Fire support is a

military tactics Military tactics encompasses the art of organizing and employing fighting forces on or near the battlefield. They involve the application of four battlefield functions which are closely related – kinetic or firepower, Mobility (military), mobil ...

term used to describe weapons fire used to support friendly forces by engaging, suppressing, or destroying enemy forces, facilities, or

materiel Materiel or matériel (; ) is supplies, equipment, and weapons in military supply-chain management, and typically supplies and equipment in a commerce, commercial supply chain management, supply chain context. Military In a military context, ...

combat Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...

. It is often provided through

indirect fire Indirect fire is aiming and firing a projectile without relying on a direct line of sight between the gun and its target, as in the case of direct fire. Aiming is performed by calculating azimuth and inclination, and may include correcting ...

, though the term may also be used for some forms of supporting

direct fire Direct fire or line-of-sight fire refers to firing of a ranged weapon whose projectile is launched directly at a target within the line-of-sight of the user. The firing weapon must have a sighting device and an unobstructed view to the target, ...

. The

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

defines fire support as "

fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion reaction when the fuel ...

that directly support

land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of Earth not submerged by the ocean or another body of water. It makes up 29.2% of Earth's surface and includes all continents and islands. Earth's land sur ...

maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...

amphibious Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to: Animals * Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water) * Amphibious caterpillar * Amphibious fish, a fish ...

, and

special operations Special operations or special ops are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment." Special operations ma ...

forces to engage enemy forces, combat formations, and facilities in pursuit of tactical and operational objectives."

Overview

Fire support generally consists of fire from heavy or crew-served weaponry with high

firepower Firepower is the military capability to direct force at an enemy. It involves the whole range of potential weapons. The concept is generally taught as one of the three key principles of modern warfare wherein the enemy forces are destroyed or ...

, including strikes and barrages from

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

mortars Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...

rocket artillery Rocket artillery is artillery that uses rockets as the projectile. The use of rocket artillery dates back to medieval China where devices such as fire arrows were used (albeit mostly as a psychological weapon). Fire arrows were also used in mult ...

, and

missiles A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this u ...

;

naval gunfire support Naval gunfire support (NGFS), also known as naval surface fire support (NSFS), or shore bombardment, is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of seve ...

from

naval artillery Naval artillery is artillery mounted on a warship, originally used only for naval warfare and then subsequently used for more specialized roles in surface warfare such as naval gunfire support (NGFS) and anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) engagements. ...

;

airstrikes An airstrike, air strike, or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, and drones. The official d ...

, strafes, and

close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...

from

military aircraft A military aircraft is any Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing or rotorcraft, rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary military of any type. Some military aircraft engage directly in aerial warfare, while others take on su ...

; and

drone strikes Drone warfare is a form of warfare using military drones or military robots. The robots may be remote controlled or have varying levels of autonomy during their mission. Types of robots include unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) or weaponi ...

from

unmanned combat aerial vehicles An unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as a combat drone, fighter drone or battlefield UAV, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is used for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance and carries aircra ...

; among various other forms. Fire support is typically ordered and directed by an observer (e.g.

artillery observer An artillery observer, artillery spotter, or forward observer (FO) is a soldier responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire support onto a target. An artillery observer usually accompanies a tank or infantry unit. Spotters ensure that ...

forward air controller Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

, etc.) on the

front line A front line (alternatively front-line or frontline) in military terminology is the position(s) closest to the area of conflict of an Military, armed force's Military personnel, personnel and Military technology, equipment, usually referring to ...

, and provided by a weapon crew or operator in the rear, usually from a

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

vehicle A vehicle () is a machine designed for self-propulsion, usually to transport people, cargo, or both. The term "vehicle" typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered land vehicle, human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, velo ...

, or facility (such as a

fire support base A fire support base (FSB, firebase or FB) is a temporary military facility used to provide fire support (often in the form of artillery) to infantry operating in areas beyond the normal range of fire support from their own base camps. FSBs fol ...

