Task Force Spartan

Principles of Stealth

While these techniques are aimed at operating in a low-light environment, the general principles can be applied to daylight operations as well by careful players. Remember that all forces are not created equal - while you may find great success through stealth when night vision and thermal devices are not present, the presence of either of those can dramatically shift the equation. Night Vision still permits stealth to occur, just with more caution in employing it. 

Stick to shadows and minimize movement

The value of shadows should be obvious. When you stop, place yourself in brush and shadows that can distort or mask your shape. At night, people are looking for familiar shapes or outlines, and are able to notice high-contrast as well as easily see movement. Be aware of your backdrop - being in the shadow of a tree will do little if there's a bright white wall behind you from the enemy's perspective, silhouetting you.

Take your time when moving

You don't want to rush in the dark - it's too easy to miss people and end up getting shot in the back in the process. The same general rules of daytime tactical movement apply to the night - there's just more emphasis on avoiding contrast, staying in shadows, and trying to stop in locations that mask your visibility. Move from one position of concealment to another, observe, wait, listen, then move again when the coast seems clear. Hiding in bushes, trees, and thick brush makes you far more difficult to notice, though the sounds of you moving through such foliage can be heard if people are paying attention.

Strike during 'moments of action'

When you're trying to be stealthy, it doesn't do you much good to be the only one making noise. Taking a shot during a long stretch of silence tends to focus all of the enemy's attention towards you, reducing your lifespan drastically.

Instead, try to operate in a manner that allows you to maintain awareness of the enemy without forcing your hand. When the enemy becomes engaged or when loud environmental events happen, that's the time to make your move. If the enemy takes fire from elsewhere, a single rifle shot from you may easily be lost in the confusion. Don't get greedy - if you miss a shot, you may have to wait for another opportunity. It's a lot like sniping - a single shot is hard to identify, while multiple shots become more and more easy to trace the source of.

Looking is not necessarily seeing

One of the hardest skills to learn, and the most dangerous to employ, is the ability to distinguish the difference between an enemy who is scanning an area, versus one who has actually seen something during their scanning. In dark and dense terrain, when you're utilizing proper cover and concealment, sticking to shadows, and minimizing your movement, it can be tremendously difficult for the enemy to see you - even at very close ranges. It requires a great deal of self-control to be able to sit unmoving while an enemy looks in your direction or scans past you, but it can be the difference between maintaining your stealth and suddenly being thrust into a firefight you may not have wanted, on terms you didn't fully choose yourself.

When the enemy is moving, the situation is even harder for them. If you can blend in with the scenery and position yourself in a fashion that they're less likely to be looking straight at - for instance, on the opposite side of a tree that they're about to run past - you may be surprised at how many enemies can move by you without noticing your presence.

Being able to tell when you've actually been spotted depends on the distance at which you're facing the enemy. The most fundamental give-away is the double-take - if an enemy is scanning an area, sweeping their rifle over it, and suddenly stops and moves back in your direction - you may have been made! It's often very obvious when someone who wasn't necessarily expecting to see anything, suddenly sees something surprising - they'll jerk their aim towards it instinctively. At closer ranges you may even hear them exclaim something to their teammates. In the event that you're reasonably certain you've been spotted - kill them as fast as you can. A single gunshot will give you away to a degree, but it's not nearly as bad as having a living enemy able to coordinate with their teammates to surround and destroy you.

Once you've taken the shot, the situation becomes far more dynamic. You'll almost certainly need to reposition, but also keep in mind that the situation - particularly the availability of concealment and cover, and the proximity of the enemy - may make it possible for you to stay hidden even after firing that single lethal shot.

The Psychological Element

Keep in mind the psychological aspects of what you're doing, and how it appears from the enemy's perspective. If a fireteam moves past you without seeing you, any trailing elements will be naturally inclined to believe that the area is clear - else the fireteam would have taken contact, right? Use these assumptions to your advantage!

If you do get in a fight, try to get into the enemy's mind - what will they expect you to do? What do they think you are - a single soldier, or a full fireteam? 

Patience

When all is said and done, most of your success at night while utilizing stealth will come from being patient, deliberate, calm, and thinking like the enemy. Rash decisions, panic, and hasty movements are your downfall. When you and your enemy are without night vision, just remember that the night is as much of a hindrance for them as it is for you - if you wouldn't be able to see something, neither would they. Use this to your advantage as you move about.

