No Better Feeling than Seeing a Multiple Launch Rocket System Deliver its Wares!
A defensive fire plan must cover all phases of the defense. This includes the initial reconnaissance fight, the primary defensive fight, the rear area, and all the contingencies (good and bad).
Utilize all your fire support assets. This includes close air support and air interdiction (if available), field artillery, and mortars.
Understand the capabilities and limitations of your resources. Play off each of them.
Do not put all your eggs in one basket. As in most areas, plan on redundant means to achieve your objectives.
Always remember that your internal assets are the most responsive. Do not totally depend on an external asset to achieve your critical tasks. They may not be available when you truly need them.
Weight your main effort with more fire support. If they are your main effort, they likely have your unit’s most important purpose to accomplish.
Everyone must understand the triggers to initiate vital fire support targets. If you execute too early or too late; you have set the conditions for your own defeat. Triggers are marked by target reference points.
Target reference points must be seen by your forces. They must be able to be seen in the day, night, poor visibility etc…. There are various kinds of creative ways to make them visible.
You must know the restrictions that have been placed on you by your higher headquarters. These may be no fire areas, restricted fire areas, coordinated fire lines, restrictions on types of munitions you can use, etc …. These restrictions will do exactly that – restrict your options.
You must have redundant eyes on key targets. Do not have one set of eyes on a vital target. If that set of eyes is not working, that key target may never get initiated.
You must have a plan to move your artillery and mortar assets during the fight. This movement must be staggered so you have support at all times. If you move entire units at once, your indirect fire support is not there when you need it. Conversely, if you never move them you are setting the conditions for counter-battery fire to take these assets out.
As in all types of actions, you must rehearse your fire plan. Rehearsals take away much of the uncertainty and build confidence.
Mobility/Counter-Mobility/Survivability
Initiating the Obstacle Plan
As we previously discussed in great detail, the construction of any obstacle involves a significant cost in resources (personnel, supplies, equipment, TIME!). Because of this, ensure any obstacle constructed has a distinct purpose and is covered by fire (direct or indirect). If it does not comply with the above, you are not utilizing your resources properly.
Do not forget to utilize your engineer assets in the mobility role. You should attach mobility assets with your reserve and any striking force you have in the defense. Your opponent will focus some of his intelligence effort to finding these units. If found, he will expend resources in limiting their maneuver options. You will be thankful you positioned these assets there when the time comes.
During the defense, you will also need engineer assets to ensure mobility on routes (particularly supply routes). As you see, everyone wants the engineers. You must prioritize!
You must have a system in place to track where your engineer assets are at all times during defensive preparation. There are so many horror stories out there of engineer assets sitting idly. This happens primarily because no one has taken positive control of them.
You must understand the obstacle plans of your sister units. What they have done (or haven’t done) will influence enemy maneuver into your defensive area.
Related to the above, your sister unit’s obstacle plan can also influence your own future maneuver. This can include any potential counterattack operations and transition into the offense.
Prioritizing your construction of survivability positions is nearly as important as prioritizing your obstacles for construction. One again, you have strict limitations on time and resources. It is almost inevitable you will not be able to ‘dig-in’ all your vehicles in the defense. Thus, you must have prioritization plan. Vehicles such as counter-fire radars, air defense elements, command and control vehicles, and critical one of kind type vehicles must have priority. From there dig-in primary positions for your all your direct and indirect fire systems. It is probably wishful thinking that you will have the resources to also dig secondary positions for these vehicles.
Obstacles must be sighted before emplaced. That means friendly forces can see them and can thus, produce direct and indirect upon them.
Survivability (sandbags, overhead cover, etc…) and counter-mobility materials (mines, wire, etc…) must be brought forward ASAP. They must also be positioned where they are required.
Make sure you close the lanes any lanes you have made for friendly movement through your obstacles when the time is necessary. Seems like a no-brainer, but the stories we can tell!
If you utilize scatterable mines; you must let the entire unit know where they were displaced and what their time duration is before they detonate. No surprises here!
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