Top-Down Fire Support Planning
Abstract
This study examines the change in fire support planning procedures from bottom-up to top-down. Prior to the mid-1980's, fire support planning at brigade and lower echelons was completed primarily in a bottom-up or decentralized mode. Now targets and fire support plans are being developed at the brigade level and disseminated through the battalion to the companies. The author provides the reader with background definitions, the evolution of top- down fire support planning, descriptions of each procedure, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The author answers the research questions through descriptive analyses, a comparison matrix, and interviews with field artillery commanders and fire support officers. The author concludes that the change to top-down fire support planning was prudent. Top-down fire support planning is faster, facilitates synchronization, contributes to mass, and better links the scheme of fires to the the combined arms commander's scheme of maneuver. The author recommends that we continue to use top-down fire support planning. Based on field interviews, the author determines that some company commanders and fire support officers do not support the procedure. Therefore, the author further recommends more education to these officers. Fire support planning, Fire planning.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 04, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA273934
Entities
People
- David D. Haught
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College