What is an Order of Battle (ORBAT) and its use in CRC/TACS?

• A. A weather map for flight planning.
• B. A list of friendly aircraft call signs only.
• C. A log of past engagements.
• D. A catalog of all defending units, sensors, and weapons, used for planning and coordinating defense actions.

Answer: (D)

An ORBAT is the organized listing and map of all defending forces under a command, including units, sensors, weapons, their locations or coverage areas, readiness, and who is responsible for each sector. In CRC/TACS, this picture is the backbone for planning and coordinating defense actions. By knowing exactly what assets are available, where they are, and how they interconnect, commanders can assign intercepts, cue radar and other sensors, allocate weapons, and synchronize responses to threats. It also helps reveal coverage gaps, redundancies, and escalation options, and keeps the force current as the situation evolves. It’s not a weather map, not just a list of call signs, and not a log of past engagements—the ORBAT is the live, authoritative layout of defending capabilities used to plan and execute defense actions.