JP 3-0, page 76

Chapter III III-24 JP 3-0 For additional guidance on air apportionment, refer to JP 3-30, Command and Control for Joint Air Operations. (2) Joint fire support includes joint fires that assist air, land, maritime, and SOF to move, maneuver, and control territory, populations, airspace, and key waters. Joint fire support may include, but is not limited to, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft capabilities, naval surface fire support, artillery, mortars, rockets, and missiles, as well as nonlethal effects of some EA, space control operations, and other nonlethal capabilities. Integration and synchronization of joint fires and joint fire support with the fire and maneuver of the supported force are essential. For additional guidance on joint fire support, refer to JP 3-09, Joint Fire Support. (3) Countering Air and Missile Threats (a) The JFC normally seeks to gain and maintain air superiority as quickly as possible to allow friendly forces to operate without prohibitive interference from adversary air threats. Air superiority is achieved through the counterair mission, which integrates both offensive counterair (OCA) and DCA operations from all components to counter the air and missile threat. These operations may use aircraft, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, artillery, SOF, ground forces, and EA. US military forces must be capable of countering the air and missile threat from initial force projection through redeployment of friendly forces. Missiles represent a particularly difficult and dangerous threat because of their proliferation, advances in missile technologies (perhaps coupled with WMD), and the often fleeting nature of adversary missile targets. Unmanned aircraft are a new challenge to US air defenses, as many systems have smaller radar cross sections and fly at much slower speeds than manned aircraft making them much harder to detect. Close coordination and synchronization between DCA and OCA operations to counter the missile threat is essential. DCA (both air and missile defense) is essential to the protection function described in paragraph 6, “Protection.” (b) OCA operations are the preferred method of countering theater air and missile threats. OCA consists of offensive measures to destroy, disrupt, or neutralize enemy aircraft, missiles, launch platforms, and their supporting structures and systems both before and after launch, but as close to the source as possible. Ideally, joint OCA operations will prevent the launch of, or destroy enemy aircraft and missiles and their supporting infrastructure prior to launch. OCA includes attack operations, fighter sweep, fighter escort, and suppression of enemy air defenses. For additional guidance on air superiority and countering air and missile threats, refer to JP 3-01, Countering Air and Missile Threats. (4) Interdiction (a) Interdiction is a powerful tool for JFCs. Interdiction operations are actions to divert, disrupt, delay, or destroy the enemy’s military surface capability before it can be used effectively against friendly forces, or to otherwise achieve objectives. Air interdiction is conducted at such distance from friendly forces that detailed integration of each air