Fire Support Planning II Flashcards
Number of Fire Support Themes
3
THEME #1
THEME #1: THE FIRE SUPPORT PLAN MUST SUPPORT THE SCHEME OF MANEUVER
THEME #2
THEME #2: THE MANEUVER ELEMENT LEADER MUST PROVIDE BOTTOM UP REFINEMENT
THEME #3
THEME #3: THE FIRE SUPPORT PLAN MUST BE EXECUTABLE
Fire Support Coordinating Measures (FSCMs) Categories
Permissive measures
Restrictive measures
Permissive FSCM
Free fire area (FFA)
Fire support coordination line (FSCL)
Battlefield Coordination line (BCL)
Coordinated firing line (CFL)
Free fire area (FFA)
Free fire area (FFA) - A specific, designated area into which any weapon system may fire without additional coordination with the establishing headquarters. This includes the fire or effects of fire.
Fire support coordination line (FSCL)
Fire support coordination line (FSCL) - A joint imaginary line that expedites surface-to-surface (i.e. artillery, mortars, NSGF) AND air-to-surface attack beyond the FSCL without coordination with the ground commander in whose area the targets are located (across boundaries).
Battlefield Coordination line (BCL)
Battlefield Coordination line (BCL) - used EXCLUSIVELY BY MAGTF FIRE SUPPORT ASSETS when the FSCL is established well beyond max range of organic USMC IDF assets, creating a dead space or haven for EN forces between the max range of organic USMC IDF assets and the FSCL, beyond which aviation assets are operating
Coordinated firing line (CFL)
Coordinated firing line (CFL) - joint imaginary line that expedites surface-to-surface attack beyond the CFL without coordination with the ground commander in whose area the targets are located (across boundaries).
Restrictive FCSM
Restrictive Firing Line (RFL)
Restrictive Firing Area (RFA)
No Fire Area (NFA)
Restrictive Firing Line (RFL)
An RFL is a line established between converging friendly forces (one or both may be moving) that prohibits fires, or effects of fires, across the line without coordination with the affected force. The purpose of the RFL is to regulate all fires occurring between converging forces.
Restrictive Firing Area (RFA)
An RFA is an area in which specific firing or coordination restrictions are imposed and any fires in excess that exceeds those restrictions will not be delivered without coordination with the establishing headquarters. The purpose of the RFA is to regulate fires into an area according to the stated restrictions.
No Fire Area (NFA)
A NFA is an area into which no fires or effects of fire are allowed. The two exceptions to an NFA are:
- The establishing headquarters may approve fires temporarily within the NFA on a mission-by-mission basis
- If any enemy force within the NFA engages a friendly force and the engaged unit leader determines there is no time for coordination, he may “respond in kind” with fires into the NFA
Command relationships:
Define the degree of authority exercised by one commander over another commander. They are primarily based on the factors of mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available-time available
Supporting relationships:
Established by a senior commander between subordinate commanders when one organization should aid, protect, complement or sustain another force while still under the command of its parent headquarters
General Support
Support is given to the supported force as a whole and not to any subdivision thereof
Direct Support
Where the tactical mission requires a force to support another specific force, authorizing it to answer directly to the supported forces’ request for assistance
Attached
Command relationship where the placement of units or personnel are placed in an organization temporarily to augment tactical objectives
Phases of Offensive FSP
Preparation
Conduct
Consolidation or Exploitation Phase
Preparation Phase
When: conducted prior to crossing LD
Why: soften enemy defenses; screening friendly movement from AA; deception
Conduct Phase
When: crossing the LD through the attack; ends with consolidation
Why: provide responsive fires in support of maneuver; preplanned targets; targets of opportunity; counter-fire on enemy IDF weapon systems
Consolidation or Exploitation Phase
When: attack has culminated and maneuver element begins consolidation; ends with full transition to defense, or upon resuming the offense
Why: protect friendlies during transitions; allow maneuver to maintain tempo; delay enemy withdrawal; prevent enemy reinforcement or re-supply; repel enemy counter-attack
Fire Support Planning in the Defense
- Long range fires
- Close defensive targets
- Final protective fires (FPF)
- Calculating FPF lengths by firing agency
- Registering the FPF
Long range fires
When: use of deep fires to affect the enemy early; always located outside the engagement area
Why: disrupt enemy formations; cause enemy formation to deploy early; provide security for friendly units outside of the defensive perimeter
Achieve DEPTH
Close defensive targets
When: Enemy enters our engagement are; ALWAYS located within the engagement area
Why: Mass fires to canalize and slow enemy forces; tied into obstacle plan; disrupt breaching efforts; fix enemy and maximize efforts of combined arms and obstacle plan; isolate units
Final protective fires (FPF)
When: Final “wall of steel” to protect defensive positions and cause mass destruction effects on the enemy; can only be ordered by CO or senior marine present
Why: Placed along enemy’s most likely dismounted avenue of approach; ONLY priority target in the DEFENSE; always a linear target; ONLY one FPF allocated per firing agency
Calculating FPF lengths by firing agency
Artillery Battery = 300m
81mm Plt = 280m; section = 140m
60mm section = 90m
Registering the FPF
- Send CFF in 3 transmissions
- Adjust fires by creeping into the desired location. These adjustments will be in 100m increments until within 50m of desired FPF location.
- Once the rounds are located on the desired FPF location – say FPF is registered
The Fire Support Plan
Task, purpose, method and effects
Method - TTLODAC: target, trigger, location, observer, delivery system, attack guidance, comms net
