What does 'fire support synchronization' entail?

Fire support synchronization is a crucial aspect of military operations which focuses specifically on ensuring that all fire support assets—such as artillery, mortars, and air support—are coordinated effectively to achieve the greatest impact on the battlefield. This concept entails integrating the various forms of fire support into a cohesive plan, allowing for a seamless and efficient use of resources.

When fire support efforts are aligned, it maximizes their combined effect, allowing forces to capitalize on timing and positioning. This ensures that different fire support assets are not operating in isolation but rather complementing one another, which can significantly enhance the overall lethality and effectiveness of the forces involved in a mission.

In this context, while conducting joint operations with air and ground units, scheduling fire support missions, and implementing automated fire control systems are important components of fire support operations, they do not fully encapsulate the broad and essential objective of synchronization, which is to create a unified effort among various fire support sources for maximum combined effect. This strategic alignment is what distinguishes effective fire support in complex combat scenarios.