). Fire support is used to support and supplement military units that may lack the capabilities or firepower offered by fire support. For example, an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

unit needing heavy explosives to bombard an enemy emplacement, or a large

smoke screen A smoke screen is smoke released to mask the movement or location of military units such as infantry, tanks, aircraft, or ships. Smoke screens are commonly deployed either by a canister (such as a grenade) or generated by a vehicle (such as ...

to cover their advance, and lacking the ability to do so themselves (e.g. insufficient effectiveness using

grenades A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade g ...

), may call for fire support from a capable nearby mortar unit. Fire support can reduce friendly casualties whilst devastating enemy capabilities and morale. Effective use of fire support—as seen during the 2018

Battle of Khasham The Battle of Khasham, also known as the Battle of Conoco Fields, was a military engagement of the Syrian civil war fought on 7 February 2018 near the towns of Khasham and Al Tabiyeh in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria. The Operation Inher ...

of the Syrian Civil War, where an outnumbered force used various forms of fire support to their advantage, avoiding serious casualties—may help swing a battle in one's favor.

History

Varying forms of fire support have existed since the advent of early

cannons A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during t ...

and

rockets A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...

, which were used to bombard enemy positions and fortifications to support infantry.

Warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...

s have long provided fire support using their cannons. The use of fire support in its current form developed during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, when

combined arms Combined arms is an approach to warfare that seeks to integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects—for example, using infantry and armoured warfare, armour in an Urban warfare, urban environment in ...

and advances in technology and tactics made fire support increasingly effective.

Definition

Fire support is defined as "assistance to infantry and armored units by artillery fire, naval gunfire, and airplane strafing and bombing."

Early cannons (1300-1599)

Early versions of artillery included the Roman ballista, essentially a large, mounted version of a crossbow that fired a single arrow. The first documented use of bombards, (large mortars) in Europe as we know them today was at the siege of Algeciras in 1343. By the 1470s, casting and metal work dramatically improved, giving way to the modern cannon. In the early 15th century, cast iron balls were invented for cannons. These balls, combined with gunpowder, were commonly used during sieges. By around 1550, the French had begun categorizing their guns by caliber, leading to a more organized formation of artillery.

Renaissance and revolutionary cannons (1600-1790)

Circa 1650, the French garrison gun was invented. The garrison gun was usually mounted and tied down to reduce recoil, and could be mounted in very small spaces. By the mid-18th century artillery pieces were making an appearance in North America, most notably during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

. Artillery was later used by the Americans in their war for independence. The

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

used cannons captured at

Fort Ticonderoga Fort Ticonderoga (), formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century star fort built by the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in northern New York. It was constructed between October 1755 and 1757 by French-Canadian ...

to win the

Battle of Yorktown The siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was won decisively by the Continental Army, led by George Washington, with support from the Mar ...

, the last major battle of the American Revolution.

Fire support during World War I and World War II (1914-1945)

During the first World War, fire support was mostly used preemptively before an infantry attack. Artillery was often used to destroy enemy forces and positions, as well as obstacles in and near trenches. During this time, we also see the introduction of chemical fire support, using chemical compounds inside of shells in addition to conventional armaments. During the second World War, there was a joint usage of fire support by field artillery, naval fire support and air support. Field artillery was mainly in the western and eastern theaters, while naval fire support was used during the pacific theater, however a large number of ships were used to give fire support on D-Day. During World War II there was a large use of aerial fire support that included major improvements in technology in all theaters and campaigns of the second world war.

Fire support in Vietnam (1955–1974)

During the Vietnam War, fire support was used to flush out

Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...

positions. Most notably,

napalm Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated aluminium ...

was used to destroy forests and jungles, resulting in less cover for the enemy.

Fire support in recent warfare (since 1975)

During Operation Desert Storm the United States used fire support, particularly onboard naval craft to bombard positions. During this operation, we also see the introduction of drones into combat, as a way to provide fire support from the air without a manned aircraft. During Operation Desert storm, Artillery was used to achieve a decisive victory by coalition forces. More recently Artillery has been used in the Russo-Ukrainian war to bombard troops and key positions. When the war first broke out, the United States sent artillery aid including shells, cannons and Patriot missile defense systems to aid Ukraine. As of 2023, Fire support by tanks and artillery have been used by the Israeli Defense Force to bombard key positions in the war against Hamas.

