l OA division personnel must make environmental
recommendations to the CATF and Commander,
Landing Force (CLF).
. Factors in the environment that can be exploited
to enhance safety, covertness, or defense readiness must
be made known to the appropriate parties.
l METOC conditions play an enormous role in the
successful outcome of AMW operations.
THE REHEARSAL PHASE
This phase is the “dry run” and is used to test the
adequacy of plans and to evaluate the readiness of
forces. It also is used to check the timing sequence of
each event and also as an opportunity to test
communications. This phase may or may not take place,
depending on the situation.
l OA division personnel should take this
opportunity to test the adequacy of support and support
timing for the actual assault and make changes as
necessary.
l Weaknesses uncovered in the development of
support products, the Amphibious Warfare
Environmental Summary, and in the timeliness of
delivery during this phase will prove to be a valuable
“lessons learned”.
l OA division personnel should also check
familiarity with OPPLANS/OPTASK METOC.
THE MOVEMENT PHASE
During this phase, the Amphibious Task Force
(ATF) is vulnerable to enemy interception so the full
spectrum of defensive/offensive support products
should be disseminated and updated twice daily.
l OA division personnel should provide necessary
environmental support according to the OPORD.
l It is important to avoid heavy weather to
minimize effects to deckloaded cargo and embarked
troops.
l Intelligence may have aerial photographs of the
assault site, which can be useful in locating and
determining such features as surf zone, rip currents,
bottom obstacles, and floating debris.
ASSAULT PHASE
This phase starts with the arrival of the ATF in the
Amphibious Objective Area (AOA) and terminates with
the accomplishment of the ATF mission.
Operations conducted during this phase are
critically dependent upon environmental factors.
Significant Weather
Significant weather includes the following factors:
l Precipitation — Heavy precipitation interferes
with the movement ashore and the push inland. Strike
capability is greatly diminished.
l Lightning — Poses a grave danger during boat
operations.
l Low visibility — Hampers small boat operation.
l Wind direction/speed — Can modify breaker
type in the surf zone and affect flight operations. May
also reduce visibility in the surf zone.
l Modified surf index (MSI) — Most critical
parameter in a waterborne assault.
Aviation Weather
Aviation weather
factors:
is dependent on the following
Cloud cover (bases and tops).
Prevailing and sector risibilities,
Surface and upper level winds.
Density altitude (DA) and pressure altitude
(PA).
Air/sea temperature, icing, freezing level.
Contrail formation.
Bingo fields.
EO weapon/sensor performance.
Any other significant weather.
Currents
In the discussion of currents we will first discuss,
offshore currents, followed by rip currents, and shore
currents.
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