FM-3-09 Fire Support and Field Artillery Operations Download
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Chapter 4 4-10 FM 3-09 30 April 2020 SECTION V – KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR FIELD ARTILLERY EMPLOYMENT 4-61. FA organizations employ indirect fire capabilities which are versatile and responsive, to create desired effects. In order to create effects, FA units employ and integrate joint fires, cannons, rockets, missiles, and TA assets. FA units are as mobile and deployable as the maneuver forces they support. Indirect fires include anything from a single precision munition, precision-guided munition, to a multiple BN mass mission. 4-62. A precision munition is a munition that corrects for ballistic conditions using guidance and control up to the aimpoint or submunitions dispense with terminal accuracy less than the lethal radius of effects. (Excalibur, GMLRS, ATACMS) A precision-guided munition is a guided weapon intended to destroy a point target and minimize collateral damage (JP 3-03). In order to deliver fires, FA units must: Meet the five requirements for accurate predicted fires. Be proactive and responsive to create the desired effects. Mass fires. FIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCURATE PREDICTED FIRES 4-63. The goal of any indirect firing unit is to achieve accurate first-round fire for effect (FFE) on a target. Fire for effect is a command to indicate that fire for effect is desired; fire that is intended to achieve the desired result on target (TC 3-09.81). In order to accomplish this goal an artillery unit must compensate for nonstandard conditions as completely as time and the tactical situation permit. There are five requirements for achieving accurate first-round FFE. These requirements are accurate target location and size, accurate firing unit location, accurate weapon and ammunition information, accurate MET information, and accurate computational procedures. If these requirements are met, the firing unit will be able to deliver accurate and timely fires in support of the ground-gaining arms. If the requirements for accurate fire cannot be met completely, the firing unit may be required to use adjust-fire missions to engage targets. Adjust-fire missions can result in reduced effect on the target, loss of surprise, increased ammunition expenditure, and greater possibility that the firing unit will be detected by hostile TA assets. Accurate Target Location and Size. Establishing the range from the weapons to the target requires accurate and timely detection, identification, and location of ground targets. Determining their size and disposition on the ground is also necessary so that accurate firing data can be computed. Determining the appropriate time and type of attack requires that the target size (radius or other dimensions) and the direction and speed of movement are considered. Target location is determined by using TA. Target location error is the difference between the coordinates generated for a target and the actual location of the target (JP 3-09.3). The following are the target location error categories expressed by circular error (CE) on ground expressed in feet (ft) and meters (m): CAT I : CE 0-20 ft/0-6 m CAT II: CE 21-50 ft/7-15 m CAT III: CE 51-100 ft/16-30 m CAT IV: CE 101-300 ft/31-91 m CAT V: CE 301-1000 ft/92-305 m CAT VI: CE > 1000 ft/>305 m Accurate Firing Unit Location. Accurate range and deflection from the firing unit to the target requires accurate weapon location. Survey techniques and on-board navigation systems are used to determine the location of each weapon. See the following survey section and ATP 3-09.02. Accurate Weapon and Ammunition Information. The actual performance of the weapon is measured by the weapon muzzle velocity (velocity with which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the tube) for a projectile-propellant combination. The firing battery can measure the achieved muzzle velocity of a weapon and correct it for nonstandard projectile weight and propellant temperature; this is done through use of the muzzle velocity systems. The corrections that the muzzle velocity system makes are similar to those found in the muzzle velocity correction table. Calibration should be conducted continuously by using the muzzle velocity system. Firing tables and technical gunnery procedures allow the unit to consider specific ammunition information