OBSERVED FIRE PROCEDURES

BOYONG94

REFERENCES:
FM 6-30

FA GUNNERY TEAM
MISSION OF THE FORWARD OBSERVER: EYES AND
EARS

FDC

THE MISSION OF THE FORWARD OBSERVER (FO) IS TO

LOCATE AND DETECT SUITABLE INDIRECT FIRE TARGETS
WITHIN HIS ZONE OF OBSERVATION AND BRING FIRES
ON THEM.
FO

THE FIRE DIRECTION CENTER (FDC): BRAIN

THE CONTROL CENTER OF THE GUNNERY
TEAM, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCURATE
COMPUTATION OF FIRING DATA

THE FIRE BATTERY (FB): MUSCLE

THE SECTION THAT DELIVERS THE
FIRES
FIRING BATTERY

TARGET LOCATION

METHODS OF LOCATING TARGETS

POLAR COORDINATES (POLAR PLOT)

GRID COORDINATES

SHIFT FROM A KNOWN POINT

POLAR PLOT METHOD

DIR/AZ

DIRECTION
DIST
FO

DISTANCE (OT)
VERTICAL
INTERVAL

POLAR PLOT METHOD

VI IS DESCRIBED HOW FAR ABOVE/BELOW IS THE TGT FROM
OP. (Report if the difference is +/- 30 meters)
IN THIS FIGURE THE TGT IS ESTIMATED 100 METERS BELOW THE
OP, THEREFORE; THE VI IS DOWN 100

FO
TGT

POLAR PLOT METHOD

Data to be determined:
A. GC of FO
B. Direction of Tgt from FO
C. Distance of Tgt from FO
D. Vertical Interval b/w FO
and Tgt
DIR

DIS

POLAR PLOT METHOD

GRID COORDINATE METHOD

Data to be
determined:
A. GC of Tgt
B. Elev/Alt
C. Dir of Tgt from FO

DIR

CALL FOR FIRE

CALL FOR FIRE

CLEAR, CONCISE, FORMATTED MESSAGE SENT FROM THE OBSERVER

TO THE FDC

INCLUDES ALL OF THE INFORMATION THE FDC NEEDS TO ENGAGE THE

TARGET

IT IS A REQUEST FOR FIRE, NOT AN ORDER

MUST BE UNDERSTOOD, RECORDED AND READBACK BY THE FDC W/O

ERROR BY THE FDC RECORDER

NORMALLY HAS SIX (6) ELEMENTS

TRANSMITTED IN MAXIMUM OF THREE PARTS

BREAK AND READBACK AFTER EACH PART

ELEMENTS OF CALL FOR FIRE

THREE (3) PARTS TRANSMISSION OF

CFF
1.

OBSERVER IDENTIFICATION
WARNING ORDER

2.

TARGET LOCATION

3.

TARGET DESCRIPTION
METHOD OF ENGAGEMENT
METHOD OF FIRE AND CONTROL

CALL FOR FIRE

1. IDENTIFICATION OF OBSERVER - call signs/code used to established
communication links between forward observer & fire direction center.
EXAMPLE:

Call Sign of FDC - A71 and FO is A57

A71 THIS IS A57

2. WARNING ORDER - preliminary notice to alert the fdc, consists the type of
msn; size or elements to fire for effect; and method of tgt loc.
Type of Mission:

Size of Element to FFE

1. Adjust Fire

1. Bn

2. Fire for Effect (FFE)

2. Btry

3. Suppression

Method of Target Location

4. Immediate Suppression

1. Polar Plot
2. Grid
3. Shift from a Known Point

Example: ADJUST FIRE, POLAR, Over

CALL FOR FIRE

3. TARGET LOCATION - it contain necessary info that would enable the fdc to
plot the loc of tgt and determined firing data.
GC METHOD

POLAR

SHIFT

GC OF TGT

DIR

REF PT

ALTITUDE

DISTANCE

DIR

DIR

VI

LS
RS

VS
4. TARGET DESCRIPTION - info which tells the fdc what is the tgt, it is brief
but detailed enough to enable the fdc to determine the relative importance of
the tgt and the best manner of attack.
WHAT IS THE TGT STRENGHT?
ACTIVITY?
DEGREE OF PROTECTION?
SIZE AND SHAPE?