Gallery

File:Fire Support (7341225078).jpg, U.S. Marines firing a 120 mm shell from a 2R2M mortar File:2022-11-25 ATMOS 003.jpg, The crew of a

Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) () is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare. , it had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers The service branch was established on December ...

ATMOS 2000 ATMOS (Autonomous Truck Mounted howitzer System) is a 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled gun system manufactured by Israeli military manufacturer Soltam Systems. The system is long range, fast moving, truck mounted with high firepower and mobili ...

self-propelled artillery Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...

firing a 155 mm shell File:UA pickup MLRS (1).jpg, A

Mitsubishi L200 The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group traces its origins to the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company that existed from 1870 to 1946 ...

technical Technical may refer to: * Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle * Technical area, an area which a manager, other coaching personnel, and substitutes are allowed to occupy during a football match * Technical advisor, a person who ...

used as a

multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple rocket launcher, launchers which are fixed to a single weapons platform, platform, and shoots its rocket (weapon ...

by the

Ukrainian Ground Forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces (SVZSU, ), also referred to as the Ukrainian army, is a land force, and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Declaratio ...

File:303rd ERQS close air support 150622-F-OH871-879.jpg, A

UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift military utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted a design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) ...

providing close air support using its side-mounted

M134 Minigun The M134 Minigun is an American 7.62×51mm NATO six-barrel rotary machine gun with a high rate of fire (2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute). It features a Gatling-style rotating barrel assembly with an external power source, normally an electric ...

turrets File:Urban Close Air Support Day & Night 160930-M-MR595-0841.jpg, A

UH-1Y Venom The Bell UH-1Y Venom (also called Super Huey) is a twin-engine, 4-blade, medium-sized utility helicopter built by Bell Helicopter under the H-1 upgrade program of the United States Marine Corps. One of the latest members of the numerous Huey ...

providing close air support during an

urban warfare Urban warfare is warfare in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both Military operation, operational and the Military tactics, tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the p ...

training exercise File:Naval Fire Support Exercise in Djibouti DVIDS96880.jpg, High explosive munitions fired by the USS ''Winston S. Churchill'' being used against target practice dummy tanks

