Army Vision: By 2028, a World-Class Army that is a source of National Pride

HEADQUARTERS
ARESCOM TRAINING SCHOOL
ARMY RESERVE COMMAND, PHILIPPINE ARMY
Camp Riego De Dios, Tanza, Cavite

ATS/3 Date Updated: 01 August 2020

STUDENT HANDOUTS References: PAM 3–04

INTRO TO ARTILLERY OPERATION

I. DEFINITION:

Field Artillery refers to the weapons of war that fire projectiles or missiles and
the military organization and equipment necessary to employ them in battle. This term
was derived from the French word “artiller” meaning “to fortify”. Field artillery is the
principal element of the Army for the delivery of fire on surface targets.

II. FUNDAMENTALS AND EMPLOYMENT:

Field artillery is organized for combat to provide responsive and effective FA

fires and to coordinate all fire support. An FA battalion supporting a maneuver brigade
is the ideal organization for combat. The objective of the FA organization for combat
is to ensure that each FA unit is tactically tailored to a maneuver force by using a
command relationship and is assigned a tactical mission. It is the FSCOORD who
recommends the tactical tailoring and the supported force commander approves the
FA organization for combat after analyzing the factors of METT–T:

1. Mission/commander’s concept.
2. Enemy targets and fire support capabilities.
3. Troops/fire support unit’s available, targeting sources, ammunition
status.
4. Terrain and weather conditions.
5. Time available.

The tactical tailoring of the field artillery organization provides organizational

flexibility and additional firepower to the committed maneuver force. An example is
attaching a 155mm battery to a 105mm battalion that is directly supporting an infantry
brigade in order to achieve a mixture of weapons and an increased firepower.

Organization for combat is the means by which the Force Commander

allocates FA assets (organic and attached) to meet his own needs for FA fires as well
as the needs of subordinate elements. Field artillery assets must be provided for close
support (DS and R) of subordinate elements and for the immediate control (GSR and
GS) of the force commander to influence the close and deeper battles at critical times
and places. The following are important guiding fundamentals in organizing field
artillery for combat:

1. Adequate Field Artillery Support for Committed Combat Units. Field

artillery support is most responsive to committed maneuver elements when it is given
the DS tactical mission. The minimum adequate support for committed units is
basically one FA battalion in direct support of each committed brigade. There should
not be more than one FA unit in direct support of a maneuver unit since it will violate

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the principle of “unity of command”. Additional FA support is provided by other FA

units that have been assigned the mission of Reinforcing or General Support
Reinforcing a DS FA unit. Ammunition allocation ensures the adequacy of this support.
Some additional support can be gained from GS units by proper positioning.

2. Weight to the Main Attack in Offense or Most Vulnerable Area in

Defense. This can be implemented in any of the following ways:

a. A tactical mission of Reinforcing or General Support Reinforcing

can be assigned to other FA units to provide additional responsive fires to maneuver
forces in control.
b. Additional ammunition may be allocated to provide more support
to the affected area.
c. Field artillery units can be positioned and assigned directions of
fire in order to concentrate their fire in the appropriate sector or zone. In this way, FA
units with the mission of GS can add weight to the main attack or strength to the most
vulnerable area.

3. Immediately Available Field Artillery Support for the Commander to

Influence the Action. The force FA commander should allocate artillery units with
which the force commander can influence the action. This is done by assigning a GS
or GSR missions to artillery units, making them responsive to the force commander.
This fundamental can be achieved through the assignment of a tactical mission,
ammunition allocation, and positioning of artillery.

