Principles Of Fire Support

Front 1

M224 60mm Mortar Weight in
Pounds

Back 1

14.4

Front 2

How many mortars make up a mortar section?

Back 2

3

Front 3

M224 60mm mortar can be fired either by (2) or through the use of (a):

Back 3

1. drop fire mode (conventional method)
2. trigger fire mode(conventional or hand-held method).
a. direction center (FDC).

Front 4

A lightweight auxiliary base plate is used in the M224 60mm mortar when:

Back 4

firing the mortar in the hand-held mode

Front 5

M252 81mm Mortar range:

Back 5

4500m to 5700m depending on the munition

Front 6

A blast attenuation device (BAD) is attached to the M252 81mm Mortar muzzle of the cannon assembly to:

Back 6

reduce the blast effects on the mortar crew.

Front 7

M252 81mm Mortar weight:

Back 7

35 lbs

Front 8

(HE) High explosive
60mm range
81mm range

Back 8

60mm range= 3500 meters
81mm range= 5700 meters

Front 9

Mortar Capabilities (5):

Back 9

1. High volume of fire
2. Highly responsive asset
3. Light, mobile, and flexible
4. Fires from and into defilade
5. CO’s “hip pocket artillery”

Front 10

Mortar Limitations (3):

Back 10

1. Long time of flight
2. Ammunition consumption
3. Multiple displacements

Front 11

M252 81mm Mortar
__ Tubes = Platoon
__ Tubes = Section

Back 11

8 Tubes
4 Tubes

Front 12

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer weight:

Back 12

15,800 pounds

Front 13

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer range w/RAP:

Back 13

18,100 meters
30,100 meters with RAP

Front 14

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer Maximum rate of fire:

Back 14

4 rounds per minute for first 3 minutes

Front 15

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer Sustained rate of fire:

Back 15

Maximum rate followed by 2 rounds per minute thereafter

Front 16

High volume of fire (a) 60mm (b) 81mm

Back 16

(a) maximum (30 rds/min) and sustained (20 rds/min
(b)maximum (30 rds/min) and 15 rds/min

Front 17

Highly responsive asset

Back 17

The location of the mortar systems closer to the supporting units equates to faster response time.

Front 18

Fires from and into defilade

Back 18

Mortars can be positioned on the ground to take advantage
of protection by terrain; for example, behind a hill mass or in a dry riverbed. Conversely, mortars’ inherent high angle fire capability allows them to engage targets located in defilade positions.

Front 19

CO’s “hip pocket artillery”

Back 19

The 60mm and 81mm mortar are organic assets within the Marine rifle battalion thus increasing their knowledge of the maneuver unit’s experience and capabilities due to habitual working relationships.

Front 20

Mortar Limitations

Back 20

Long time of flight
Ammunition consumption
Multiple displacements

Front 21

Long time of flight

Back 21

The high angle nature of fire for the mortar contributes to their longer time of flight for the round to reach the target area. This also makes the mortar system more susceptible to direction-finding radar.

Front 22

Ammunition consumption

Back 22

Due to the maximum and sustained rates of fire, mortars expend more ammunition. A smaller effective casualty radius requires both systems to use a greater number of rounds to accomplish the same mission as compared to other fire support systems.

Front 23

Multiple displacements

Back 23

The shorter range of both mortar systems require the tubes to move closer to the engagement areas whenever maneuver units reach beyond the range of their mortars. During their movement, mortars have a limited capability to employ their systems to supporting units.

Front 24

In the weapons platoon of an infantry rifle company are:

Back 24

three 60mm mortar systems

Front 25

the weapons company of the infantry battalion are:

Back 25

eight 81mm mortar systems.

Front 26

Artillery conducts three key tasks to accomplish their mission:

Back 26

1 To provide close and continuous fire support to the maneuver units. Fire support is provided day or night and in all weather conditions.
2 Artillery gives depth to the battlefield. Weapons with ranges of 20+ kilometers have the ability to
• Attack reserves and assembly areas.
• Interdict supply lines.
• Disrupt the enemy’s command and control facilities.
3 Deliver counter fire within the range of our weapon systems to ensure freedom of movement for ground forces.

