John Musgrave recounts a British heuristic, the "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule". Lift naval gunfire at 500m, rockets/CAS at 400m, 155mm at 300m, 81mm at 200m, and 60mm at 100m. The last hundred yards are covered by direct fire and need to be closed in less than two minutes. This rule preceded precision fires (the RED of a Tomahawk cruise missile is smaller than an 81mm mortar), but it's illustrative, and contra tech fetishists, there aren't limitless stocks of PGMs waiting to support your company attack.
John Musgrave recounts a British heuristic, the "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 rule". Lift naval gunfire at 500m, rockets/CAS at 400m, 155mm at 300m, 81mm at 200m, and 60mm at 100m. The last hundred yards are covered by direct fire and need to be closed in less than two minutes. This rule preceded precision fires (the RED of a Tomahawk cruise missile is smaller than an 81mm mortar), but it's illustrative, and contra tech fetishists, there aren't limitless stocks of PGMs waiting to support your company attack.
This is pretty much what the US Army Field Artillery School teaches too.
In fire support, as in other parts of life, Timing Is Everything! On Time AND On Target!
You mean I don't have to pick one?
Nope!
I better up my game then.