Artillery

Leading SME: Wacka

Phase I: Equipment

The use of indirect fire is separated into two parts: the Forward Observer(FO) and the Artillery/Mortar Team. The FOs act as the eyes of the weapon team, feeding data of the target and adjustments to the Fire Direction Center(FDC). To accomplish this the FOs utilize a radio, Vector21 Nite, and MicroDAGR. Using the MicroDAGR in tandem with the Vector21 Nite, the FO can get the gridref, elevation, and the observer-to-target angle(OT).

To get all the data you need as an FO you first need to get your equipment configured:

• Press [Home] until the MicroDAGR is front and center

• Click the time in the top-center

• Click Settings and change the angular unit to Mils

• Click the time again

• Click “Connect to” this will pair your MicroDAGR to your Vector21

Note: The bottom of the MicroDAGR no longer shows time and date, instead should show with a bunch of dash marks. The dash marks are a stand-in for target data.

The Vector21 Nite is a fixed-magnification night-capable binocular that makes it easy for the user to get the 10-digit grid of any visible target. To get the gridref of the target:

• Press and hold at the same time [Tab] and [R]

• When the azimuth and a red box appear release both keys while red box is on target

When you look back at the MicroDAGR, it will show the azimuth in mils to the target, the gridref of the target, and the elevation.

The other key combination needed to enable troops on the ground to act as FOs gives easy and quick adjustments that will show as L or R and A or D. L/R stands for Left/Right and A/D stands for Add/Drop, A/D being adding or dropping distance from the FO.

• Tap [Tab] - Press and Hold [Tab] - Tap [R] when on target - Move the reticle to where the shot landed and release [Tab]

When giving Left/Right adjustments, it’s a good habit to practice to round to the nearest Ten(e.g. 25->30 | 42->40. You should also round Add/Drop to the nearest 100 or 50.

Phase 2: Call For Fire

Call For Fire is the radio dialogue procedure used by troops to guide an IDF Team onto target. After every line is said, the other party, whether it’s the FDC or the FO, will read it back with “Out”. If an error is made in the readback either party must say “Correction”, then the proper readback. The Call For Fire is easily broken down into three parts on the FOs end: the Warning Order(WARNO), the Target Location, and the Target Description. All of which will be read back by the FDC. The FDC then provides a Message To Observer(MTO), which acts a quick briefing to the FO of the munitions used, the amount of guns in effect, the amount of rounds from each gun, and lastly, the Target Number. Just as the FO did with the first three parts of the Call For Fire, the FO will readback the MTO. After the MTO is readback, the FDC will advise the FO for rounds in the air and rounds about to land with “Shot, over” and “Splash, over”. After this is the BDA or further instructions from the FO, but here is an example of all the pieces in play:

Forward Observer: Sledgehammer Actual, this is Echo 99, Adjust Fire, Over

Fire Direction Center: Echo 99, this is Sledgehammer Actual, Adjust Fire, Out

FO: Grid, 01234 56789, 90 meters, 1234 mils, Over.

FDC: Grid, 01234 56789, 90 meters, 1234 mils, Out.

FO: One Infantry Squad, Stationary, In the open, Over.

FDC: One Infantry Squad, Stationary, In the open, Out.

FDC: Message To Observer, HE, 1 gun, 1 round, Over.

FO: Message To Observer, HE, 1 gun, 1 round, Out.

FDC: Shot, Over.

FO: Shot, Out.

Typically 5 seconds before impact

FDC: Splash, Over.

FO: Splash, Out

At this point you’ve dropped your first round, you can either end the Fire Mission with the Battle Damage Assessment, which will be something like “BDA, One Infantry Squad Destroyed, Over”

Or if you just need an extra round from the FDC you can just say “Repeat”. However, say the round was off target and you need to adjust it, pull up the Vector21 again. Use the shot adjustment key combo.

• Tap [Tab] - Press and Hold [Tab] - Tap [R] when on target - Move the reticle to where the shot landed and release [Tab]

This will tell you the adjustments you need to pass to your FDC. Just like when you gave the WARNO at the beginning of the Call For Fire, you need to give another to let them know they need to move their aim. Do this by saying “Shift Fire” then the adjustments followed by “Over” just like the other messages. Once you get your round close enough to the target, or you adjust A/D by 50, you will also call Fire For Effect(FFE). It’d go like this: “Shift Fire, Left 150, Add 50, Fire For Effect, Over”. FFE is a method of fire that the IDF team will use to completely saturate the target area with ammunition.

One last thing to keep in mind is what’s called Danger Close. This is when you are ordering rounds within 600 meters of your own, or other friendly’s position. To notify the FDC of a danger close fire mission you’d simply add “Danger Close” and the rough distance you are from the target at the end of the Target Description.

FO: One Infantry Squad, Stationary, In the open, Danger Close, 400 meters, Over.

FDC: One Infantry Squad, Stationary, In the open, Danger Close, 400 meters, Out.