4. Maximum Feasible Centralized Control.

a. Field artillery is most effective when control is centralized at the

highest force level consistent with the fire support capabilities and requirements of the
overall mission. Centralized control of FA permits flexibility in its employment and
facilitates effective support to each subordinate element of the command and to the
force as a whole. Each standard tactical mission represents varying degrees of
centralized control and responsiveness to committed units. The optimum degree of
centralized control varies with each tactical mission.

b. A high degree of centralized control is desired in a defensive

situation. Since the enemy has the initiative, it is difficult to accurately predict where
he will strike. Therefore, to ensure that he can influence the action wherever it may
develop, the force commander should retain more control of his field artillery through
greater centralization.

c. A lesser degree of centralized control is required in an offensive

situation because the supported force has the initiative. To help the close combat
elements retain the initiative and maintain the momentum of the attack, the force
commander may grant subordinate FA commanders’ wider latitude. This allows the
FA to be more responsive to the fire support needs of the maneuver elements of the
force. FA units normally are not attached to brigade–size or smaller maneuver units
unless distance, communications problems, or other factors prevent the force FA
headquarters from exercising adequate control. Attachment changes the command
structure and reduces the ability of the force FA commander to meet the needs of the
force commander.

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5. Facilitate Future Operations. Planning for the organization for combat

should include actions to be taken in the face of unforeseen events to ensure smooth
transition from one phase of an operation to another. It can be implemented through
the assignment of tactical mission, allocation of ammunition, and positioning of
artillery. The assignment of an “on–order mission” or non–standard mission allows a
unit to anticipate an FA support need for a future situation.

III. FUNCTIONS AND TACTICAL ROLES:

The functions and tactical roles of field artillery include the following:

1. Functions.

a. Provide continuous, accurate, and timely field artillery fire support

to maneuver forces of the Army.
b. Provide its component communication, mobility requirements,
survey, meteorological data, target acquisition, and fire direction system.
c. Establish the nucleus of the fire support cells of the supported
maneuver forces of the Army and provide fire support elements to its maneuver units.
d. Command and control additional field artillery units.

2. Tactical Roles.

a. Close support fires engage enemy troops, weapons, or positions

that are threatening or can threaten the force in either the attack or the defense. They
allow the commander to rapidly multiply combat power effects and shift fires quickly
within the battlefield. The commander provides close support to his maneuver forces
by assigning tactical missions to the field artillery. Close support expands battlefield
depth, erodes enemy forces, and inflicts damage well beyond direct fire ranges.

b. Counterfires attack enemy indirect systems to include mortar,

artillery, air defense, missile, and rocket systems. Observation posts and field artillery
command and control facilities are also counterfire targets. Counterfire allows freedom
of action to supported maneuver forces and is accomplished with mortars, cannons,
guns, and aircraft. It must be understood that counterfire is not a separate artillery
battle. Counterfires are planned and executed for offensive and defensive operations,
or they are fired in response to an immediate request from a maneuver commander.
Within the field artillery, counterfire is normally the primary responsibility of GS/GSR
units but may be fired by any fire support means that is immediately available.

c. Interdiction fires disrupt, delay, and destroy enemy forces that,

because of range limitations or intervening terrain, cannot fire their primary weapon
system on friendly forces. Targets include first echelon forces not participating in a
direct battle and follow–on echelons. Interdiction fires create “windows” for friendly
unit offensive maneuver.

IV. FIELD ARTILLERY WEAPONS AND THEIR CLASSIFICATIONS:

Artillery weapons include mounted guns or rocket launchers that are too large
or too heavy to be classed as small arms. Any gun or launcher that uses ammunition
37mm and above in diameter and that is not fired from the hand or shoulder is
generally called an artillery weapon except for air defense artillery weapons that
include shoulder–fired weapon systems such as the Stinger. Air defense artillery

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weapons are those weapons used for the protection of an area or military forces and
their installations against armaments deliverable by aircraft and airborne or ballistic
missiles. Field artillery weapon systems, with their mobility, are designed to provide
fire support to maneuver forces such as infantry and armored forces. Field artillery
weapons include cannons, missiles, mortars and aerial field artillery.

1. Classification by Weapon:

a. Cannons. Field artillery cannons are classified by type as guns

and howitzers. They may be further classified by their caliber length, which is
determined by dividing the total length of the bore by its diameter.

