text: Air Assault Planning
  SECTION VI – SHAPING OPERATIONS
  9-60. A shaping operation is an operation at an echelon that creates and preserves conditions for the
  success of the decisive operation. Shaping operations establish conditions for the decisive operation
  througheffectsontheenemy,population,andterrain.
  9-61. The AATFC determines the exact conditions that must be created and preserved according to the
  mission variables of METT-TC and the level of risk associated with each air assault. When determining
  theseconditions,theAAFTCconsidersthefollowingfactors:
  (cid:122) Shaping operations are not limited to conducting ground and air reconnaissance, suppression of
  enemy air defenses, and preparation fires. They may require additional augmentation from
  higherheadquarters,thesupportingaviationunit,andthesupportedunitstaffstosucceed.
  (cid:122) Assessingtheeffectsoflethalfiresbyconductingbattledamageassessmentofenemyforcesand
  capabilities is not easy. Enemies often remove wounded or dead personnel and equipment to
  makefriendlybattledamageassessmentmoredifficultandlessaccurate.
  (cid:122) In weighing the validity of battle damage assessment projections, it is important to balance
  confirmed intelligence against friendly combat power applied. More combat power may be
  usefulagainstuncertainbattledamageassessment.
  (cid:122) The threat, the ability to assess the impact of shaping operations, and the air assault execution
  timemaydeterminethedurationofshapingoperations.Allocateasmuchtimeaspossible.
  9-62. Conductingshapingoperations to create and preserve the proper conditions for air assault execution
  is an iterative process. Based on his situational understanding, the AATFC decides what part of the
  situationmustchange to ensure success ofthe air assault. The commander directs available reconnaissance
  forces and surveillance assets to detect the location of enemy systems that unacceptably endanger the air
  assault’s success. This allows lethal and nonlethal systems, such as artillery, jammers, attack
  reconnaissance aircraft, and unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), to target and deliver the desired fires
  and/oreffectsagainstenemysystemsbeforelaunch.
  9-63. The AATF staffs continue to plan and prepare for the air assault. The AATFC considers employing
  service and joint fires to help set the conditions. The commander requests assistance from higher
  headquarters if sufficient organic assets and information are not available to accomplish the mission. The
  commanderthenassessesthe progressofthe shapingoperations. Thisprocessrepeatsuntilthecommander
  issatisfied withtheresultoroperationalnecessityforceshimtoeitherabortorconducttheairassault.
  9-64. When available Army teams from the long-range surveillance company (LRSC), a divisional or
  corps asset, are organized, trained, and equipped to deploy into the objective area and conduct
  reconnaissance and surveillance tasks before the deployment of the air assault force. Special operations
  forces may be inserted or already be operating in the objective area and become key components of the
  initialefforttoshapeandsetconditions.Specialoperations(toincludespecialreconnaissancemissions)are
  keys to setting conditions, and integrated into the operation at every stage from initial planning to
  transition.(SeeFM3-05.)Refertochapter1ofthepublicationforadditionalinformation.
  9-65. The AATFC employs his reconnaissance and surveillance forces (to include cavalry, scouts,
  chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear platoon, and UAS to conduct reconnaissance and
  surveillance of proposed landing zones and the objective area to identifyand target enemy forces near the
  landing zones and objectives. The field artillery battalion is positioned to provide fires throughout all
  phases of the operation. Shaping operations should deny the enemy’s ability to conduct reconnaissance,
  defeat his strike operations, and neutralize his ability to communicate and command. The supporting
  aviation unit is prepared to conduct reconnaissance in coordination with reconnaissance forces or provide
  lethalfirestoneutralizeordestroyenemyforcesintheobjectiveareaoncetheyhavebeenidentified.
  9-66. The commander considers employing other capabilities that may not be in his task force, such as
  close air support and electronic warfare assets. The purpose of these operations is to set and preserve the
  conditions on the landing zone and objective area that allow the maneuver forces to launch the air assault
  andexecuteasuccessfulattacktodestroytheenemyontheobjective.