FM-3-09 Fire Support and Field Artillery Operations Download
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Field Artillery Operations 30 April 2020 FM 3-09 4-5 support relationships to cannon units to range consolidation and support areas while continuing to perform their primary support relationships in support of deep and close operations. SECTION IV – FIELD ARTILLERY ORGANIZATION FOR COMBAT 4-27. Successful execution of large-scale ground combat operations requires careful planning of limited FA resources and the coordinated employment of TA and assessment means. For example the FSCOORD recommends to the division commander, to facilitate the rapid establishment of support relationships of FA units in large-scale ground combat operations, division commanders should consider assigning the BCT organic FA BNs as OPCON to the DIVARTY prior to execution of operations. FSCOORDs and FSEs on corps and division staffs ensure adequacy in support of operations by varying allocation and control of available FS resources to include FA formations. 4-28. The FA commander recommends to the supported commander the command and support relationships of FA units supporting the operation, regardless if they are organic or assigned. This information is vital to planning fire support for tactical operations 4-29. Task-organizing is the act of designing a force, support staff, or sustainment package of specific size and composition to meet a unique task or mission (ADP 3-0). Characteristics to examine when task- organizing the force include, but are not limited to, training, experience, equipment, sustainability, operating environment, enemy threat, and mobility. For Army forces, task-organizing includes allocating available assets to subordinate commanders and establishing their command and support relationships. The objective of FA task-organization is to ensure that each FA unit has an established command relationship or support relationship that best supports the maneuver commander's concept of the operation. Dynamic task-organizing during operations is one way to ensure FA assets are never in reserve. 4-30. The FSCOORD, chief of fires and brigade FSO analyze the mission variables of mission, enemy, terrain and weather, troops and support available, time available, and civil considerations (referred to as METT-TC), evaluate the FA assets available and recommend a command or support relationship for each FA unit to the supported commander. The supported commander approves the FA task organization, which is subsequently reflected in the OPLAN/OPORD and FS plan. Commanders never place artillery in reserve. 4-31. Commanders consider mutual support when task-organizing FA. Mutual support is that support which units render each other against an enemy, because of their assigned tasks, their position relative to each other and to the enemy, and their inherent capabilities (JP 3-31). Mutual support exists when positions and units support each other by direct and/or indirect fire and/or nonlethal activities. Mutual support increases the strength of all defensive positions, prevents defeat in detail, and helps prevent infiltration between positions. Supporting range is the distance one unit may be geographically separated from a second unit yet remain within the maximum range of the second unit's weapons systems (ADP 3-0). Although a FA unit may be in supporting range of a supported unit, the communications capability must also be considered. If the unit needing support cannot communicate with the supporting unit, the range capability of a weapon system or its proximity to the supported force has no effect on the outcome of an operation. For more on mutual support see ADP 3- 90 and FM 3-90-1. THE PRINCIPLES OF FIRE SUPPORT EXECUTION APPLIED TO FIELD ARTILLERY ORGANIZATION FOR COMBAT 4-32. Commanders and staffs must consider the principles of FS execution referred to as the memory aid AWIFM-N when planning the integration of fires into an operation. FS execution principles AWIFM-N considerations are: ADEQUATE FIRE SUPPORT FOR THE COMMITTED UNITS 4-33. In large-scale ground combat operations the minimum adequate FA for committed units is considered to be one FA BN for each committed brigade. If a brigade is not committed, commanders must consider assigning a support relationship of the uncommitted brigade's artillery BN to a committed unit.