1) Guns have relatively long barrels – over 30 calibers in

length – normally a low angle fire, and a high muzzle velocity.
2) Howitzers have medium – length barrels, 20 to 30 calibers
in length, a relatively high angle of fire, and a medium–muzzle velocity.

b. Cannons are further classified according to caliber by their tube

diameter. The diameter is normally measured in millimeters (one inch is approximately
25mm). These are the following:

1) Light – 120mm and less.

2) Medium – greater than 120mm but less than or equal to
160mm.
3) Heavy – greater than 160mm but less than or equal to
210mm.
4) Very heavy – greater than 210mm.

c. Missiles. Missiles are classified by type as rockets or guided

missiles.

1) Rocket is aimed by orienting the launcher; it cannot be

guided further after it has been fired. Rockets can be further classified by range
characteristics into:

a) Short–range rocket – maximum range is less than

30 kilometers.
b) Long–range rocket – maximum range is 30
kilometers or more.

2) A guided missile is subject to course correction or

alteration while the missile is in flight. Guided missiles can also be further classified
by range characteristics as:

a) Short range guided missile – maximum range is up

to 100 kilometers.
b) Medium range guided missile – Maximum range is
from 100 kilometers, up to less than 500 kilometers.
c) Long–range guided missile – Maximum range is up
to 500 kilometers or more.

d. Mortars. a mortar resembles a piece of stovepipe on a bipod

mount. Its effectiveness was the result of the design of the shell, a finned projectile

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similar in appearance to an airplane bomb but carrying its own propellant at its base.
Mortars have short barrels – below 20 calibers in length, a high angle of fire and a low
muzzle velocity. It is muzzle–loading, with a smooth or rifled bore. Mortars can be
classified by weight as either light or heavy.

1) Light mortars are those that can be easily carried by

personnel. These include the 60mm and the 81mm mortars.

2) Heavy mortars are those that are too heavy to be carried

by personnel. They can be vehicle mounted or employed in the same manner as light
mortars. These include the 4.2 inch and the 120mm mortars.

e. Aerial field artillery weapons are classified according to:

1) The type of aircraft platform as rotary wing (helicopter) or

fixed wing (propeller or jet plane).

2) The type of armament subsystem applicable to the

airframe such as 2.75–inch folding fin aerial rocket (FFAR), 7.72mm MG and 40mm
turret gun, 20mm gun pads, 30mm cannon, 40mm grenade machine gun, TOW (tube–
launched, optically tracked, wire–guided) missile and Hellfire missile. b. Classification
by Means of Transport.

a) Towed – weapons that are mounted on carriages

designed to be towed or transported by a separate vehicle called the prime mover.

b) Towed with APU – weapons that can be moved by

means of a prime mover or propelled by mounted auxiliary power unit (APU).

c) Self–propelled – weapons that are permanently

installed on full–tracked or wheeled vehicles which provide automotive power for the
piece and from which the weapon is fired.

d) Aerial – weapons that are mounted or structurally

integrated with the aircraft which serve as the primary means of mobility, and from
which the weapon is fired.

3) Classification by Transportability.

2. Field artillery weapons are also classified according to the method of

transportation which can be used to deliver the weapons to the combat area. All FA
weapons can be transported by road, rail, or ship. Weapons that can be moved by air
are classified as follows:

a. Animal–Pack Transportable – FA weapons that can be broken

down into assemblies and transported by animal–pack. Upon reaching their gun
position, these weapons are assembled and fired.

b. Helicopter Transportable – FA weapons can be carried by rotary–

wing aircraft and landed sufficiently assembled to permit immediate employment as in
airmobile operations.

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c. Air Transportable – FA weapons that can be delivered in assault

landing aircraft or by air drop and are capable of landing on unprepared surfaces
within enemy territory. FA weapons so employed must be capable of immediate
effective employment.

V. CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF FIELD ARTILLERY:

1. Capabilities. Maneuver and field artillery commanders must capitalize

on the following field artillery capabilities in order to maximize its employment and
combat power:

a. FA can provide fires under all conditions of weather and in all

types of terrain. The field artillery can provide fires in support of maneuver forces
during the most adverse weather conditions and in all types of terrain: during day,
night, and periods of extremely thick fog; in jungles; behind hill masses; and in
mountains.

b. FA can shift and mass fires rapidly without the requirement to

displace. The greatest effect of FA is achieved by maneuvering (shifting) the fires of
widely dispersed FA units onto a target in a surprise attack (massing). Successive
volleys from the same weapon or unit give the enemy time to react and seek
protection, but the simultaneous impact of a heavy volume of fires from several FA
units is devastating. Maneuver and FA commanders must consider employing massed
fires from several FA units to generate maximum combat power.

c. FA can add depth to the battlefield. The extended ranges of FA

weapons provide the maneuver commander the ability to influence battles with
firepower without moving the maneuver forces to the area of contact. It also provides
the necessary deep harassment and interdiction of the enemy second echelons and
supply routes.

d. FA can fire a variety of conventional shell, special ammunitions

and/or fuze combinations. One of the greatest capabilities of FA is its flexibility in
providing a variety of munitions. The FA illuminating shell is one of the primary means
of battlefield illumination. Smoke rounds can be employed to suppress hostile
observers that require line of sight and weapons, such as tanks and anti–tank guided
missiles (ATGM’s). External fuel containers on enemy tanks can be punctured with
airbursts of high explosive (HE) and set afire by white phosphorus; improved
conventional munitions (ICM) are particularly effective against personnel. The
antipersonnel (Flachatte) munition can provide excellent close–in defense. Dual
purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM’s) are effective against lightly
armored vehicles and personnel targets. Precision guided munitions (PGMs) are for
armored and high–payoff targets.

e. FA can deliver chemical fires.

f. FA can provide continuous support by judicious displacement. FA

provides continuous support by displacing in one of three ways:

1) By echelon. This method is an arrangement whereby the

unit moves in two or more increments.

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2) By battalion. Usually this type of displacement is

accomplished when another fire support unit takes over the fire support mission.

3) By battery. Under this method each individual battery

moves separately.

g. FA can provide counterfire and/or suppressive fires. The FA uses

a counterfire program to destroy or suppress enemy indirect fire systems, to balance
the adverse force ratio, and to increase the survivability of our own forces.

2. Limitations. The FA has limitations that must be recognized and

considered when planning for its use.

a. FA has limited self–defense capability against ground and air

attack. A field artillery battery lacks the weapons and personnel to adequately defend
itself. FA units are particularly vulnerable to enemy mechanized units. This can be
offset by concealment and the ability of the artillery to displace rapidly.

b. FA has limited ability to destroy point targets without considerable

ammunition expenditure. FA weapons are generally area fire weapons. The inherent
probable error and large number of uncontrollable variables (such as weather,
propellant temperature, projectile, etc) preclude FA weapons from being able to hit a
specified point repeatedly.

c. FA has a firing signature that makes it vulnerable to detection by

enemy target acquisition assets. FA firing units are extremely lucrative targets, and
their distinctly audible, visible, and electromagnetic signatures make them highly
vulnerable to enemy detection and attack. To offset this vulnerability and ensure their
survival, friendly FA units must employ active and passive defense measures.

d. FA weapons can only effectively engage targets within their

specified range limits.

VI. FIELD ARTILLERY ORGANIZATION:

The objective of the field artillery organization is to provide an organization for

combat, which can most effectively and economically support the maneuver forces.
Therefore, FA units are provided to support operations from the Army down to the
Infantry Brigade levels. Field artillery units are manned by personnel with specialized
skills and are equipped with peculiar equipment that needs special care in order to
maintain their combat readiness. As such, FA units must be centrally organized under
a single headquarters that will effectively address the FA units’ short–term and long–
term concerns regarding logistics (ammunition distribution, maintenance of
equipment, mobility and communications requirements, and management of FA–
related supplies), personnel (personnel fill–up, training, continuity of skills, career
management, placement), organizational flexibility, sustainment of operations and
research and development. Furthermore, with this set–up, FA doctrines can be easily
implemented, monitored and updated. Eventually with this organization, the field
artillery as one of the service branches of the Army will be professionalized.