Front 27

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer Weight

Back 27

15,800 pounds

Front 28

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer Range

Back 28

18,100 meters
30,100 meters with RAP

Front 29

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer Maximum rate of fire

Back 29

4 rounds per minute for first 3 minutes

Front 30

M198 155mm Towed Howitzer Sustained rate of fire

Back 30

Maximum rate followed by 2 rounds per minute thereafter

Front 31

XM777 155mm Towed Howitzer weight

Back 31

Roughly 10,000 pounds

Front 32

XM777 155mm Towed Howitzer Range

Back 32

18,100 meters
30,100 meters with RAP

Front 33

XM777 155mm Towed Howitzer Maximum rate of fire

Back 33

5

Front 34

XM777 155mm Towed Howitzer Sustained rate of fire

Back 34

2

Front 35

RAP

Back 35

High explosive, rocket-assisted projectile
• High fragmentation steel cases filled with TNT or
Composition B
• An integral rocket motor increases the range of the
projectile
• Accuracy is reduced at longer ranges due to the
uneven burn of the rocket motor
• Will produce more fragmentation over a large area than the standard HE projectile

Front 36

WP

Back 36

White phosphorous
• Burster-type projectile filled with WP
• On detonation WP is expelled over a limited area
• WP is used for:
o Marking
o Screening
o Obscuring
o Incendiary effects
• Useful against:
o Vehicles
o POL storage areas

Front 37

M825 felt wedge WP

Back 37

• Provides 5 to 15 minutes of smoke
• Uses 116 felt wedges impregnated with WP to
facilitate rapid dissemination
• Mechanical time fuze activates a charge causing base
ejection and ignition of the WP felt-pad wedge in a
large area
• Is extremely effective for:
o Screening
o Obscuring
• Not used for Marking

Front 38

Weapons with ranges of 20+ kilometers have the ability to

Back 38

• Attack reserves and assembly areas.
• Interdict supply lines.
• Disrupt the enemy’s command and control facilities.

Front 39

Illumination shell (illum)

Back 39

• On activation of the fuze, the canister/parachute assembly is expelled from the base of the projectile
• Illumination suspends from a parachute providing up to 1,000,000 (155mm) candlepower of battlefield illumination
• One illumination round can illuminate one grid square for 2 minutes

Front 40

Improved conventional munitions (ICM)

Back 40

• Is a base ejecting type projectile that contains 88 dual purpose armor defeating and antipersonnel grenades
• Upon activation of the fuze, these grenades are
ejected over the target area
• When the projectile is detonated, these high explosive shaped charge grenades suspended from ribbon
streamers are expelled.
• On impact, a shape-charge jet is expelled downward
through the body of each grenade while the rest of the
grenade bursts outward producing fragmentation
• Jet is capable of penetrating approximately 2.75
inches of rolled homogenous armor
• Is effective against vehicles such as:
o Armored personnel carriers
o Trucks
• Little effect against hard material targets (bunkers)
• Effects pattern is generally uniform and circular in shape

Front 41

Family of scatterable mines(FASCAM)

Back 41

• Refers to expelling charge projectiles used to deliver
antitank or antipersonnel mines
• Includes:
o Area denial artillery munitions (ADAM)
o Remote anti-armor mine system (RAAMS)

Front 42

Shell- The following describes the eight artillery shells.

Back 42

1 High explosive (HE)
2 High explosive, rocket-assisted projectile (RAP)
3 White phosphorous
4 M825 felt wedge WP
5 Illumination shell
(illum)
6 Cannon launched guided
projectile (CLGP or copperhead)
7 Improved conventional
munitions (ICM)
8 Family of scatterable
mines (FASCAM)

Front 43

Fuze- The following describes the four types of artillery fuzes.

