Fire preparation for the offensive – the need to update the planning algorithm

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the relevance of fire preparation in offensive operations and to argue for the need to update the current algorithm for planning such an action. The article presents the national and allied perspectives on the concept of fire preparation, aiming, on the one hand, to emphasise the relevance of this action in the current battlefield, including examples from the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and, on the other hand, to highlight similar aspects of the characteristic elements and purpose of this action, found both in the presented normative framework and in relevant examples from the conflict. The differences between the two perspectives presented are not significant, as the same main ideas regarding the relevance and purpose of fire preparation are addressed, but the level of equipping with modern military equipment together with the availability of high-performance striking systems with diversified possibilities of target engagement are what allow for a different approach to preparatory fires at group force level. In the last section, the article argues for the need to revise and update the fire preparation planning algorithm to include current and future changes in the organisation, manning and equipping of national armed forces structures.