JP 3-17, Air Mobility Operations, 5 February 2019
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Joint Publication 3-17 OF TH NT E E A W E' L L D R I S E F E N M H D T M T Y R • A P E A C D I U • R N E I T M E A D F S O TAT E S Air Mobility Operations 5 February 2019 PREFACE 1. Scope This publication provides fundamental principles and guidance for planning, employing, and assessing air mobility operations across the range of military operations. 2. Purpose This publication has been prepared under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS). It sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in joint operations, and it provides considerations for military interaction with governmental and nongovernmental agencies, multinational forces, and other interorganizational partners. It provides military guidance for the exercise of authority by combatant commanders and other joint force commanders (JFCs), and prescribes joint doctrine for operations and training. It provides military guidance for use by the Armed Forces in preparing and executing their plans and orders. It is not the intent of this publication to restrict the authority of the JFC from organizing the force and executing the mission in a manner the JFC deems most appropriate to ensure unity of effort in the accomplishment of objectives. 3. Application a. Joint doctrine established in this publication applies to the Joint Staff, commanders of combatant commands, subordinate unified commands, joint task forces, subordinate components of these commands, the Services, and combat support agencies. b. This doctrine constitutes official advice concerning the enclosed subject matter; however, the judgment of the commander is paramount in all situations. c. If conflicts arise between the contents of this publication and the contents of Service publications, this publication will take precedence unless the CJCS, normally in coordination with the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has provided more current and specific guidance. Commanders of forces operating as part of a multinational (alliance or coalition) military command should follow multinational doctrine and procedures ratified by the United States. For doctrine and procedures not ratified by the United States, commanders should evaluate and follow the multinational command’s doctrine and procedures, where applicable and consistent with US law, regulations, and doctrine. For the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: DANIEL J. O’DONOHUE Lieutenant General, USMC Director, Joint Force Development i Preface Intentionally Blank ii JP 3-17 SUMMARY OF CHANGES REVISION OF JOINT PUBLICATION 3-17 DATED 20 SEPTEMBER 2013 • Updates relationships and roles. • Updates for consistency with other joint publications (JPs). • Adds description of air mobility liaison officers. • Updates information on joint deployment and distribution operations center, joint task forces, host-nation support, mobility air forces cost avoidance tankering, public affairs, and Army aviation. • Adds descriptions of United States Navy and United States Marine Corps reserve airlift. • Clarifies and reorganizes mission funding categories. • Clarifies role of the director of mobility forces. • Removes tactical details of airdrop and arrivals. • Reorganizes order of chapters and updates chapter on Air Mobility Support. • Updates aeromedical evacuation section and removes redundancy with JP 4- 02, Joint Health Services. • Updates description of channel airlift missions to distinguish between distribution and contingency channels, as well as role of United States Transportation Command. • Updates mobility support to special operations. iii Summary of Changes Intentionally Blank iv JP 3-17 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. vii CHAPTER I GENERAL OVERVIEW Introduction ................................................................................................................. I-1 Deployment ................................................................................................................. I-1 Air Mobility Forces Employment Missions ............................................................... I-2 Movement and Maneuver ........................................................................................... I-2 Sustainment ................................................................................................................. I-3 Air Mobility Fundamentals ......................................................................................... I-3 Global Mobility Enterprise ......................................................................................... I-8 CHAPTER II COMMAND AND CONTROL OF AIR MOBILITY OPERATIONS General .......................................................................................................................II-1 Command Relationships ............................................................................................II-1 Command and Control ...............................................................................................II-2 Command and Control Structures ..............................................................................II-4 Command and Control of Airfields During Contingency Operations .....................II-12 CHAPTER III PLANNING AIR MOBILITY OPERATIONS Air Mobility Planning Considerations ..................................................................... III-1 Marshalling .............................................................................................................. III-2 Intelligence ............................................................................................................... III-8 Vulnerabilities and Threats ...................................................................................... III-8 Communications Systems ...................................................................................... III-11 Sustainment ............................................................................................................ III-13 Assessment ............................................................................................................. III-14 Multinational Planning Considerations .................................................................. III-15 Other Planning Factors .......................................................................................... III-16 CHAPTER IV AIR MOBILITY SUPPORT General ..................................................................................................................... IV-1 Air Mobility Support................................................................................................ IV-1 Capabilities of Air Mobility Support ....................................................................... IV-5 Global Air Mobility Support System Elements ....................................................... IV-7 Airfield Opening and Global Air Mobility Support System .................................. IV-11 v Table of Contents CHAPTER V AIRLIFT General ...................................................................................................................... V-1 Airlift Operations ...................................................................................................... V-1 Airlift Missions ......................................................................................................... V-2 Airland Delivery ..................................................................................................... V-11 Airdrop .................................................................................................................... V-17 Planning Considerations for Airborne Assaults and Follow-on Airland Operations ................................................................. V-23 CHAPTER VI AIR REFUELING General ..................................................................................................................... VI-1 Air Refueling Operations ......................................................................................... VI-2 Air Refueling Missions ............................................................................................ VI-4 Planning Air Refueling Operations .......................................................................... VI-8 APPENDIX A Points of Contact ....................................................................................... A-1 B References ..................................................................................................B-1 C Administrative Instructions ........................................................................C-1 GLOSSARY Part I Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms .............................................. GL-1 Part II Terms and Definitions ............................................................................. GL-6 FIGURE II-1 Mobility Air Forces Command and Control ..............................................II-5 II-2 The Joint Air Operations Center and Command Relationships for Air Mobility Forces ..............................................................................II-7 III-1 Factors Affecting Selection of Marshalling Areas and Departure Airfields ............................................................................ III-3 III-2 Departure Airfield Operations .................................................................. III-5 III-3 Arrival