Comments by "Jin Kee" (@JinKee) on "Tanks and Self-Propelled Artillery: What's the Difference?" video.

@sergeantrandomusmc direct fire is defined by the firing platform being able to see and identify the target. In western doctrine, indirect fire usually has a forward observer who must identify the target. As recently as Iraq, we used to do "fire plan" where a forward observer or recce unit identifies targets, writes down the grids and leaves the area and then the artillery hits those grids one after another at predefined times to support a scheme of maneuver. Fire plan has the disadvantage that if the forward observer isn't monitoring it while it is in effect you can and sometimes do shell your own guys as the come up onto and clear the objectives ahead of schedule. Ideally you'd need a forward observer to modify the fire plan just before the maneuver element breaks in on the objective, but why not just get the forward observer to do all the fire missions in At My Comand method instead? It would be safer.
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