How do I plan Preassigned Missions (PMs)?
PMs are fairly tricky to plan. First, key to understanding is the overarching intent behind the design: PMs assume that the user is doing the planning, targeting and weaponeering manually. For example, if a target has even a single PM assigned to it, no other JTCB missions will be planned against that target during that planning cycle--even though the PM(s) might not be adequate to achieve the required damage level as determined in the JAOP for that target. While JTCB-planned Flights are capable of multi-target missions, PMs are not--the user assigns a single target for the Flight, against which it will apply its whole SCL. Thus, preassigning a bomber with a heavy SCL against a single target will preclude it from being able to plan and strike multiple targets.
It’s important to remember: You can only preassign strike sorties that are available.
Unlike missions defined in THUNDER’s ATO.dat file, PMs do not override other plans data. For example, if a squadron is 100% apportioned for DCA, assigning it a PM for a strike mission won’t override existing plans data. All PMs do is preempt the JTCB automated planning process by planning in advance before the rest of JTCB planning. As such, all other planning factors still apply.
Knowing this, users might make some notes on tips for assigning PMs. Take advantage of insights gained from JTCB planning by first running the scenario without the PMs and observe the output for the planning cycle/time for which you are interested in preassigning missions:
1. Check the Allocation Inventory.
This will tell you which squadrons allocate how many sorties for a particular mission. Remember that PMs are assigned based on type of strike mission (OCAStrike, Preplanned Strike (PPS), StratAttack), so unless the squadron has sorties which can allocate for that mission--and thus can service that particular Target Category Code--it can’t be used for that target.
2. Check the Launch Inventory.
Let’s say the Allocation Inventory shows a squadron with 24 sorties available, with 8 sorties available for Preplanned Strike. Good enough--but remember that not all of those sorties can be used by PMs at once (especially if the squadron only has 12 aircraft), since the sorties are divided into launch blocks (LBs). If our squadron has 3 launch blocks, 1/3 of its sorties will be in each LB. But we don’t know if that means all 8 PPS missions will be in the first LB, or 4 in the first 2 LBs, or 4/2/2 spread across all 3 LBs. That’s because Plans (ex. Air Defense Plan [ADP], JTCB Target Plan [TP], Maritime Support Plan [MSP], Land Support Plan [LSP], etc.) are planned in a specified order. Since ADP is planned before JTCB Target Planning it will claim sorties in particular LBs first. In our example, if the ADP requires all 8 of our squadron’s sorties in the first LB, that means that LB will have no sorties available for strike.
While the planning process itself is deterministic--and will produce an identical plan given identical inputs--the inputs (in terms of aircraft attrition, remaining targets/locations, etc.) vary by run, so the number of aircraft and sorties a particular squadron has available for PMs can vary.
Checking to see how JTCB planning assigns available sorties verifies what sorties can be preassigned at certain times and LBs.
3. Which squadrons to assign to which targets?
See which ones get planned by JTCB. This ensures that the squadron has fuel range to reach the target, as well as adjudication data to support target planning. That doesn’t mean other squadrons can’t be assigned--but it verifies that these squadron can be planned. Recall that the JTCB plans shortest-range assets first (to preserve longer-range assets for other more distant targets). Certainly, longer range assets can be preassigned, but it may be helpful to verify that those assets are JTCB planned against similar target categories and resources.
4. Which SCL to use?
Again, see what ones are planned by JTCB, since it plans the most effective SCL against a particular target BSE’s perceived resources.
5. Remember to consider AME size.
Preassigning a mission with 3 sorties of a platform with a min & max AME size of 2 will guarantee 1 wasted sortie. Likewise, preassigning 3 missions of 1 sortie each will result in no sorties planned.
6. After preassigning missions, try it out.
Then confirm how it went. Any missions which don’t get planned will give some hints as to why in the Air_Pln_Tgt_Wpn_Failures instrument (ex. insufficient range, fuel/munition/allocation/launch inventory, or target not in perception).
7. Planning a TOT.
Remember that the user defines the launch time for the mission, not the TOT. However, again, users can pre-run the scenario and examine the Air_Exec_ATO_Gen instrument to determine the flight time (by subtracting the launch time from the TOT). To coordinate TOTs for missions, since the flight time is now known, users can apply that offset from the TOT for the desired launch time.
8. Make revisions as necessary and try it again.
Experience has shown it may take several iterations to successfully assign all missions to achieve the effect desired.
You may ask, if I’m using the JTCB planning process to “test drive” my PM missions, why would I bother preassigning them? While PMs give the user control over which assets are used to attack which targets, the primary purpose is to control the timing of the strike. PMs, being user-assigned, will be planned independent of pushes.
What route do they use? PMs will plan to use the route whose end point is closest to the target, if it is feasible (with respect to fuel and range). If it’s infeasible, they will attempt to use the route with the next closest end point. If no route is feasible, they will plan to fly direct to the target.
New with R2.0 SR2.00: Users can select which route a PM will (attempt to) take. If no route is specifically assigned (i.e. “Automatic”), route selection is as described above.