The organization of the field artillery units and field artillery headquarters is
shown in detail in appropriate Tables of Organization and Equipment (TOE). The
artillery units of the Army are collectively referred to as the Army Artillery. It consists

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of all the cannon FA units of PA, air defense artillery and other artillery units that may
be organized in the future. The following are field artillery organizations presented
from the highest to the lowest level.

1. Army Artillery Brigade (AABde). The Army Artillery Brigade consists of a

Headquarters and Headquarters Service Battalion and those artillery units organic to
it which include but not limited to the FA Regiments, 155mm Gun/Howitzer Battalions,
FA Battalions in direct support of Infantry Brigades (Sep) and the Air Defense Artillery
Battalion. This unit provides centralized command and control, administrative
supervision and logistics support to all Army artillery units. The artillery units of the
brigade are either attached or placed OPCON to their supported units.

2. Field Artillery Regiment (FAR). The Field Artillery Regiment consists of

a Field Artillery Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, and field artillery
units organic or attached to the Field Artillery Regiment. The Field Artillery Regiment
is organized for combat to support the division scheme of maneuver. Flexibility is
achieved through the assignment of standard tactical missions to the units of the field
artillery regiment. The field artillery regiment is normally provided additional field
artillery support by Army Artillery Brigade units with the mission of General Support,
General Support Reinforcing, or Reinforcing.

3. Field Artillery Group. The field artillery group consists of a Headquarters

and Headquarters Battery and attached units. The group provides flexibility in
organization for combat since the number, type, and caliber of the attached units may
be varied to meet the situation. Although units attached to a group may be of any
caliber and type, mixed calibers and types within a group permit greater flexibility in
employment. The field artillery group provides centralized training and tactical control,
as well as a limited degree of administrative and logistical supervision.

4. Field Artillery Battalion Group. In the absence of a field artillery group or

any suitable tactical headquarters, one battalion may be attached to another battalion
to form a battalion group. The battalion group headquarters functions as a tactical
headquarters for limited periods. The numerical designation of the battalion group is
that of the battalion providing the battalion group commander.

5. Field Artillery Battalion. The field artillery battalion is both a tactical and
an administrative organization. It is organized into a Headquarters and Headquarters
Battery and two or more, usually three (3) batteries. A 155mm Gun/Howitzer Battalion
provides general support or general support reinforcing fires. A 105mm FA Battalion
can either be divisional (supporting the division’s maneuver forces) or non–divisional
(supporting brigade separates).

6. Field Artillery Battery. It is the basic firing element of the field artillery
battalion which can operate independently or as an element of the battalion. It is
composed of a battery headquarters and six (6) howitzer sections. As part of the
tactical tailoring, an FA battery can be further organized into two (2) to three (3)
platoons only.

7. Field Artillery Platoon. A standard FA platoon is composed of three (3)

howitzer sections but during special operations, the battery can be split into firing
platoons composed of two (2) howitzer sections each. The latter is the smallest
artillery unit that will be deployed to provide fire support to maneuver units.

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8. Field Artillery Section. Field artillery section refers to a single artillery

piece with its crew. The Army never deploys a single and independent FA section for
fire support.

VII. FIELD ARTILLERY MISSION AND SYSTEM:

1. Mission of Field Artillery. The field artillery’s mission is to destroy,

neutralize or suppress the enemy with timely and accurate field artillery fires in support
of the ground forces and to assist in the integration of all fire support into combined
arms operations.

