CALL FOR FIRE

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CALL FOR FIRE
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TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE

• Action Call For Fire
• Condition In a classroom, given the six steps of
  a call for fire
• Standard Within three minutes, be able to
  correctly format and call for fire

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• SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
• RISK ASSESSMENT LEVEL
• ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
• EVALUATION
• INSTRUCTIONAL LEAD-IN

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ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVE A

• Action- Identify and describe the types of
  weapons used to deliver indirect fires
• Condition- In a classroom, given a picture
• Standard- Be able to identify and describe the
  weapon system

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TYPES OF INDIRECT FIRED SYSTEMS

• Mortars- the mortar section or platoon will
  provide you the most responsive fires. They
  belong to the company or battalion commander
• Artillery- farther maximum effective range, but
  are control at Brigade level or higher
• Naval Gun- longest range, but is controlled at
  the division or higher level

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TYPES OF MORTARS

• M224 60mm Lightweight Company Mortar System
• M252 81mm Medium Extended Range Mortar
• M120/121 120mm Mortar

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M224 60mm Lightweight Company Mortar System
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M224 60mm Lightweight Company Mortar System

• The M224 60mm LWCMS is ideally suited to support
  airborne, air assault, mountain, ranger, Special
  Operations Forces and light infantry units. The
  M224 can be drop fired (conventional mode) or
  trigger fired (conventional or hand-held mode). A
  lightweight auxiliary baseplate is used when
  firing the mortar in the hand-held mode.

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M224 60mm Lightweight Company Mortar System Cont.

• Length 40 inches (101.6 centimeters)Weight
  46.5 pounds (21.11 kilograms)Bore diameter
  60mmMaximum effective range 2.17 miles (3490
  meters)Rates of fireMaximum 30
  rounds/minuteSustained 20 rounds/minute

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M252 81mm Medium Extended Range Mortar
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M252 81mm Medium Extended Range Mortar

• The M252 81mm Mortar System was developed under
  a co-development agreement with the United
  Kingdom to replace the M29A1 Mortar. A Blast
  Attenuation Device (BAD) is attached to the
  muzzle of the cannon assembly to reduce the blast
  effects on the mortar crew. The M252 is ideally
  suited to support airborne, air assault, mountain
  and light infantry units.

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M252 81mm Medium Extended Range Mortar Cont.

• Length 56 inches (142.24 centimeters)WeightMor
  tar Assembly 35 pounds (15.89 kg)Bipod 26
  pounds (11.80 kilograms)Baseplate 25.5 pounds
  (11.58 kilograms)Sight Unit 2.5 pounds (1.14
  kilograms)Total 89 pounds (40.41
  kilograms)Bore diameter 81mmMaximum effective
  range 5700 metersMinimum Range 80 metersRates
  of fireMaximum 33 rounds per minuteSustained
  16 rounds per minute

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M120/121 120mm Mortar
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M120/121 120mm Mortar

• The M120 or M121 120mm Mortar System can be
  trailer or track mounted. It is always a
  battalion level asset and provides the battalion
  commander with his most responsive fires

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M120/121 120mm Mortar Cont.

• WEIGHT
• 319 LBS
• Max Range
• 7200 Meters
• Min Range
• 200 Meters
• Max Rate of Fire
• 16 rounds/min (first minute)
• Sustained Rate of Fire
• 4 rounds/min

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ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVE B

• Action- Name the six elements and format a call
  for fire
• Condition- In a classroom, given a scenario
• Standard- Within three minutes, be able to
  correctly format and call for fire

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WHAT IS A CALL FOR FIRE?
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The call for fire is a request for fire. It must
be sent quickly and be clear enough to be
understood, recorded, and read back without error
by the FDC.
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SIX ELEMENTS OF A CALL FOR FIRE

• Observer identification
• Warning Order
• Target Location
• Target Description
• Method of Engagement
• Method of Fire and Control
• Note The first four are the only requires
  parts to start receiving Fires

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OBSERVER IDENTIFICATION

• Observer identification tells the FDC who is
  calling for fire, and it clears the net for the
  fire mission. It consists of appropriate call
  signs or codes needed to establish contact
  between the observer and the unit FDC to which he
  is calling for fire.

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WARNING ORDER

• The warning order consists of the type of
  mission and the method of target location. It is
  a request for fire unless authority has been
  given to order fire.

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Type of Mission

• The following describes the four types of
  missions for a warning order
• Adjust fire (A/F). When the observer decides that
  an adjustment is needed because of questionable
  target location or lack of registration
  corrections, he announces, "Adjust fire."
• Fire for effect (FFE). Should always be strived
  for on the first round, but unless the target is
  surveyed or the registration point it normal is
  not preferred

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Type of Mission Cont.

• (3) Immediate suppression or immediate smoke
  (IS). When engaging a planned target or target of
  opportunity that has taken friendly maneuver or
  aerial elements under fire, the observer
  announces, "Immediate suppression (target
  location)." If a hasty screen for obscuration is
  the desired effect, then the FO announces,
  "Immediate smoke."

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Target Locations

This element enables the FDC to plot (M16/M19) or
enter (MBC) the location of the target to
determine firing data
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Target Locations

• Grid
• Shift from a known point
• Polar plot

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GRID

• Grid is the normal method of target location. If
  sending a grid mission you do not need to
  announce grid. The grid to the target is normally
  sent in six digits. With modern technology the
  more digits sent the more accurate the first
  round will be

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Shift from a known point

• Must announce Shift in order
• Must have known point that is known by both the
  observer and the FDC
• Must send Observer target direction (preferably
  in Mils)
• Must give lateral and vertical shift

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Polar plot

• Must announce Polar in order
• FDC must know your location
• Send direction to target to nearest 10mils
• Send distance to target to nearest 100 meters

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TARGET DESCRIPTION

• The observer must describe the target in enough
  detail to allow the section sergeant to determine
  the amount and type of ammunition to use. The
  section sergeant selects different ammunition for
  different types of targets. The observer's
  description should be brief but accurate and
  contain the following

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TARGET DESCRIPTION CONT.

• What the target is (troops, equipment, supply
  dump, trucks, and so forth)
• What the target is doing (digging in,
  establishing an assembly area, and so forth).
• The number of elements in the target (squad,
  platoon, three trucks, six tanks, and so forth).
• The degree of protection (in the open, in
  fighting positions, in bunkers with overhead
  cover, and so forth).

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METHOD OF ENGAGEMENT

• The observer must indicate how he wants to
  attack the target. This element consists of the
  type of adjustment, type of ammunition, and
  distribution of fire.

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METHOD OF ENGAGEMENT

• Type of adjustment area or precision examples
  Registration and danger close
• Types of ammunition you may request your choice
  of ammo, but the FDC will send what it wants
• Distribution of fire Kind of sheaf you prefer
• examples standard, open, or converge

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METHODS OF FIRE AND CONTROL

• The methods of fire and control indicate the
  desired manner of attacking the target, whether
  the observer wants to control the time of
  delivery of fire or if he can observe the target.
  The observer announces the methods of fire and
  control using the terms

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Method of Fire

• Adjustment normally is conducted with the number
  2 mortar. The observer may request any weapon or
  combination of weapons to adjust

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Method of Control

• The control element indicates the control, which
  the observer exercises over the time of fire
  delivery and if an adjustment is to be made or
  fire is to be delivered without adjustment
• At my Command
• Time on target
• Continuous Illumination
• Coordinated Illumination
• Repeat
• Cease fire

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EXAMPLE OF A CALL FOR FIRE

• -MAVERICK 5 THIS IS KNIGHT 14 ADJUST FIRE
  OVER
• -GRID EM123456 OVER
• -TROOPS DUG IN, FIRE AT MY COMMAND OVER

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QUESTIONS
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PRACTICAL EXERCISE 1

• Your squad is being ambushed from afar. You see a
  machine position dug in at grid FL45506126. Your
  call sign is Lima68. The FDC call sign is
  Maverick 5. You have 3 minutes in which to send
  a call for fire

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SUMMARY

• Review/ re-state TLO
• Check on learning
• transition