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Previous: Section III – Direct Fire Planning

B-18. Leaders plan direct fires in order to be able to distribute and control their fire. Determining where and how leaders can mass fires is an essential step in this process.

B-19. Based on where and how they want to focus and distribute fires, leaders can establish the weapons ready postures of their elements as well as triggers for initiating fires. During mission preparation, leaders plan and conduct rehearsals of direct fires (and of the fire control process) based on METT-TC.

B-20. The platoon leader plans direct fires in conjunction with development of his mission analysis and completion of the plan. Determining where and how the platoon can and will mass fires are also essential steps as the platoon leader develops his concept of the operation.

B-21. The platoon leader plans direct fires in conjunction with development of his mission analysis and completion of the plan. Determining where and how the platoon can and will mass fires are also essential steps as the platoon leader develops his concept of the operation.

B-22. After identifying probable enemy locations, the platoon leader determines points or areas where he can focus combat power. His visualization of where and how the enemy will attack or defend assists him in determining the volume of fires he must focus at particular points to have a decisive effect. In addition, if he intends to mass the fires of more than one subordinate element, the platoon leader must establish the means for distributing fires.

B-23. Based on where and how they want to focus and distribute fires, the platoon leader and subordinate leaders can then establish the weapons ready postures for platoon elements as well as triggers for initiating fires. Additionally, they must evaluate the risk of fratricide, friendly fire and establish controls to prevent it; these measures include the designation of recognition markings, weapons control status, and weapons safety posture.

B-24. After determining where and how they will mass and distribute fires, the platoon leader and subordinate leaders then must orient elements so they can rapidly and accurately acquire the enemy. They also can war-game the selected COA or concept of the operation to determine probable requirements for refocusing and redistributing fires and to establish other required controls. Also during mission preparation, the platoon leader plans and conducts rehearsals of direct fires (and of the fire control process) based on his mission analysis.

B-25. The platoon leader and his subordinate leaders must continue to apply planning procedures and considerations throughout execution. They must be able to adjust direct fires based on a continuously updated mission analysis, combining situational awareness with the latest available intelligence. When necessary, they also must apply direct fire SOPs, which are covered in the following discussion.

Next: B-26: Standard Operating Procedures

Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad