INTRODUCTION
GAIN ATTENTION
Success against a determined enemy is ackieved in part by gnereating decisive combat power through the application of combined arms. The MOUT environment requires special considerations pertaining to combat support forces and capabilities, The urban environment offers the greatest challange in the coordination and employment of fire support.
PURPOSE
INDIVIDUAL TRAINING STANDARDS
Ref: MCO 1510.35C, MCO 1510.90, MCO 3501.3B
9321.2.2, 0321.2.3, SGRTX 14.11
MISSION PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
E5A.14, 2A.8, 2A.8.1, M2A.8.5, 2A.8.3, 2A.8.4, 5A.1, M5A.3.11, M5A.3.12,
5A.4, M5A.4.14, 5A.5, 5A.6, M5A.6.7, 5A.7, 5A.8, 5A.9
TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Without the aid of references and in accordance with MCWP 3-35.3, the student will be able to discuss and employ fire support in an urban environment.
ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand how combined arms will be used in each phase of the attack.
2. Understand how combined arms will be used in each phase of the defense.
3. Understand the special considerations associated with combined arms in MOUT.
METHOD AND MEDIA
This period of instruction will be taught through lecture, a Powerpoint presentation and video clips
TESTING
This period of instruction will be tested during practical application exercises.
TRANSITION
BODY
1. Offensive Fire Support Overview:
a. In the offense, fire support plans should include fires to isolate the objective area, support the assault, clerance, and defense. Fire support plans should also incorporate the employment of aerial observers to compensate for the restrictions that the urban environment imposes on ground observers and to assist in the delivery of deep fires. procedures for designating the forward line of troops (FLOT), marking targets, shifting fires, and communicating in the urban environment should also be considered.
2. Offensive Fire Support Phases:
a. Phases I and II - Reconnaissance and Isolation:
1) During the reconnaissance phase, all of the Marine Air Ground Task Force's (MAGTF) organic intelligence collection assets will be utilized to "paint a picture" of the urban battlefield. These assets may be augmented by theater and national collection means to provide comrehensive and overlapping coverage. This intelligence collection is vital to the targeting effort. All target acquistion assets will form the basis of the counter-battery and fire support plan throughout all phases of offensive operations. Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) should be used to identify the locations of any open spaces and fields of view. This allows for the accurate and timely observation of enemy targets and the subsequent engagement by fire support assets.
2) During the isolation phase, naval surface gunfire, artillery, mortars, direct fire support and ground attack aviation assets will be used to isolate the objective to prevent enemy withdrawal, reinforcement or resupply.
3) Observer will move with the forward elements to identify and engage targets along and beyond the enemy's defensive perimeter.
4) Laser designators employed by the observers will target enemy positions and equipment. Keep in mind that the effectiveness of laser designation may be reduced due to the masking and obstruction offered by urban structures.
5) A targeting priority will be the destruction of enemy observation posts (OP's) to enable the urban penetration of friendly forces.
6) A concerted effort will be made to locate and destroy the enemy's supporting arms, both within the built-up area and along the urban fringe.
b. Phase III - Gaining a Foothold:
1) Penetration of the enemy's defensive area normally involves the taking of limited objectives and ideally will be executed at night or under the cover of smoke.
2) Fire support missions include preparatory fires and, if necessary, the suppresion of enemy air defenses (SEAD).
3) At the same time, a counter-battery (CB) program will be tasked to locate, suppress or destroy enemy indirect fire support assests as well as their air defense systems.
4) Fires will also provide harrssement and interdiction (HI) fires on enemy reserves, lines of communications and logistic areas.
5) Such considerations as the potential for fire, rubblization, civilian casualties and rules of engagement (ROE) will always be a factor when planning for and executing fire support.
6) Fires may also be used as part of a deception plan, trying to draw the enemy into making a faulty decision such as committing forces at the wrong time or place or from a disadvantageous direction.
c. Phase IV and V - Clearance and Reorganization:
1) The main task will be to continue BC and HI fires.
2) Opportunities to use artillery and ground attack aviation may be reduced as friendly forces advance deeper into the built-up area. This is usually the point where mortars are effectively employed within the urban environment.
