FM-3-09 Fire Support and Field Artillery Operations Download
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Appendix D D-14 FM 3-09 30 April 2020 Plan to use retransmission assets. SECTION IV – DESERT OPERATIONS D-89. The three types of desert terrain are mountainous, rocky plateau, and sandy or dune-type desert. Fire support planning and considerations vary significantly between operations in each type of desert terrain. Often, those considerations resemble those for other environments, such as arctic and mountain. The type of terrain in the AO must be analyzed before effective fire support planning can be performed. Tactics, techniques, and employment of munitions are greatly affected by the different terrain characteristics. Restricted desert terrain can offer significant disadvantages for movement and emplacement of indirect fire systems, depending on the trafficability of the surrounding valley areas. MUNITIONS D-90. Mountain deserts, munitions effectiveness is the same as in any mountainous region except that the considerations involving snow usually do not apply. The following are added considerations: HE-point detonating is very effective because of the extra fragmentation created by splintering rocks. FA mines are very effective and should be used to deny the enemy the use of roads, valleys, narrow defiles, and level terrain. Smoke and illumination may be degraded by swirling winds. They must be closely coordinated with adjacent units to ensure that the vision of adjacent troops is not obscured or troops are not highlighted. Both smoke and illuminating shells can be used to silhouette the enemy. Airbursts on reverse slopes are extremely effective. D-91. Rocky plateau deserts, the following are munitions considerations in rocky plateau desert operations: HE-point detonating is extremely effective. It creates extra fragments by splintering rocks. Variable time and time fuzes are effective. Improved conventional munitions are very effective. FA delivered mines are very effective and should be employed with the natural terrain to force the enemy into unnavigable terrain. Smoke and illumination may be degraded by high winds but may be used to silhouette the enemy. D-92. Sandy or dune deserts, the following are munitions considerations: HE with point detonating or delay fuze is smothered by deep sand, which makes it ineffective. VT and time fuzes are very effective. FASCAM are smothered by deep sand, which makes them ineffective. Smoke and illumination are effective and can be used to silhouette the enemy. TARGET ACQUISITION AND OBSERVATION D-93. Determining location is often very difficult in rocky plateau and sandy or dune deserts. Maps are often inaccurate, dunes shift, and heat waves hamper distance estimations. Where GPS equipment is not available, pace count, odometer readings, and resection from available key terrain features may be the best of a few options for self-location essential for day and night navigation. D-94. FOs can detect targets by observing dust clouds created by moving enemy forces. Dust clouds created by impacting rounds sometimes make subsequent adjustments difficult. Usually, adjustment of fires by a FO is enhanced when the initial round impacts beyond the target. Laser range finders must be used, especially when heat waves degrade distance estimating by other conventional means. D-95. The FO should consider using smoke behind the enemy to silhouette him. At night, illumination burning on the ground behind the enemy has the same effect. D-96. The sameness of colors in the desert makes specific targets hard to spot. Laser range finders may need to be adjusted several times a day because of temperature changes.