Back 43

1 Point detonating
2 Delay
3 Variable time (VT)
4 Time

Front 44

Time used for 4:

Back 44

o DPICM
o M825
o Illumination
o FASCAM

Front 45

Artillery Battalion

Back 45

six howitzers in each battery; 18 howitzers in the battalion

Front 46

Each FO team consists of:

Back 46

An FO (0802 lieutenant)
A scout observer (0861)
One or two radio operators (0621)

Front 47

Guided Missile Cruisers

Back 47

o Multi-mission surface combatants.
o Capable of supporting carrier battle groups, amphibious forces, or
operating independently.
o Armed with two 5”/54 gun mounts to support the landing force.

Front 48

Destroyers

Back 48

o Carrier battle groups.
o Surface action groups.
o Amphibious groups.
o Replenishment groups.

Front 49

MK-45 5”/54.

Back 49

The MK-45 is a 54-caliber, lightweight gun that provides surface combatants accurate naval gunfire against
o Fast, highly maneuverable surface targets
o Air threats
o Shore targets during amphibious operations

Front 50

MK-45 5”/54
Minimum range
Maximum range
Maximum rate of fire Sustained rate of fire

Back 50

910 meters
23,000 meters
40 rounds/minute
20 rounds/minute

Front 51

NSFS projectiles include:

Back 51

o HE.
o WP.
o Illumination.

Front 52

Aircraft carry four general categories of ordnance:

Back 52

• Bombs
• Missiles
• Rockets
• Guns

Front 53

MK-80 Series Bombs

Back 53

Dumb bombs are not precision guided munitions and are only influenced by gravity and wind
once the ordinance is eleased. About 45 to 50 percent of bomb weight is
explosive.

Front 54

General-purpose (GP) bombs use

Back 54

all three weapon-kill
mechanisms.
• Heat (Flame and/or temperature)
• Blast (Concussion)
• Fragmentation (Projectile)

Front 55

Mk-80 Series Bomb consists of 3:

Back 55

• Mk-82 = 500lb bomb
• Mk-83 = 1000lb bomb
• Mk-84 = 2000lb bomb

Front 56

The types of fuzes for MK-80 series bombs are 2:

Back 56

• Mechanical, which are very reliable
• Electrical, which offer a wide variety of features and pilot selectable
options

Front 57

The three functioning modes are:

Back 57

• Delay.
• Instantaneous.
• Proximity.

Front 58

Laser-Guided Bombs (LGBs) combine

Back 58

GP and penetration warheads with guidance packages
and control fin assemblies to provide a free-fall weapon capable of limited
maneuverability after release from the delivering platform.

Front 59

The guidance package consists of

Back 59

a laser spot seeker that identifies laser energy and uses it to guide to the point of impact.

Front 60

Guided Bomb Units (GBUs)
MK-82, 83, or 84

Back 60

• Mk-82 + LASER GUIDANCE PACKAGE = GBU-12
• Mk-83 + LASER GUIDANCE PACKAGE = GBU-16
• Mk-84 + LASER GUIDANCE PACKAGE = GBU-10

Front 61

A laser spot can be provided

Back 61

• By the delivering platform (self-lazing)
• From an accompanying aircraft (buddy lazing)
• By a ground-based laser system

Front 62

JDAM

Back 62

Joint Direct Attack Munitions

Front 63

JDAM
Mk-82/83/84 bomb

Back 63

• Mk-82 + GPS GUIDANCE PACKAGE = GBU-38
• Mk-83 + GPS GUIDANCE PACKAGE = GBU-31
• Mk-84 + GPS GUIDANCE PACKAGE = GBU-32

Front 64

MK-77

Back 64

NAPALM
Filled with 75 gallons of
fuel/gel mixture and weighs 520 lbs.
The typical pattern is elliptical in shape about 215 ft long and 75 ft wide.

Front 65

CBU-72 FAE

Back 65

Fuel Air Explosive
• Against personnel, light material targets, mines, and booby traps
• For clearing landing zones

Front 66

CBUs

Back 66

Cluster Bomb Units
These munitions include antipersonnel, anti-material, and antitank weapons. The
CBU systems provide high kill or damage probability against area, moving, and point targets.
The Rockeye can be employed from all US tactical jets.

Front 67

MK-20 Rockeye

Back 67

consists of a dispenser, a mechanical time fuse that opens the dispenser at a selected time, and 247 MK-118 bomblets. The MK-118 has a small, shaped-charge warhead that can penetrate six inches of armor plate.