3) Where enemy strong points hold up forces it may be necessary to use indirect assets in the direct fire role as well as aviation and tank fires despite associated disadvantages and limitations.
4) Pre-planned defensive fires (DF) against counterattack.
5) The DF target lists need to be widely disseminated to allow the forward observer to call predesignated targets. The observer may not be able to observe all targets from is location in an urban environment, but knowledge of enemy locations could result in a call for fire on known targets.
6) Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) will indicate the most likely enemy counterattack routes and the forward observers will deploy to cover those routes.
3. Defensive Fire Support Overview
a. The job of defending a built-up area is made easier by the fact that built-up areas offer naturally strong defensive positions.
b. There rarely will be sufficient troops to turn an urban defense into a fortress with strength at every point.
c. In a built-up area the commander will have to make a decision on where to deploy his troops based on the situation and physical layout.
d. All supporting arms will cover the approaches to the built-up area and use these fires to break up the enemy assault as they close on the perimeter.
4. Defensive Fire Support Phases
a. Security Force
1) The primary focus for the security force is to disrupt the enemy as he approaches the built-up area and to force the enemy to mount a deliberate attack.
2) Once the enemy assault commences, combined arms should be used to disrupt and destroy dismounted or dismounting enemy troops using a mixture of HE, VT, and ICM.
3) This phase requires detailed fire planning that incorporates combined arms.
4) Careful coordination of fire is essential to ensure that the enemy is not obscured from our own direct fire weapons.
5) As the security force withdraws, fires will be required to cover the withdrawal using a combination of smoke and HE.
6) As the enemy tries to penetrate, he will attempt to use his indirect fire support. In response to this, surveillance and target acquisition resources should be used to locate these enemy fire assets and initiate counter-battery fire.
b. Main Battle Area
1) It will be difficult to use indirect fires in the main battle area due to the proximity of friendly forces. Coordination must be accomplished to support maneuver.
2) Within the built-up area, combined arms will be used to reinforce obstacles, cut off penetration, and clear rooftops using VT or CVT.
3) Combined arms will also be used to provide support to local counterattacks and to cover friendly movement.
4) Fires will also support the various missions of the reserve.
5) In certain instances, a withdrawal may be ordered to a new defensive location. The enemy will attempt to cut off such a withdraw and fires should be used to prevent this.
6) Fires will also attempt to cover likely ambush sites as well as provide smoke for the withdraw.
5. Delivery of Fires. When planning fire support in a built-up area; the commander, in coordination with the fire support coordinator (FSC), must consider the following:
a. Target acquisition may be more difficult because of the increased cover and concealment offered by the urban terrain. Ground observation is limited in built-up areas and, therefore, observers should be placed on tops of buildings. Adjusting fires will be difficult because buildings block the view of adjusting rounds.
b. For targets in defilade, fires may be adjusted laterally until the rounds impact on the street perpendicular to the observer position. Airburst rounds are best for adjustment. Adjustment may also have to be made by sound. When rounds impact on a perpendicular street, they are adjusted for range. When the range is correct, a lateral shift is made onto the target and the observer fires for effect.
c. Buildings of more than two stories high pose particular problems for indirect fire due to trajectory limitations.
d. Artillery dead space behind a building generally requires five times its height in trajectory for low angle fire and half the height for high angle indirect fire.
e. Mortars, due to the natural high angle of fire, are perfect for the urban environment. Mortars are particularly useful in hitting defilade targets and targeting roads and other open spaces.
f. The effect of a proximity fuse round is severely reduced by urban structures.
g. Although white phosphorous and smoke rounds might prove useful, there are many situations where their use in an urban area may be too risky.
h. The close proximity of civilians may completely limit the use of particular fires, this is especially true of aviation ground attack fires.
i. HE ammunition with impact or delay fuses may create unwanted rubble.
j. FASCAM effectiveness is reduced when delivered on a hard surface.
k. ICM bomblets that fail to function may impede friendly progress and possibly cause unnecessary civilian or friendly military casualties.
l. Because of its flat trajectory, naval gunfire is severely limited in an urban environment.
QUESTIONS
SUMMARY
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