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Infantry platoons plan indirect fires to suppress, isolate, obscure, neutralize, destroy, deceive, or disrupt enemy forces. The fire planning process is used to plan direct and 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 through fire support channels that those targets be included in the company fire plan. 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.
1. Offensive Fire Support Planning. The offensive fire support plan is developed at the same time as the company's 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 in front of, on, and behind the objective. Those 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 mounted or dismounted across danger areas, when breaching obstacles, or when obscuring known or suspected enemy positions.
2. 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, defiles, and obstacles. They 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 fires are barriers of fire planned on the most dangerous enemy avenue of approach to provide immediate close protection for defending soldiers and usually tied to the defensive barrier or engagement area plans. The purpose of FPF is to support the defeat of the enemy's close assault against a defensive position. Therefore, it must be integrated with the platoon and BFV direct fire plan and obstacle plan. Once called for, FPF are fired continuously. For this reason, the company commander often retains the control of FPF. FPF 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 principal direction of fire while the FPF are being fired.
c. Defending platoons use smoke sparingly. Most often defending platoons use smoke to screen their movement out of a position or to obscure the enemy's view of friendly force efforts in preparing to defend.
d. Illumination provides artificial lighting to the defending force. It should be employed on top of or behind the attacking force instead of on top of the defending force. Platoons use flares, illumination grenades, and mortar and artillery illumination rounds. Flares provide early warning of the enemy approach and help to pinpoint 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.
3. Techniques of Indirect Fire Support Planning. The positioning of the FO and the proper procedures used to call for fire are 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 he 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 usually from the same location. The FO should ride in the platoon leader's BFV. 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 and BFV section leaders may be designated to observe targets and call for fire.
(1) The platoon leader must ensure that the FO knows the overall concept of the operation to include the following:
- The location and description of the targets to engage.
- The terminal effects required (destroy, delay, disrupt, suppress) and the purpose.
- The communication means, radio net, call signs, and fire direction center to use.
- When or under what circumstances to engage targets.
- The relative priority of targets.
- 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 and 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 or higher headquarters devises alternate means to assist the company and platoon in executing indirect fire action at engagement and trigger lines.
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.
(1) Calls for fire must include:
- Observer identification and warning order: adjust fire, fire for effect, suppress, and immediate suppression (target identification).
- Target location methods: grid, polar, and shift from a known point.
- 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.
(3) Examples of call for fire follow:
(a) Grid.
"_________ this is_________ adjust fire/fire for effect, over."
"Grid_______________ , over."
"Target description)_______________ , over."
NOTES:
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.
3. Determine the grid direction to the target.
4. Determine a distance from the observer to the target.
5. Determine if any significant vertical interval exists.
6. Fire direction center must have OP location.
(b) 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."
NOTES
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.
4. Technique for Direct Fire Support From BFVs. The platoon leader must have the flexibility and capability to place direct fire from BFVs on key targets throughout combat operations. The technique used to do this is a modification of the six elements of the BFV fire command ( FM 23-1).
- Alert. Alert the mounted element leader of an immediate engagement. "A34 (PSG). This is A31 (platoon leader), engagement; over."
- Weapon/Ammunition. Inform the mounted element leader of the weapon or ammunition to be used. "Engage with coax."
- Description. Identify the target for the mounted element leader. "Dismounted squad in the tree line to my immediate front."
- Support Position/Direction. Guide the mounted element into the support position and on the target. "Move 100 meters to your left and shift fires 200 meters left of TRP 2."
- Range. Give the range to the target. "The squad is 600 meters to your front from that position."
- Execution. Call for fire. "Fire when in positions, over."
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