The FA and the Objective Force—an uncertain but critical future

FA Journal, Sept-Oct, 2002 by Michael D. Major General Maples

* Special Purpose Fires add to the full-spectrum relevance of the Field Artillery. These fires may include munitions that have obscurants, multiple means of illumination, countermobility capabilities, thermobaric effects, incapacitants and munitions that will blind or disable enemy acquisition and observation systems.

Figure 2: NLOS Battalion Tasks

* Provide precise or area long-range destructive fires.

* Provide close support tactical fires fully integrated with maneuver to isolate or fix enemy forces, protect friendly forces with suppression or obscuration, deny mobility, counter indirect fires and protect maneuver formations.

* Conduct artillery raids.

* Employ Networked Fires to access external capabilities, including direct access to joint fires, and "missiles-in-a-box."

* Perform target acquisition with an organic radar and small-unit unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV).

* Provide special purpose fires to include obscurants, illumination, counter mobility and a range of nonlethal effects.

Figure 3: Some Characteristics of the Developing NLOS Battalion

* Provide reliable, timely, accurate and effective fires and effects that are continuously available with high sustained rates-of-fire and rates-of-kill in all weather and terrain conditions.

* Support sensor-to-shooter teaming relationships with strike aviation platforms, unmanned sensors and the reconnaissance troops and maneuver companies of combined arms battalions.

* Be capable of rapid teaming, expeditious task reorganization and mission tailoring.

* Be capable of maneuver by platoons or in teams in all terrain or weather.

* Be able to mass fires without having to collocate weapons systems, providing mutual support and massed effects from dispersed locations.

* Provide increased overmatching lethality with quicker response times, increased accuracies of target location and weapon delivery systems, higher sustained rates-of-fire, the ability to rapidly deliver discrete or volume fires and superior munitions effects.

* Be able to rapidly integrate joint, multinational and other Army reinforcing fires means and effects.

Major General Michael D. Maples became the Chief of Field Artillery and Commanding General of FortSill, Oklahoma, in August 2001. In his previous assignment, he was the Director of Operations, Readiness and Mobilization in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans (G3) at the Pentagon. In Germany, he was the Assistant Division Commander (Support) in the 1st Armored Division and Senior Tactical Commander of the Baumholder Military Community. He also served in Germany as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps and for the Kosovo Force (KFOR), planning and executing the entry of NATO forces into Kosovo; G3 of V Corps; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in US Army Europe (Forward) in Taszar, Hungary, sup porting US forces in the Balkans during Operation Joint Endeavor. He commanded the 41st Field Artillery Brigade, V Corps, Germany, and the 6th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery, 75th Field Artillery Brigade, Ill Corps at Fort Sill, Okla homa, and in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He also commanded B Battery, 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery in the 2d Infantry Division in Korea. He holds an MA in Organizational Behavior from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington.