Fire discipline

Fire discipline is a system of communication in the military, primarily for directing artillery.

It consists of words, phrases, rules, and conventions which have specific meanings and which result in some definite action being taken with the guns.

All ranks concerned in fire control must be thoroughly familiar with the language and the resulting actions.

An initial call for fire (to an artillery battery) consists of six elements: In the United States military, artillery is usually brought into play when a forward observer sends a three-part "call for fire".

If the forward observer does not specify the method of engagement and the method of fire and control, the Fire Direction Center will choose the ammunition type and fusing, be it for a target in foxholes or dug in, in dense foliage or in a bunker.

The proword "repeat" is never used anywhere on a radio but when communicating that a forward observer wants the previous artillery battery to fire the mission again.

The battery would then reply: "G35 this is M10, End of mission, 2 BMPs destroyed, estimate 25 casualties, out."

The FO may end up getting parachute flares, white phosphorus illumination, DPICM, and VT-HE rounds on the target in the same shot.