CALL FOR FIRE

5. METHOD OF ENGAGEMENT - it indicate how the observer wants to attack
the tgt. it consist the ff:
TYPE OF ADJ

TRAJECTORY

AMMO

DOB

AREA

LOW

HE

PARALLEL

PRECISE

HIGH

WP

OPEN

ILLUM

CONVERGE

6. METHOD OF FIRE AND CONTROL the desired manner of attacking the

tgt.
FIRE

CONTROL

PLTN/BTRY/NR OF RDS

FWR

PLTN/BTRY (R/L)

AMC
TOT
CONTINUOUS FIRING
REPEAT

CALL FOR FIRE

EX: Polar Plot Method (Infantry
personnel)
FO
FIREBALL THIS IS SPOTTER, OVER

FDC
SPOTTER THIS FIREBALL, OUT

FM MY PSN DIR 40 DEG, DIST 300M, OVER

FM YOUR PSN DIR 40 DEG, DIST

300M, OUT

EN PLTN IN THE BUNKERS, PLTN 3 RDS IN

EFF, AMC, OVER

I AUTHENTICATE CHARLIE, OUT

EN PLTN IN THE BUNKERS, PLTN 3

RDS IN EFF, AT YOUR COMMAND, OUT
AUTHENTICATE PAPA BRAVO, OVER

CALL FOR FIRE

EX: Grid Coordinate Method (Infantry
personnel)
FO
FDC
FIREBALL THIS IS SPOTTER, OVER
SPOTTER THIS IS FIREBALL, OUT
ENEMY GC 12345678, OVER

ENEMY GC 12345678, OUT

EN PLTN IN THE BUNKERS, PLTN 3

RDS IN EFF, AMC, OVER

EN PLTN IN THE BUNKERS, PLTN 3

RDS IN EFF, AT YOUR COMMAND,
OUT

I AUTHENTICATE CHARLIE, OUT

AUTHENTICATE PAPA BRAVO,

OVER

CALL FOR FIRE

EX: Shift from a Known Point
FO
A71 THIS A54, ADJ FIRE SHIFT, OVER
KP1, DIR 1850, L500, ADD 300, UP
50, OVER

FDC
A54 THIS A71 ADJ FIRE SHIFT,
OUT
KP1, DIR 1850, L500, ADD 300,
UP 50, OUT

MACHINE GUN W/ OVER HD COVER,

DANGER CLOSED, PLTN 3 RDS CONV
IN EFF, AMC, OVER

MACHINEGUN W/ OVER HD
COVER, DANGER CLOSED, PLTN 3
RDS CONV IN EFF, AT YOUR
COMMAND, OUT

I AUTHENTICATE CHARLIE, OUT

AUTHENTICATE PAPA BRAVO,

OVER

ADJUSTMENT OF FIRE

ADJUSTMENT OF FIRE
SUBSEQUENT CORRECTIONS:
ADJUSTING POINT - When it is necessary to adjust, the FO must select an
adjusting point. In Area missions, he must select a well-define point at/near
the center of the tgt area. In point tgt, the adjusting point is the tgt itself.
SPOTTING is the observers determination of the location of burst with
respect to the adjusting point as observed along the Observer-Target (OT)
line. Spottings are made for the following:
1. Deviation (the nr of mils left and right of the OT line)
2. Range/distance ( whether the burst occurred beyond or short of the tgt)
3. When fuze time is fired, the hob ( the number of mils the burst is above
the tgt).

