Previous: 2-38: Intelligence
2-40. The platoon leader must have a good, indirect fire plan for his route to cover anticipated places of contact. These targets are a product of the platoon leader’s analysis of the factors of METT-TC and must be incorporated into the company’s indirect fire plan.
2-41. Leaders conduct fires planning concurrently with maneuver planning at all levels. BCTs and battalions typically use top-down fire support planning, with bottom-up refinement of plans. As part of the top-down fire planning system, the company commander refines the fire plan from higher headquarters to meet mission requirements, ensuring these refinements are incorporated into the higher headquarters plan.
2-42. A clearly defined concept of the operation enables the platoon leader and FO to articulate precisely how they want indirect fires to affect the enemy during the different phases of the operation. In turn, this allows the company FSO to facilitate the development of fires supporting accomplishment of the company’s mission down to the squad level. (Refer to ADRP 3-09 for more information.)
Next: 2-43: Sustainment
Go Back To: U.S. Army FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad