Field Manual FM 3-09 Field Artillery Operations and Fire Support April 2014

Book excerpt: This manual, Field Manual FM 3-09 Field Artillery Operations April 2014, provides tactics for field artillery operations and fire support in unified land operations. The principal audience for FM 3-09 is all commanders and staffs. Commanders and staffs of Army headquarters serving as joint task force or multinational headquarters should also refer to applicable joint or multinational doctrine concerning the range of military operations and relationships with joint or multinational forces. Trainers and educators throughout the Army will also use this manual. Commanders, staffs, and subordinates ensure their decisions and actions comply with applicable United States (U.S.), international, and, in some cases, host-nation laws and regulations. Commanders at all levels ensure their Soldiers operate in accordance with the law of war and established rules of engagement. See FM 27-10. FM 3-09 implements standardization agreements (STANAG) 2484 and 3680. FM 3-09 uses joint terms where applicable. Selected joint and Army terms and definitions appear in both the glossary and the text. Terms for which FM 3-09 is the proponent publication (the authority) are marked with an asterisk (*) in the glossary and are boldfaced in the text. For other definitions shown in the text, the term is italicized and the number of the proponent publication follows the definition. FM 3-09 applies to the Regular Army, the Army National Guard of the United States, and the United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated. This publication is intended to provide guidance for brigade, division, and corps for the employment of field artillery, and for the planning, preparation, execution, and assessment of fire support. Higher echelon planners may use it to assist in establishing fire support requirements. The manual begins by describing the capabilities of the field artillery, how it is organized, and how field artillery supports the maneuver commander through the integration of all forms of fires. Fires are the use of weapon systems to create a specific lethal or nonlethal effect on a target. This publication also provides a comprehensive discussion of fire support. This includes topics such as the role of fire support in Unified Land Operations, fire support coordination organizations and key personnel, target acquisition for fire support, and fire support attack resources. This publication also provides information on fire support in the operations process: fire support planning, preparation, execution, and assessment. This manual is a must read for combined arms leaders especially brigade and battalion commanders and staff, because it describes both field artillery and fire support as key components of successful maneuver operations. This manual describes field artillery and fire support as key components of successful maneuver operations. It begins by describing the capabilities of the Field Artillery, how it is organized, and how field artillery supports the maneuver commander through the integration of all forms of fires. The discussion provides a comprehensive discussion of fire support coordination; target acquisition; fire support attack resources, and fire support planning, preparation, execution and assessment-fire support in the operations process.