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APPENDIX A

HELICOPTER DOOR GUNNERY

This appendix contains the tactics, techniques, and procedures required for training and employing door gunners for utility and cargo helicopters.

Section I. Door Gunnery Training Strategy

A-1. DOOR GUNNERY OVERVIEW

MISSION. Utility and cargo helicopter units will conduct annual live-fire door gunnery qualification according to this appendix on range facilities where target hits can be objectively scored.

A-2. DOOR GUNNER DUTIES

A-3. DOOR GUNNER TRAINING PROGRAM

This program is progressive and has training gates similar to the gates found in the attack helicopter qualification program. The purpose of this training program is to give the door gunner the skills necessary to perform door gunner duties in a crew. The training program consists of 10 training tables. These tables progress in numerical order from individual marksmanship training to multiship live-fire. The training tables support the commander's METL and the unit's MTP. The door gunnery training tables are as follows:

Training Objective: To provide initial M60 qualification for personnel assigned
to door gunnery positions.

SUBJECT

DESCRIPTION

REFERENCE

Operation and Function of the M60

Class to provide the basic knowledge of how the components of the M60 function during operation

FM 23-67,

TM 9-1005-224-10

Assembly, Disassembly, and Nomenclature of the M60

Demonstration and practical exercise on the general and detailed assembly, disassembly, and nomenclature of the M60 machine gun.

FM 23-67,

TM 9-1005-224-10

Malfunctions, Immediate Action, and Maintenance

Class to provide information concerning abnormal operation, corrective action, and maintenance.

FM 23-67,

TM 9-1005-224-10

Range Estimation

Class and practical exercise to provide information on methods of determining the distance between gunner and target.

FM 23-67, FM 1-140, TM 9-1005-224-10

Fire Control/

Fire Commands

Class to provide information on the methods used in controlling and delivering fires.

FM 23-67

M60 Machine Gun Practice and Record Fire

Briefing on the conduct and standards of Tables I-IV.

Unit SOP, Range SOP, FM 23-67

Figure A-1. Basic weapon qualification

Training Objective: Door gunner qualification

SUBJECT

DESCRIPTION

REFERENCE

Duties of the Door Gunner

Class on the duties of door gunners

Unit SOP, Appendix A, FM 1-140

Aircraft

Orientation

Class and practical exercise to familiarize the student with the capabilities and limitations of the unit's aircraft

Appropriate aircraft operator's manual

Techniques of Fire and Employment

Class on principles and techniques of helicopter machine gun firing

Appendix A, FM 1-140,

FM 23-67

Ballistics

Aerial ballistics for spin stabilized projectiles

Chap 4, FM 1-140, Chap 7, FM 23-67

Armament System Introduction

Class and practical exercise on the M60D to include safety procedures, and operator maintenance

TM 9-1005-262-13

Aviation Battlefield Survivability

Class to provide an overview of Threat defense systems that aircrews may face

Bde/Bn S2 brief

Visual Search and Target Detection

Class on techniques of visual search, to include limitations and procedures of target detection

FM 1-116, Chapter 6,

FM 1-140

Crew Member Emergency

Procedures

Class and demonstration of duties and actions taken by the door gunner during in-flight and forced landing emergencies

Aircraft operator's manual and unit SOP

Night Gunnery

Class on techniques and procedures of night firing

TC 1-204, Range SOP

First Aid Training

Class on principles of first aid

FM 1-301, FM 21-11

Protective Mask

Class and practical exercise on the description, characteristics, and procedures for wearing the protective mask during engagements

TM 3-4240-280-10

Door Gunnery Qualification

Briefing on the conduct and standards of Tables VI-VIII.

Range SOP,

TM 9-1005-224-10,

TM 9-1005-262-13

Figure A-2. Table V, intermediate gunnery training

A-4. UNIT TRAINING STRATEGY

NOTE: Door gunners should be allowed to fire from both sides of the aircraft for familiarization if resources are available. However, some range controls have specific instructions for door gunnery. For example, firing is allowed from the right side of the aircraft only.