References

{{reflist Admin. “U.S. and German Field Artillery in World War II: A Comparison.” The Army Historical Foundation, 7 Apr. 2023, armyhistory.org/u-s-and-german-field-artillery-in-world-war-ii-a-comparison/. Accessed 14 May 2024. Alexd. “Guadalcanal: The Joint Fight: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans.” The National WWII Museum , New Orleans, The National World War II Museum, 8 Feb. 2023, www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/guadalcanal-joint-fight-0. Accessed 14 May 2024. “Artillery Played ‘decisive’ Role in 1st Gulf War.” AUSA, 7 Aug. 2020, www.ausa.org/news/artillery-played-%E2%80%98decisive%E2%80%99-role-1st-gulf-war. Accessed 14 May 2024. Blosser, Kelly. “Naval Surface Fire Support—Mission Planning and Coordination.” US Navy, 1996, Accessed 02 May 2024. “Bombardments and Barrages: Preparing American Artillery for the Front in World War I.” American Battle Monuments Commission, 24 Oct. 2017, www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/bombardments-and-barrages-preparing-american-artillery-front-world-war-i#:~:text=New%20techniques%20they%20learned%20allowed,fire%20into%20a%20defined%20area. Accessed 14 May 2024. Coyne, James. “Weapons - Drones (Rpvs) , The Gulf War , Frontline.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 1993, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/weapons/drones.html#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20May%201991,Corps%2094%3B%20the%20Army%2048. Accessed 14 May 2024. Golonka, Adrian. “The Role of Artillery in Joint Fire Support.” Safety & Defense, Safeth & Defense, 3 Nov. 2021, sd-magazine.eu/index.php/sd/article/view/136. Accessed 14 May 2024. Admin. “U.S. and German Field Artillery in World War II: A Comparison.” The Army Historical Foundation, 7 Apr. 2023, armyhistory.org/u-s-and-german-field-artillery-in-world-war-ii-a-comparison/. Accessed 14 May 2024. Alexd. “Guadalcanal: The Joint Fight: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans.” The National WWII Museum , New Orleans, The National World War II Museum, 8 Feb. 2023, www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/guadalcanal-joint-fight-0. Accessed 14 May 2024. “Artillery Played ‘decisive’ Role in 1st Gulf War.” AUSA, 7 Aug. 2020, www.ausa.org/news/artillery-played-%E2%80%98decisive%E2%80%99-role-1st-gulf-war. Accessed 14 May 2024. Blosser, Kelly. “Naval Surface Fire Support—Mission Planning and Coordination.” US Navy, 1996, Accessed 02 May 2024. “Bombardments and Barrages: Preparing American Artillery for the Front in World War I.” American Battle Monuments Commission, 24 Oct. 2017, www.abmc.gov/news-events/news/bombardments-and-barrages-preparing-american-artillery-front-world-war-i#:~:text=New%20techniques%20they%20learned%20allowed,fire%20into%20a%20defined%20area. Accessed 14 May 2024. Coyne, James. “Weapons - Drones (Rpvs) , The Gulf War , Frontline.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 1993, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/weapons/drones.html#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20May%201991,Corps%2094%3B%20the%20Army%2048. Accessed 14 May 2024. Golonka, Adrian. “The Role of Artillery in Joint Fire Support.” Safety & Defense, Safeth & Defense, 3 Nov. 2021, sd-magazine.eu/index.php/sd/article/view/136. Accessed 14 May 2024. A graduate of the Naval Academy in 1930 Commander McMillian has had considerable and varied experience in connection with gunfire support strategy and tactics. He prepared the gunfire support plans for Attu. “Gunfire Support Lessons Learned in World War II.” U.S. Naval Institute, 10 Dec. 2020, www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1948/august/gunfire-support-lessons-learned-world-war-ii. Accessed 14 May 2024. Manucy, Albert C. Artillery through the Ages: A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America. Division of Publications, National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1985. O’Donohue, Daniel. Jont Fire Support. United States Military, 2019, Joint Publication 3-09, Accessed 29 Apr. 2024. Ratiliff, Timothy. “Field Artillery and Fire Support at the Operational Level: An Analysis of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.” School of Advanced Military Studies, United States Military, 2017, pp. 1–49. Why, Robert A. “The Evolution of Fire Support Doctrine Was Driven by Airmobile Doctrine and New Weapon Systems During the Vietnam War.” Mansfield State University, 2004, pp. 1–90. “World War II Aviation.” Homepage, Smithosnian, 13 July 2006, airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/world-war-ii-aviation-uh. Accessed 14 May 2024. A graduate of the Naval Academy in 1930 Commander McMillian has had considerable and varied experience in connection with gunfire support strategy and tactics. He prepared the gunfire support plans for Attu. “Gunfire Support Lessons Learned in World War II.” U.S. Naval Institute, 10 Dec. 2020, www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1948/august/gunfire-support-lessons-learned-world-war-ii. Accessed 14 May 2024. Manucy, Albert C. Artillery through the Ages: A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America. Division of Publications, National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1985. O’Donohue, Daniel. Jont Fire Support. United States Military, 2019, Joint Publication 3-09, Accessed 29 Apr. 2024. Ratiliff, Timothy. “Field Artillery and Fire Support at the Operational Level: An Analysis of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.” School of Advanced Military Studies, United States Military, 2017, pp. 1–49. Why, Robert A. “The Evolution of Fire Support Doctrine Was Driven by Airmobile Doctrine and New Weapon Systems During the Vietnam War.” Mansfield State University, 2004, pp. 1–90. “World War II Aviation.” Homepage, Smithosnian, 13 July 2006, airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/world-war-ii-aviation-uh. Accessed 14 May 2024. Military terminology

Overview

History

Definition

Early cannons (1300-1599)

Renaissance and revolutionary cannons (1600-1790)

Fire support during World War I and World War II (1914-1945)

Fire support in Vietnam (1955–1974)

Fire support in recent warfare (since 1975)

Gallery

See also

References