Front 68

CBU-87 (CEM)

Back 68

Combined Effects Munitions
Has improved effects in incendiary, fragmentation,
and armor piercing capabilities. It consists of 202 bomblets in each container.

Front 69

Air To Surface Guided Missiles

Back 69

AGM-65 Maverick Missile
AGM-114 Hellfire Missile
BGM-71 TOW Missile

Front 70

AGM-65

Back 70

Maverick Missile
The Maverick is a
LASER guided missile. Ranges for this missile can exceed 12NM. It has a 125-pound shaped-charge warhead designed to kill armor or other point targets. The Maverick is used by the F/A-18 and AV-8.

Front 71

AGM-114

Back 71

Hellfire Missile
Hellfire is a solid propellant, laser-guided, anti-armor missile that utilizes multiple warheads.The
engagement range for the AGM-114 is 500-8000m.

Front 72

BGM-71 TOW Missile

Back 72

Stands for tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missile. The only aircraft that can fire the TOW missile is the AH-1W.
The engagement range for the BGM-71 is 500-3750m.

Front 73

2.75 Inch “Mighty Mouse” Rockets

Back 73

High explosive (HE), white phosphorous (WP), and illumination are commonly used. The 2.75-inch rockets can also be fitted with a flechette warhead. The flechette warhead expels 2200 60-grain “nails” that cover an 80m x 80m area. The 2.75-inch HE rockets have an effective casualty radius (ECR) of 35m, similar to that of an 81mm mortar.

Front 74

5-Inch “Zuni” Rockets

Back 74

5-inch rockets are primarily fitted with a HE warhead.
Zuni rockets have an ECR of 50m, similar to that of a 155mm artillery round.

Front 75

MARINE AVIATION Guns

Back 75

1 GAU-12 25mm
2 M61A1 “Vulcan” Cannon
3 M197 20mm Turret System
4 GAU-16 50 CAL
5 GAU-17 “Minigun”
6 M240E

Front 76

GAU-12 25mm

Back 76

Six-barrel gun pod is mounted on the centerline of the AV-8B Harrier. It has a 300 round capacity with a lead computing optical sight system (LCOSS) gunsight.

Front 77

M61A1 “Vulcan” Cannon

Back 77

Utilized by F/A-18 aircraft is a 6-barreled weapon, with
selectable rates of fire of either 4000 or 6000 rounds per minute. The F/A-
18 has a capacity of 578 rounds of 20mm linkless ammunition. The gun's
rate of fire, essentially 100 rounds per second, gives the pilot a shot density that will enable a "kill" when fired in one-second bursts.

Front 78

M197 20mm Turret System

Back 78

Utilized by the AH-1W aircraft is a lightweight, three-barrel Gatling type gun. The M-197 is mated to an ammunition storage and handling system that has a capacity of 750 rounds of linked ammunition. The M197 automatic gun has a firing rate of 650 rpm. Utilizing the PGU-28 semi-armor piercing, high-explosive incendiary (SAPHEI) round, the gun is highly effective against both lightly armored and soft targets.

Front 79

GAU-16 50 CAL

Back 79

This gun can be loaded in the door of assault support helicopters such as the UH-1N. It provides medium-range suppressive fire at a cyclic rate of 750-850 rpm. The gun can use either open iron sights or a laser pointer sight for use with Night Vision Goggles (NVG).

Front 80

GAU-17 “Minigun”

Back 80

The GAU-17/A utilized on the UH-1N is a crew served, 6 barreled weapon, with a rate of fire of either 2000 or 4000 rounds per minute. In the UH-1N DAS configuration, the gun can be fixed forward and remotely fired by the pilot. The ammunition storage system has a capacity of 4000 rounds of linked 7.62mm percussion primed ammunition.

Front 81

M240E

Back 81

The M240E is simply an M240G medium machinegun modified to be fired from the door of the UH-1N. It fires 200 rpm at the rapid rate and a normal load out of 1000 rounds of 7.62mm.

