FM-3-09 Fire Support and Field Artillery Operations Download
Page 70 of 256
Chapter 3 3-24 FM 3-09 30 April 2020 Table 3-6. Description of scheme of fires Scheme of Fires. The scheme of fires describe how fires support the commander’s intent and concept of operations, and establish the priorities of fires to units for each phase of the operation. The scheme of fires must be concise but specific enough to clearly state what fires are to accomplish in the operation. The scheme of fires must answer the “who, what, when, where, and why” of the fires to be provided, but provide enough flexibility to allow subordinate commanders to determine the “how” to the maximum extent possible by ensuring necessary procedural and positive control. The scheme of fires may include a general narrative for the entire operation that should address the fire support task and purpose, allocation of assets, positioning guidance for fire support assets and observers, and attack guidance to include the entire scalable range of effects (lethal to nonlethal effects). Add subparagraphs addressing fire support tasks for each phase of the operation use the following format: task, purpose, execution, and assessment in matrix form. Refer to the base plan or order and Annex C (Operations) as required. (FM 6-0, Annex D) Commander's Guidance for Fire Support 3-63. Commanders drive the operations process through understanding, visualizing, describing, directing, leading, and assessing operations (ADP 5-0). The supported commander must provide clear and concise guidance on effects expected from fires. Fire support personnel must thoroughly understand the commander's intent, scheme of maneuver, and guidance for fire support. Commanders must ensure fire support personnel understand the larger picture of the battle. It provides the staff and subordinate units with the general guidance and restrictions for the employment of fires, desired effects and the planning and execution of targeting functions. Commander's guidance for fire support must include the priority of fires. Priority of fires is the commander's guidance to the staff, subordinate commanders, fires planners, and supporting agencies to employ fires in accordance with the relative importance of a unit's mission. Mission orders for FA units should include the supported commander's intent, concept of operations, and priority of fires, fire support tasks, and coordinating instructions. 3-64. The commander's guidance for FS describes the desired effects to be generated by FS attack/delivery systems, both lethal and non-lethal. An effect is 1. The physical or behavioral state of a system that results from an action, a set of actions, or another effect. 2. The result, outcome, or consequence of an action. 3. A change to a condition, behavior, or degree of freedom (JP 3-0). Capabilities associated with one desired effect may also contribute to other desired effects. For example, delay can result from disrupting, diverting, or destroying enemy capabilities or targets. 3-65. The most important part of providing guidance for FS is that the FSCOORD and the commander have a shared understanding of the commander's visualization and description of what FS must accomplish in support of the concept of operations. Some common terms that commanders may use to describe the desired effects when providing their guidance for FS are listed below. Deceive in military deception are actions executed to deliberately mislead adversary military, paramilitary, or violent extremist organization decision makers, thereby causing the adversary to take specific actions (or inactions) that will contribute to the accomplishment of the friendly mission (JP 3-13.4). FS supports military deception by misleading the enemy decision makers' understanding of friendly intent. This greatly improves the chances the enemy will assume risks that can expose the enemy to the effects of friendly fires and maneuver. For example preparation fire of a false landing zone may contribute to the belief a friendly attack is about to occur in one place when in fact it is about to occur in another. Deception fires are best employed to reinforce the pre-conceived notion of the enemy commander. Operations security is the foundation of deception. This includes the use of nets, camouflage, communications, and noise and light discipline. Defeat is to render a force incapable of achieving its objectives (ADP 3-0). The defeated force's commander is unwilling or unable to pursue that individual's adopted COA, thereby yielding to the friendly commander's will and can no longer interfere to a significant degree with the actions of friendly forces. Defeat can result from the use of force or the threat of its use (FM 3-90-1). Defeat manifests itself in some sort of physical action, such as mass surrenders, abandonment of positions, equipment and supplies, or retrograde operations. A commander can create different effects against an enemy to defeat that force. For example a commander's employment of field artillery fires to attack an enemy force may result in the enemy no longer having sufficient personnel, weapons systems, equipment, or supplies to carry out its mission. Likewise the delivery