USMC Target Acquisition

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USMCTarget Acquisition
Joint Targeting Conference 2002
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Purpose

• Provide information on the USMC Target
  Acquisition assets.
• Provide information on Common Grid and its
  relationship to Targeting.

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Agenda Topics

• Current/ Objective TA Equipment Assets
• USMC TA Assets Organizational Structure
• What is Common Grid and why is it required.
• Film The Danger Zone (20 min)
• Myths vs. Realities of the Common Grid to
  Targeting relationship

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Current Assets

• Met
• Meteorological Sensor Group (MSG)
• Meteorological Measuring Systems
• Visual Met -Piball
• Survey
• Position and Azimuth Determining System (PADS)
• GPS-S Surveying Sets
• Conventional Equipment

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Current Assets-cont-

• AN-TPQ 46A Fire Finder Radar
• USMC-US ARMY MOA
• 2 Q37 Radar in support of OPLANS

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TA Organization
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USMC Target Acquisition Officer (MOS
0803)Locations (FMF)
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Objective TA Assets

• Met
• Electronic Met Theodolite (EMT)
• MET Profiler (Consideration)
• Survey
• Improved Position and Azimuth Determining System
  (IPADS)
• GPS Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR)
• Radar
• Q-47 Radar 2_at_ 14th Marines, 4th MarDiv
• GWLR(NEXGEN) Concept replacement for Q-46A

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What is Common Grid
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Common Grid Defined

• Common Grid is Composed of the Following
• Geodetic System
• Horizontal Datum, i.e. WGS 84, NAD 27
• Vertical Datum, i.e. MSL, Mean Low Water
• Ellipsoid, i.e. Clark 1866, WGS-84
• Coordinate System,
• Lat / Long, Plane Rectangular, Cartesian
• Projection / Grid System,
• Transverse Mercator Projection, Lambert Conformal
  Conic Projection / Universal Transverse Mercator
  Grid, Military Grid Reference System.
• Relative Orientation and Positioning
• Common Survey
• Location / Positioning Systems Correctly Employed
  with Relative Reference and Required Accuracies

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Why Common Grid is Required

• Common Grid Allows
• Massing of Fires
• Delivery of Surprised Observed Fires
• Delivery of Effective Unobserved Fires
• All Elements or Functions of the Targeting Cycle
  Must be Referenced to a Common Grid to Produce
  the Desired Effects!
• Multiple Maps, Datums, Grid Systems Still Exist
  Today!

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Common Grid and Targeting Myths vs. Realties

• Modern Technology Like GPS GLPS has Replaced
  the Need for Common Grid
• Remember Common Grid is the sum of many
  components and is Required by all elements or
  Functions of the Targeting Cycle!

• If I Have Precise Coordinates They are Accurate!
• Precision and Accuracy are NOT Interchangeable.

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Myths vs. Realities-cont-

• I Dont Have to Worry About Datums Since the
  World is Referenced and Mapped in WGS-84
• There are still over 1000 local Datums and
  Several Ellipsoids in use today!

• Example Afghanistan
• WGS-84 Datum / Ellipsoid
• Herat North Datum / International Ellipsoid
• Deltas From WGS-84
• E 333 m
• N 222 m

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Keys to Successfully Applying Common Grid to
Targeting

• Know the Datum used for the mission-State it in
  the Order!
• Verify when in doubt
• Know the Coordinate System in use
• In Joint Operations, always include the Datum
  when reporting Coordinates

• Employ Target Acquisition, Positioning/Locating,
  and Weapon systems Full Capabilities
• Know your systems vulnerabilities and have a
  Back-up Plan and Procedures
• Conduct a second independent verification of
  Positioning and Orientation Data to avoid the
  DANGER ZONE!

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Questions or Comments ?

• CWO3 Xavier Herrera
• DSN 639-6616
• COMM [phone]
• E-MAIL xavier.herrera_at_sill.army.mil