A-5. CREW COORDINATION

Crew coordination is critical for door gunnery because of the personnel turnover and turbulence in utility and cargo helicopter units. Crew chiefs stay with their aircraft, but they are an integral part of the crew. The crews and crew chiefs should maintain a habitual flying relationship. Because of personnel turnover and maintenance, the pilot and copilot may not always fly the same aircraft or fly with the same crew chief. Training will focus on standardization of cockpit communication and procedures.

A-6. WEAPONS CONTROL AND FIRE COMMANDS

Before departure on a mission, the pilot in command of the aircraft will brief the crew on the situation and mission. The briefing is mission dependant, but will normally include the friendly situation, enemy situation, rules of engagement, possible target areas, marking of targets, mission specific fire commands, and other mission specific information. Loading ammunition in the aircraft weapons systems should be dictated by the unit SOP or parent unit operating procedures or directives.

The right side door gunner, upon acquisition, would announce:

NOTE: "Back gunner" or "back gun" indicates the rear door gunner and will be used on CH-47s with the third door gunner.

A-7. SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

A-8. AMMUNITION

DA Pamphlet 350-38 allocates ammunition to train one door gunner per aircraft. This ammunition is an important consideration and will be an important factor when determining the number of door gunners to train. Chapter 7, DA Pamphlet 350-38 states, "Current authorizations fill one gunner position per aircraft. Total rounds per aircraft will double when second gunner position is authorized." Ammunition for the M60D is standard 7.62mm mix. Units may have success drawing additional ammunition. However, the initial planning must be for the DA Pamphlet 350-38 allocation. Figure A-3 shows the ammunition allocation per table.

A-9. GUNNERY TABLES

Figures A-4 through A-8 (gunnery tables VI, VII and VIII) provide the framework for the door gunnery training program. Commanders may vary the engagement sequences, conditions, and target arrays within the tables to meet mission training requirements or to fit resource constraints such as range layout. Modified tables must be no less demanding than those in the manual, and such modifications will be temporary. Commanders must work continuously with installation or regional range authorities to upgrade and improve gunnery ranges. Commanders may allocate additional ammunition to Table VI for weapons calibration, if available.

GUNNERY TABLES

# ROUNDS
TRC A / C

I

10 meter practice fire

117 / 117 ball

II

10 meter record fire

119 / 119 ball

III

Transition range practice fire

182 / 182 mix

IV

Transition range record fire

154 / 154 mix

V

Door gunner training and assessment

VI

Aircraft transition/weapons calibration

150 / 150 mix

VII

Aircraft practice

240 / 240 mix

VIII

Aircraft qualification

240 / 240 mix

IX

Section/platoon training (MILES)

200 / 200 blank

X

Section/platoon training

200 / 0 mix

TOTALS:

7.62mm Ball: 236/236
7.62mm Mix: 1,166 (TRC A) 966 (TRC C)
7.62mm Blank: 200/200

NOTES:

1. Refer to DA Pamphlet 350-38 for current ammunition authorizations.

2. The unit METL and MTP determine whether night training and qualification tables are conducted. Night door gunnery is designed for door gunners and crew to use NVGs.

Figure A-3. Annual ammunition allocation per gunnery table

TASK

CONDITION

STANDARD

NO     DESCRIPTION

MODE        RANGE    TARGET

(METERS)

TARGET     AMMO
EFFECT

1

Engage stationary target, NBC

Ground

300-500

Troops

1 Hit

30

2

Engage stationary target

Take off

300-500

Troops

1 Hit

30

3

Engage moving target

Hover

400-600

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

4

Engage moving target

Moving

400-500

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

5

Engage stationary target

Running

800-300

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

Figure A-4. Table VI. Door gunner transition course

TASK

CONDITION

STANDARD

NO     DESCRIPTION

MODE       RANGE     TARGET

(METERS)

TARGET     AMMO
EFFECT

1

Engage stationary target, NBC

Ground

300-500

Troops

1 Hit

30

2

Engage stationary target

Take off

300-500

Troops

1 Hit

30

3

Engage moving target

Hover

400-600

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

4

Engage stationary target

Moving

400-500

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

5

Engage stationary target

Running

800-300

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

Figure A-5. Table VII. Day door gunner practice course

TASK

CONDITION

STANDARD

NO     DESCRIPTION

MODE       RANGE     TARGET

(METERS)

