Fire Support Planning II

Question 1

Number of Fire Support Themes

Answer 1

3

Question 2

THEME #1

Answer 2

THEME #1: THE FIRE SUPPORT PLAN MUST SUPPORT THE SCHEME OF MANEUVER

Question 3

THEME #2

Answer 3

THEME #2: THE MANEUVER ELEMENT LEADER MUST PROVIDE BOTTOM UP REFINEMENT

Question 4

THEME #3

Answer 4

THEME #3: THE FIRE SUPPORT PLAN MUST BE EXECUTABLE

Question 5

Fire Support Coordinating Measures (FSCMs) Categories

Answer 5

Permissive measures

Restrictive measures

Question 6

Permissive FSCM

Answer 6

Free fire area (FFA)
Fire support coordination line (FSCL)
Battlefield Coordination line (BCL)
Coordinated firing line (CFL)

Question 7

Free fire area (FFA)

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Fire support coordination line (FSCL)

Answer 8

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).

Question 9

Battlefield Coordination line (BCL)

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Coordinated firing line (CFL)

Answer 10

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).

Question 11

Restrictive FCSM

Answer 11

Restrictive Firing Line (RFL)
Restrictive Firing Area (RFA)
No Fire Area (NFA)

Question 12

Restrictive Firing Line (RFL)

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Restrictive Firing Area (RFA)

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

No Fire Area (NFA)

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Command relationships:

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Supporting relationships:

Answer 16

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

Question 17

General Support

Answer 17

Support is given to the supported force as a whole and not to any subdivision thereof

Question 18

Direct Support

Answer 18

Where the tactical mission requires a force to support another specific force, authorizing it to answer directly to the supported forces’ request for assistance

Question 19

Attached

Answer 19

Command relationship where the placement of units or personnel are placed in an organization temporarily to augment tactical objectives

Question 20

Phases of Offensive FSP

Answer 20

Preparation
Conduct
Consolidation or Exploitation Phase

Question 21

Preparation Phase

Answer 21

When: conducted prior to crossing LD
Why: soften enemy defenses; screening friendly movement from AA; deception

Question 22

Conduct Phase

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Consolidation or Exploitation Phase

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Fire Support Planning in the Defense

Answer 24

• Long range fires
• Close defensive targets
• Final protective fires (FPF)
• Calculating FPF lengths by firing agency
• Registering the FPF

Question 25

Long range fires

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Close defensive targets

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Final protective fires (FPF)

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Calculating FPF lengths by firing agency

Answer 28

Artillery Battery = 300m
81mm Plt = 280m; section = 140m
60mm section = 90m

Question 29

Registering the FPF

Answer 29

1. Send CFF in 3 transmissions
2. Adjust fires by creeping into the desired location. These adjustments will be in 100m increments until within 50m of desired FPF location.
3. Once the rounds are located on the desired FPF location – say FPF is registered

Question 30

The Fire Support Plan

Answer 30

Task, purpose, method and effects

Method - TTLODAC: target, trigger, location, observer, delivery system, attack guidance, comms net