ADJUSTMENT OF FIRE
b. Range Spotting. Possible range spottings are as follows:
OVER a round that impacts beyond the adjusting point.
SHORT a round that impacts between the observer and the adjusting
point.
TARGET a round that impacts on the target. This spotting is used only
in precision fire (registration or destruction missions).
RANGE CORRECT a round that impacts at the correct range.
DOUBTFUL a round that can be observed but cannot be spotted as
OVER, SHORT, TARGET, or RANGE CORRECT.
LOST a round whose location cannot be determined by sight or sound.
UNOBSERVED a round not observed but known to have impacted
(usually heard).

ADJUSTMENT OF FIRE
c. Deviation Spotting. Possible deviation spottings are as follows:
LINE a round that impacts on line (LN) with the adjusting point as seen
by the observer (on the OT line).
LEFT a round that impacts left (L) of the adjusting point in relation to
the OT line.
RIGHT a round that impacts right (R) of the adjusting point in relation
to the OT line.

ADJUSTMENT OF FIRE
(2) To determine the OT factor when the OT range is greater than
1,000 meters, the range from the observer to the target (OT
distance) is expressed to the nearest thousand and then
expressed in thousands.
Example:
OT Distance = 4200 meters
OT distance (expressed to nearest thousand) = 4,000
OT factor (expressed in thousands) = 4
For an OT range less than 1,000 meters, the distance is
expressed to the nearest 100 meters and expressed in
thousands.
Example:
OT range = 800 meters
OT factor = 0.8
(3) The computed deviation correction is announced to the FDC
as LEFT (or RIGHT) (so much). The
correction is opposite the spotting.

ADJUSTMENT OF FIRE

1
3

5 4

2 1

3 4 5

SAMPLE

OT DIST = 2800 or 3000

OT FACTOR =
3000/1000=3
SPOTTING

CORRECTIONS
OT FACTOR = 3
DEVIATIO
RANGE
N

RDS

RANGE

DEVIATIO
N

OVER

20 LEFT

RIGHT 60

DROP 200

SHORT

15 RIGHT

LEFT 40

ADD 100

OVER

5 RIGHT

LEFT 20

DROP 50 FFE

SURVEILLANCE ON FFE
ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF DAMAGE ON TGT
APPROP SHIFTS NECESSARY TO MAKE FIRES MORE

EFFECTIVE

EXAMPLE:
EN NUETRALIZE, 50% CASUALTY, OTHERS DISPERSED, EN
MORTAR PLTN DESTROYED

HAND MEASUREMENT OF ANGULAR DEVIATION

OT DIST = 1800 or 2000

OT FACTOR =
2000/1000=2.0

5 4

2 1

OT FACTOR = 2

4
3

4 5

Surveillance on FFE
EN NUETRALIZE, 50%
CASUALTY, OTHERS
DISPERSED, EN CAMP
DESTROYED.

SPOTTING
RDS
1
2
3
4

CORRECTION

RANGE

DEVIATION

DEVIATION

RANGE

+
RN

20R
10 L
10 R

L 40

D 200

R 20
L 20

A 100

LINE

D 50 FFE

PE #1

5 4

5
OT DIST = 2800 or 3000

OT FACTOR =
OT FACTOR =
SPOTTING
RDS
1
2
3

CORRECTIONS

RANGE

DEVIATION

DEVIATION

RANGE

10R

L 30

D 200

15L
LINE

R 40

A 100
A 50 FFE

/1000=

PE #2
OT DIST = 4200
OT FACTOR =
1000=

5 4

4 5 OT FACTOR =

SPOTTING
RDS
1
2
3
4

RANGE

DEVIATION

CORRECTION
DEVIATION

RANGE

PE
OT DIST =
OT FACTOR =
1000=

5 4

4 5 OT FACTOR =

SPOTTING
RDS
1
2
3
4

RANGE

DEVIATION

CORRECTION
DEVIATION

RANGE