MCWP 3-16.1 Artillery Operations.pdf - Marine Corps Community ...

Artillery Operations _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 1-5
Autonomous
Each firing battery may have its own conduct of
fire (COF) net, and each net is monitored by the
battalion fire direction center (FDC).
Centralized
The battalion FDC may establish multiple COF
nets, with firing batteries directed to respond to
calls for fire received on a designated net and to
fire missions assigned by the battalion FDC.
Reinforcing
An R mission requires a unit to respond directly
to requests for fire from another artillery unit.
This mission is used to reinforce the fires of a
unit with a DS mission. More than one reinforcing
unit can reinforce a DS unit; however, a
reinforcing unit can only reinforce one DS unit at
a time. Reinforcing artillery receives its zone of
fire and fire missions from the reinforced DS
unit. The reinforcing unit commander positions
his firing units in the position areas (PAs) identified
by the reinforced unit or as ordered by higher
artillery headquarters.
General Support
The GS mission requires a unit to support the force
as a whole and be prepared to support any subordinate
element. The higher artillery headquarters
controls the fires of a unit in GS. The zone of fire
may be the zone of action/sector of the force as a
whole or a specific portion. GS units provide the
GCE immediately available firepower to influence
the battle or to allocate to subordinate commands
to influence widely separated actions.
General Support-Reinforcing
The GS-R mission has distinct and separate parts.
An artillery unit with this mission will conduct
operations in a GS role and support the force as a
whole; or the artillery unit will take on the
reinforcing role and answer calls for fire from a
designated artillery unit in DS. The GS tactical
mission takes priority over the reinforcing mission.
To increase responsiveness, a designated net
(quick-fire channel) may be established between
the GS-R unit and the reinforced DS unit. This
tactical mission is considered the most flexible
standard tactical mission.
Nonstandard Tactical Missions
When fire support requirements cannot be met or
conveyed by one of the standard tactical
missions, a nonstandard tactical mission may be
assigned. A nonstandard mission changes or
limits one or more of the inherent responsibilities
of a standard tactical mission. The stipulations
should not degrade the ability of a unit to accomplish
the other inherent responsibilities of the
standard mission. The DS mission should not be
modified. The following is an example of a
nonstandard tactical mission:
1st Bn, 10th Mar (155, T):GS, 2d PCFF LAR Bn
until 031600 AUG
First battalion (Bn) is GS to the division and will
fire missions to support the division commanding
general (CG) first, but second priority in calls for
fire (PCFF) is to light armored reconnaissance
battalion (LAR Bn). Positioning and communications
of the battalion are initially established to
support LAR Bn as the main effort.
On-Order
The on-order (O/O) mission serves as a warning
order to alert a unit of an anticipated change to its
tactical mission. This allows artillery commanders
to plan and initiate the preparation for transition
to the new mission. Assignment of an O/O