2. The Field Artillery System. The field artillery system consists of ten
(10) functional elements necessary to obtain the desired effect on the target, thus,
accomplishing its mission. These functional elements are:

a. Target Acquisition. It is the target – locating “eyes and ears” of

the system responsible for accurate and timely detection, identification, and location
of targets in detail required for target analysis, target evaluation, and computation of
firing data. The fleeting nature of some tactical targets, the need for first round
effectiveness, and the use of fire direction computers require accurate target location.
Target acquisition forms part of the field artillery target intelligence which deals with
the collection, processing, and dissemination of all information pertaining to potential
or actual targets.

b. Fire Direction and Coordination. It is the “brain” of the system that

directs the tactical and technical actions needed to attack targets quickly and
effectively. Fire direction and coordination are the fundamental elements of field
artillery command and control, and the key to a more efficient and responsive field
artillery system. Fire direction is the tactical employment of firepower, the exercise of
tactical command of one or more units in the selection of targets, the concentration or
distribution of fire, and allocation of ammunition for each mission. It also includes the
methods and techniques used in the fire direction center to convert target information
into appropriate fire commands. The application of technological advances will
enhance fire direction. Fire coordination is the planning and execution of fire so that
targets are adequately covered by a suitable weapon or group of weapons.

c. Weapon/Ammunition Combinations. It is the target attacking

“muscle” of the system. The field artillery has the day–night, all–weather capability to
deliver accurate, effective fires for close support of maneuver units, and long–range
interdiction and counterbattery fires on enemy targets. In order to exploit this
capability, different types of weapon/ammunition combinations are required.

d. Organization. The objective of field artillery organization is to

provide a unit for combat which can most effectively and economically support the
maneuver forces. As such, there are various types of field artillery units organized to
support any type of maneuver force. Units are organized to deploy and employ a
specified weapon to obtain the required effects on a target. In order to accomplish
this, the unit must be provided with a capability to implement each functional
requirement of the field artillery system, to include the capability for defense and
security.

e. Survey. Field artillery survey operations provide a common grid

which will permit the massing of fires, delivery of surprise observed fires, delivery of

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effective unobserved fires, and the transmission of target data from one point to
another. The product of field artillery survey concerns the determination of precise
location of weapons, target acquisition means, and provision of orientation data. The
pre–requisites to effective first–volley fire is completed field artillery survey and target
acquisition efforts that furnish the commander the position and orientation data for the
weapon delivery system, together with the target location. The survey capability may
be organic to the firing unit, or it may be provided by higher field artillery headquarters.

f. Ballistic Meteorology. Ballistic meteorological data are required

by field artillery firing units since atmospheric conditions along the trajectory of a
projectile affect the accuracy of field artillery weapons. Weather conditions also affect
the accuracy of target acquisition equipment, which implies the need to apply
corrections in order to refine the accuracy of target locating equipment. The capability
of providing meteorological data may be organic to an FA unit or may be provided by
higher FA headquarters.

g. Communications. The ability of the field artillery system to render

effective and responsive fire support is largely dependent upon an efficient and
reliable communication means. The principal media of communications for both voice
and digital data are wire and radio. Adequate communications security equipment
should be available to limit the vulnerability of radio communications to exploitation by
enemy intelligence activities. The necessary communications equipment and
operating personnel should be organic in artillery units. In order to be effective and
responsive, adequate and separate communications nets are established for the
artillery units.

h. Logistics. Logistical support of the field artillery system consists

primarily of supply and maintenance. The largest single supply effort is in the area of
ammunition resupply. This includes maintenance of the basic ammunition load in
accordance with the announced controlled supply rate and maintaining the prescribed
load of special ammunition. The primary maintenance effort is accomplished to
provide for serviceable items of organic equipment to function under combat
conditions.

i. Mobility. The tactical employment of the field artillery system

requires frequent and timely movements of the various types of field artillery units. To
be effective, field artillery units must have sufficient mobility to permit close and
continuous support of the maneuver force and avoid enemy counterbattery fire. The
ability to move rapidly and efficiently is essential to the accomplishment of the fire
support mission. The mobility provided at all echelons of field artillery must be equal
to, or greater than that provided to the maneuver force.

j. Employment Tactics. Field artillery units are employed in

accordance with the mission of the supported force. In the offense, FA positions are
selected well forward to support the attack and exploit the range of its weapons. In the
defense, positions are echeloned in depth to provide flexibility of fire and to ensure
continuity of fire support in the event of enemy penetration, which would require field
artillery units to displace to the rear.

***** End *****

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