptionandadvisestheAATFCaccordingly.
  11-16. The AATFC makes the final decision on all options involving a hot landing zone, and the air
  missioncommander and ground commander execute. Whether landingaway from or onthe objective, itis
  importantthatprimaryandalternatelandingzonesaremutuallysupportingtoallowthe AATFCtoshiftthe
  maineffortifneeded.
  REACTION TO ENEMY CONTACT AWAY FROM THE OBJECTIVE
  11-17. When landing away from the objective, ground maneuver forces can more readily divert to an
  alternate landing zone. In doing so, the main effort of the decisive operation may be shifted to the force
  landingatthe alternate landingzone, and the force atthe hotlandingzone maybeextracted orcontinueto
  fight through the enemy contact. If the alternate landing zone is hot as well, the AATFC should choose
  whichforcetodesignateasthemainefforttoaccomplishthemission.
  11-18. A force that encounters a near ambush, unless extremely successful in counteracting that ambush,
  is usually extracted, reorganized, and reinserted into an alternate landing zone to continue the mission. A
  forcethatencounters a farambush,hostileindirectfires,orobstaclesusuallycontinuesitsmission.
  REACTION TO ENEMY CONTACT ON THE OBJECTIVE
  11-19. When landingon the objective, unitsreact to contact and fight through. Because the landing zone
  is on the objective, fighting for control of the hot landing zone is critical to mission accomplishment and
  continuing the assault is the priority. The unit on the hot landing zone may be directed to fix the enemy,
  while the maineffort is shifted to the unit that lands at an alternate landing zone and fights through to the
  objective.
  11-20. If the alternate landing zone is hot as well, the AATFC should choose which unit to designate as
  the maineffort to accomplish the mission. Given the overall mission, breakingcontact or extraction is not
  likelyforunitscaughton a hot landingzone.Incasesother than a nearambush, unitsfightthroughenemy
  contactandcontinuethemissionwithoutdivertingserialstoanalternatelandingzone.
  SECTION IV – PREPARATION AND SUPPORTING FIRES
  11-21. Preparationfiresareplanned foreachlanding zone sotheycan beexecutedifneeded.However,it
  isdesirabletomaketheinitialassaultwithoutpreparationfirestoachievetacticalsurprise.Plannedfiresfor
  air assault operations should be intense and short but with a high volume of fire to maximize the surprise
  andshockeffect.
  11-22. Ground forces land ready to fight, with the integrated support of close air support, close combat
  attack,andindirectfires.Supportingfires,directorindirect,aredirectedandclearedonthe landingzoneby
  thegroundcommander.
  11-23. Factorstoconsiderwhendevelopingfiresupportplansarelistedasfollows:
  (cid:122) Deception. False preparations can be fired into areas other than the objective or landing zone
  area to deceive enemy forces if rules of engagement allows. For example, some rules of
  engagementmightpreventanyunobservedfires.
  (cid:122) Duration of preparation fires. A preparation of long duration may reduce the possibility of
  surprise.Thepreparation firesshouldbeginas the firstaircraft ofthe firstliftcrossesthe release
  pointandendjustbeforethe firstaircraftlands.