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Part G
FIRE SUPPORT
1. General. Infantry platoons plan indirect fires to suppress, isolate, obscure, neutralize, destroy, deceive, or disrupt enemy forces. The fire planning process is used to plan indirect fires in support of offensive and defensive operations. Normally, battalions and companies conduct fire support planning and send a target list to the platoons. Platoon leaders and their FOs review the indirect fire plan to determine the need for additional targets in their area of responsibility. If a need exists for additional targets, the platoon leader requests those targets be included in the company fire plan through fire support channels. The platoon leader, however, does not wait to receive the company fire plan. He begins fire planning as soon as possible and integrates his fire plan into the company fire plan through fire support channels.
2. Offensive Fire Support Planning. The offensive fire support plan is developed at the same time as the scheme of maneuver. The FO integrates the indirect fires, based on the platoon leader's guidance, to support the platoon's maneuver throughout the operation.
a. Fires are planned to support all phases of the attack. Fires are planned in front of, on, and behind the objective. Fires planned in front and on the objective support the approach, deployment, and assault of the attacking force. Fires planned beyond the objective support the consolidation and disrupt reinforcing and counterattacking forces. Fires are planned on all known or suspected enemy locations. Indirect fires are also planned on likely avenues of approach or on prominent terrain features.
b. The platoon uses smoke or white phosphorus to screen itself when moving across danger areas, when breaching obstacles, or to obscure known or suspected enemy positions.
3. Defensive Fire Support Planning. The platoon leader and the FO plan indirect fire to support the defensive scheme of maneuver. Fire support considerations at platoon and squad level include final protective fires(FPF) and effect of smoke and illumination on defending forces.
a. Fires are planned on all likely enemy positions and on areas the enemy may use in the attack, such as OPs, support positions, avenues of approach, assault positions, dead space, flanks, and defiles. Fires are also planned in front of, on top of, and behind friendly positions to stop likely penetrations or to support a counterattack.
b. Final protective fire is a barrier of fire planned on the most dangerous enemy avenue of approach to provide immediate close protection for defending soldiers. The purpose of an FPF is to support the defeat of the enemy's close assault against a defensive position. Therefore, it must be integrated with the platoon direct fire plan and obstacle plan. Once called for, FPFs are fired continuously. For this reason, the company commander often retains the control of FPFs. FPFs must not be called for until the enemy is in close assault of the defensive position. All platoon weapons fire along their final protective line or principle direction of fire while the FPF is being fired.
c. Defending units use smoke sparingly. Most often defending platoons use smoke to screen their movement out of a position.
d. Illumination provides artificial lighting to the defending force. Illumination should be employed on top of or behind the attacking force instead of on top of the defending force. Platoons use flares, M203 illumination rounds, and mortar and artillery illumination rounds. Flares provide early warning of the enemy approach and help to pin point his location. Grenade launcher illumination rounds provide flexible and immediate illumination, while mortars and artillery provide sustained illumination. The company commander normally retains the control of illumination in the defense.
4. Techniques of Indirect Fire Control. The positioning of the FO and the proper procedures used to call for fire is critical in order to receive immediate indirect fire.
a. Forward Observer Positioning. The platoon leader and FO should always be together during execution. This ensures close synchronization of the scheme of maneuver and plan of fire support. The platoon leader is responsible for both, but concentrates on maneuver and direct fires. The FO is the platoon leader's principle assistant in managing indirect fires. They eat, sleep, and fight together. Each has separate requirements to communicate with higher headquarters, but will do so almost always from the same location. The platoon leader and FO identify primary and alternate positions to ensure continuous observation during limited visibility conditions. The FO verifies and rehearses FM radio communications as the tactical situation permits. Squad leaders may be designated to observe targets and call for fire, or they can be designated as an alternate FO to the platoon FO.
(1) The platoon leader must ensure that the FO knows the overall concept of the operation to include the following-
(a) The location and description of the targets to engage.
(b) The terminal effects required (destroy, delay, disrupt, suppress) and the purpose.
(c) The communication means, radio net, call signs, and fire direction center to use.
(d) When or under what circumstances to engage targets.
(e) The relative priority of targets.
(f) The method of engagement and method of control to be used in the call for fire.
(2) If the platoon leader and the FO cannot see the targets, trigger lines or TRPs under the visibility conditions expected at the time the target is to be fired, they immediately notify the company. The company commander and fire support team (FIST) evaluate the situation and notify higher headquarters. The planning headquarters then plans a new target at a location that meets the commander's purpose for fire support.
b. Call for Fire. A call for fire is a message prepared by an observer. It has all the information needed to deliver indirect fires on the target. Any soldier in the platoon can request indirect fire support by use of the call for fire, if he has ability to communicate.
(1) Calls for fire must include-
(a) Observer identification and warning order.
- Adjust fire.
- Fire for effect.
- Suppress.
- Immediate suppression(target identification).
(b) Target location methods.
- Grid.
- Polar.
- Shift from a known point.
(c) Target description. Give a brief description of the target using the acronym "SNAP."
- Size/shape.
- Nature/nomenclature.
- Activity.
- Protection/posture.
(2) A call for fire may also include the following information (optional elements):
(a) Method of engagement. The method of engagement consists of the type of adjustments, danger close, trajectory, ammunition, and distribution.
(b) Method of fire and control.
- At my command.
- Cannot observe.
- Time on target.
- Continuous illumination.
- Coordinated illumination.
- Cease loading.
- Check firing.
- Continuous fire.
- Repeat.
(c) Refinement and end of mission.
- Correct any adjustments.
- Record as target.
- Report battle damage assessment.
Examples
Call for fire
(a) Grid.
- "_______ this is ________ adjust fire/fire for effect, over."
- "Grid ______, over."
- "(Target description) _________, over."
1. Determine a six-digit grid for the target.
2. Determine a grid direction to the target and send after the call for fire but before any subsequent corrections.
(b) Polar.
- "________ this is________ adjust fire/fire for effect, polar, over."
- "Direction _______, Distance _______, Up/Down _______, over."
- (Target description) _______, over."
1. Determine the grid direction to the target.
2. Determine a distance from the observer to the target.
3. Determine if any significant vertical interval exists.
4. Fire direction center must have OP location.
(c) Shift from a known point.
- "_______ this is _______ adjust fire/fire for effect, shift (target number/registration point number), over."
- "Direction _______, Right/Left _________, Add/Drop _______, Up/Down _______, over."
- "(Target description) ________, over."
NOTE
1. Determine the grid direction to the target.
2. Determine a lateral shift to the target from the known point.
3. Determine the range shift from the known point to the target.
4. Fire direction center must have known point location and target number.
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