Front 82

AH-1W Supercobra maximum speed:
Time on station:

Back 82

130 to 150 knots fully loaded
Take-off to landing generally 1 + 45

Front 83

AH-1W Supercobra Night Operations:

Back 83

The introduction of the night targeting system (NTS) aircraft enhances this capability. The NTS brings autonomous laser operations, FLIR, and laser range-finding to the battlefield. In addition, an extremely accurate GPS/INS system ties into the NTS to allow for 10-digit grid accuracy for targets.

Front 84

AH-1W Supercobra Ordnance 5:

Back 84

• Can carry 750 rounds of 20mm ammunition
• Fires 650 rounds a minute
• Has 2.75” rockets in 7-shot and 19-shot pods
• Has 5.0” rockets in 4-shot pods
• Can carry up to four Hellfire or TOW on either outside station

Front 85

AV-8B Harrier
• Maximum speed is:
• Normal ordnance delivery speed is:
• Time on station after 30-minute transit is:

Back 85

550 knots at sea level
420 to 480 knots
20 to 40 minutes

Front 86

AV-8B Harrier Night Operations:

Back 86

LITENING pod brings autonomous laser operations, FLIR, laser range-finding, and IR pointer to the battlefield. In addition, an extremely accurate GPS/INS system ties into the LITENING pod to allow for 10-digit grid accuracy for targets.

Front 87

AV-8B Harrier Ordnance Loads and Profiles:

Back 87

If aircraft requires vertical takeoff (LHA/LHD), ordnance loads are reduced.

Front 88

F/A-18 Hornet
• Maximum speed is:
• Normal ordnance delivery speed is:
• Time on station after 30-minute transit is:

Back 88

550 knots at sea level
480 to 540 knots
30 to 55 minutes

Front 89

F/A-18 Hornet Night Operations

Back 89

The LITENING pod brings autonomous laser operations, FLIR, laser range-finding, and IR pointer to the battlefield. In addition, an extremely accurate GPS/INS system ties into the LITENING pod to allow for 10-digit grid accuracy for targets.

Front 90

F/A-18 Hornet Ordnance Loads and Profiles

Back 90

Four to eight 1000-pound bombs will be normal air-to-ground ordnance with either one or two external fuel tanks

Front 91

F/A-18 Air-to-Ground Weapons

Back 91

• 20mm cannon – 578 rounds
• Cluster bombs
o Rockeye (antipersonnel, antitank)
• MK-82, 83, 84 (500, 1000, 2000 pound)
o General purpose bombs
• GBU-12, 16, 10 (500, 1000, 2000 pound)
o Laser guided variants of MK-80 series bombs
• 2.75” rockets primarily used for FAC(A) missions with WP rounds
• 5” rockets
• AGM-65 Maverick (laser guided antitank missile),
• MK-77 Napalm
• GBU-38, 31, 32 (JDAM) (500, 1000, 2000 pound)
o GPS-guided variants of Mk-80 series bombs

Front 92

AV-8B Air-to-ground:

Back 92

Series/LGBs/JDAM, 2.75"/5" rockets, MK-20,
CBU-/78, MK-77, Maverick

Front 93

AH-1 Payload

Back 93

F/A-18 A/C and F/A-18D
Crew 1 and 2, respectively
Performance • Maximum level speed at sea level: 550 KIAS
• Typical delivery speed: 500 KIAS
• Time on station after 30-minute transit: 40 to 45 minutes
Payload • 13,700 lbs
• Air-to-ground: MK-80 Series/LGBs/JDAM, 2.75"/5" rockets, MK-20,
CBU-78, MK-77, Maverick,
LITENING II Pod
• NVG1
• Laser Spot Tracker
• Laser (Self) Designator
Comm/Navigation • Two UHF (AM/FM)
• Two VHF (AM/FM)
• LITENING II Pod
• Hellfire
• TOW
• 2.7"/5" Rockets
• 20mm turret gun

Front 94

UH-1 Payload

Back 94

• 1,400 to 1,800 pounds
• 6 to 13 pax, 6 litters
• 7.62mm (GAU-17, M240E)
• .50 caliber guns (GAU-16)
• 2.75" rockets