TARGET     AMMO
EFFECT

1

Engage stationary target

Ground

250-350

Troops

1 Hit

30

2

Engage stationary target

Hover

400-500

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

3

Engage stationary target

Moving

400-600

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

Figure A-6. Table VII. Night door gunner practice course

TASK

CONDITION

STANDARD

NO     DESCRIPTION

MODE       RANGE     TARGET

(METERS)

TARGET     AMMO
EFFECT

1

Engage stationary target, NBC

Ground

300-500

Troops

1 Hit

30

2

Engage stationary target

Take off

300-500

Troops

1 Hit

30

3

Engage moving target

Hover

400-600

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

4

Engage stationary target

Moving

400-500

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

5

Engage stationary target

Running

800-300

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

Figure A-7. Table VIII. Day door gunner qualification course

TASK

CONDITION

STANDARD

NO     DESCRIPTION

MODE       RANGE     TARGET

(METERS)

TARGET     AMMO
EFFECT

1

Engage stationary target

Ground

250-350

Troops

1 Hit

30

2

Engage stationary target

Hover

400-500

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

3

Engage stationary target

Moving

400-600

Vehicle

3 Hits

30

Figure A-8. Table VIII. Night door gunner qualification course

Table A-1. Point calculation for Tables VII and Table VIII

Time

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

24

27

30

Points

100

98

96

94

92

90

88

86

84

82

80

78

76

74

72

70

50

30

NOTE: A full-size version of this point calculation table is located in Appendix C.

Section II. Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures

A-10. FIRE CONTROL FUNDAMENTALS

Fire control is the name given to the observations, calculations, and actions involved in firing a weapon. Fire control is the method of directing munitions so they will hit the target with a minimum expenditure of ammunition.

A-11. RANGE ESTIMATION

Range estimation is covered in Chapter 6. Door gunners will normally use the recognition method for range estimation. When the door gunner uses the recognition method, the following factors effect the accuracy of the range estimation process.

A-12. WEAPON ENGAGEMENT RANGE

A-13. FIRING TECHNIQUES

Figure A-9. Aiming points

A-14. FIRE ADJUSTMENT

A-15. OVERVIEW

A-16. MULTIHELICOPTER DOOR GUNNERY

Multihelicopter door gunnery consists of the techniques used to acquire and engage targets from helicopters flying in formation at terrain flight altitudes.

Figure A-10. Sight picture, right side of aircraft

Figure A-11. Sight picture, left side of aircraft

Section III. Advanced Table Tactics, Techniques,
and Procedures

A-17. CREW COORDINATION

A-18. DOOR GUNNER EMPLOYMENT IN FORMATION

A-19. FORMATION CONSIDERATIONS

NOTE: Tactical free cruise is the most challenging formation for controlling fires from door gunners. Because of the constant change involved in the formation, employment of door gunners during free cruise requires a great deal of training and command and control.

A-20. FIRING TECHNIQUES.

Figure A-12. Sectors of fire, echelon left

Figure A-13. Sectors of fire, echelon right

Figure A-14. Trail formation, day

Figure A-15. Trail formation, night

Figure A-16. Tactical free cruise

Section IV. Advanced Tables and Range Training

A-21. TABLE IX

Table IX is the first opportunity for door gunners to participate in multiship door gunnery. Units will use Table IX to train the TTP necessary to progress to multiship live-fire. The commander selects the specific tasks he wants to train during Table IX. This table is the commanders training and assessment event prior to live-fire multiship door gunnery. Follow these guidelines when firing Table IX.

A-22. TABLE X

Commanders conduct Table X at Combined Training Centers. Table X is the live-fire "graduation exercise" for unit door gunnery training.

A-23. GUIDES FOR SUCCESSFUL TRAINING

Units must thoroughly prepare for door gunner qualification ranges. The following are recommendations for range training:

Figure A-17. Troop target with 3D silhouettes

Figure A-18. Target lifter with troop silhouettes