ATP-3-09-90 Division Artillery Operations and Fire Support Download
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Chapter 2 2-16 ATP 3-09.90 Table 2-5. Trigger development Step 1 Determine the position on the ground that you want fires to engage the enemy, for example, the impact of high explosive rounds on target or location of illumination rounds employed at night to discover a possible threat. Step 2 To engage a moving target, determine the enemy rate of movement. This may be done by estimation, on the basis of past experience, from doctrinal literature, or from scout reports of enemy speed. Step 3 Determine the time of flight of the rounds from the weapon system firing the mission. Step 4 Determine the processing time. Processing time is the time required from the call for fire to rounds being fired from the weapon system. Step 5 Determine the total mission time. The total mission time is time of flight plus processing time. Step 6 Place the trigger point the required distance from a planned target location based on the following: {total mission time x speed of enemy = distance}. The division staff recommends forces and headquarters to execute each COA. When approved, these assignments become the task organization. The FSCOORD and fires cell planners identify units to perform fire support tasks and make task organization recommendations based on fires requirements. They tailor employment of fire support assets to mission requirements and type of operation and consider how best to: Task-organize and clarify responsibilities and command and support relationships. Minimize fratricide risk. Synchronize combat power at decisive points. ASSIGN HEADQUARTERS The division FSCOORD and fires cell planners make task organization recommendations based on the fires capabilities of each headquarters and fire support resources. The fires running estimate, including the vulnerability assessments, provide information needed to support any fires related recommendations. Another consideration is the experience in delivering fires of leaders in the headquarters. DEVELOP COURSE OF ACTION STATEMENTS AND SKETCHES The G-3 prepares a COA statement and supporting sketch for each COA for the overall operation. Together, the statement and sketch cover who, what, when, where, how, and why for each subordinate unit. They also state any significant risks for the division as a whole. The fire support planning team provides fire support input to each COA statement and sketch. At a minimum, each COA statement or sketch should include the scheme of fires. This statement may identify fire support tasks for the COA. The sketches: Portray how fires will assist in mission success. Provide an overview of fire support capabilities, limitations, and requirements. Show the scheme of fires and information such as fire support coordination measures (FSCMs), CPs, and displacement. The fires cell planners should consult with the FA battalion S-3 to verify that the information is complete prior to briefing. Fire support coordination is the planning and executing of fire so that targets are adequately covered by a suitable weapon or group of weapons (JP 3-09). A fire support coordination measure is a measure employed by commanders to facilitate the rapid engagement of targets and simultaneously provide safeguards for friendly forces (JP 3-0). The desired fires cell output for COA development is a draft fire support plan for each COA, branch, or sequel. Fire support tasks should be clearly identified. In some cases, the fire support plans may not change significantly to support different courses of action. Scheme of Fires and Scheme of Maneuver The fires paragraph together with the scheme of maneuver, describes how the division as a whole will accomplish the mission and meet the division commander's intent. It provides the sequence of fires tasks and outlines (the) who, what, where, when, and why for each fire support task needed for the operation. 12 October 2017