Weapon Usage at Night

Weapon employment at night brings with it hazards beyond what you'd experience in daylight. The muzzle flash of your weapon stands out brilliantly in the dark, allowing enemies to rapidly identify your firing position and return fire. Suppressors are essential to avoid this sort of signature, yet are often unavailable. In the absence of suppressors, be very careful about firing from solid cover whenever you can. If there's no solid cover, change positions after each burst - the enemy will return fire where they last saw the muzzle flashes, and you won't want to be there when the rounds arrive.

In addition to muzzle flash, tracers can be major liabilities at night. Weapons with significant launch signatures - such as anti-tank or anti-aircraft rockets or missiles - will give away your position the instant they're fired. The flash of an AT or AA missile launching can be seen from a great distance at night, and it tends to attract the attention of vehicles that could potentially be harmed by such weaponry. If you fire an AT or AA weapon at night, have a plan for where you can run or displace in the event that something bigger than you starts shooting back. If there's a risk of it, you're better off immediately displacing once your shot has been fired.

Sending Radio Traffic

Each position in the unit has a unique callsign that should be used for radio communications.

To send traffic, you must include an address and a terminator. Much like an address on a letter this states who is sending and receiving the traffic.

This looks as follows:

YOU, this is ME, .... Over.

This ensures that your traffic reaches the correct person and that they are aware who sent it. The over ensures that people know when the net is free for them to send their traffic as interruptions interfere with the clarity of the messages.

The Radio Check

This communication is used to verify that a radio frequency is working correctly and both sides are able to Transmit and Receive traffic.

To initiate a radio check, simply say:

Any station, this is CALLSIGN on FREQUENCY, radio check over.

If someone is able to hear you they should respond:

CALLSIGN, this is ME. Roger on FREQUENCY over.

Note

If a frequency is received with poor reception you should respond to their radio check with:

CALLSIGN, this is ME, you are coming in broken and unreadable over

The ACE report is an extension of the ACE report you were shown during BCT with the exception that you must now wrap them correctly for radio communication.

Do note that this method is limited to squad nets and more formal procedures exist for platoon and higher networks.

You, this is me, I am Green, Green, Green on ACE over.

You will normally send this to your team or squad leader so that they can maintain a current image of their squad/team’s capabilities. They will also be relaying this up to higher command to maintain visibility and coordinate logistics units for your element. As such it is important that you’re ACE report is clear and accurate.

Note

Do not guesstimate your equipment levels - take time to accurately check your remaining ammunition and evaluate it relative to what you started with.

Contact Report

Reporting that you are being engaged is an urgent communication but you should still use the wrapper format so that people know who made the call.

The format for a contact report is the same as the techniques learnt in BCT, except it is now over a radio:

You, this is Me, Taking Contact Distance, Direction, Description Over

Table Of Contents:

1. React to Contact Drill

2. Break Contact Rear

3. Assault on the Flank

4. Setting up for a platoon action

5. Linear Danger Areas

6. The Three Methods of Crossing a LDA

   1. Deliberate Crossing

   2. Hasty Crossing

   3. Crossing by Force

Infantry Battle Drills

Battle Drills are practiced responses to a given situation that represent the ideal mechanism for the response.

They define our normal response to situations in ideal conditions however, your squad leader will have received training on their use and implementation. As such they tend to fall more as guidelines that are adapted to the situation in the field. You should be prepared for this by having the best possible knowledge of these drills so that you are able to understand how to modify and implement them.

Note

Many Battle Drills are not taught directly at the AIT level. You Squad Leader will train you in more Battle Drills depending on your element’s role and his insight into your squad.

React to Contact Drill

This drill is designed to be employed when the team is transitioning ( moving positions as opposed to emplaced in cover and concealment ).

The setting of this battle drill is that a squad is moving as two distinct fire teams, with the squad leader in the rear half or center of the element.

The first team in the movement receives contact. This team immediately seeks a covered and concealed position to engage the contact with suppressing fire. At this time, the lead team is designated as being decisively engaged; That is to say that they cannot retreat without receiving effective fires from the enemy position.

At this time the second fire team will find a concealed position and avoid decisive engagement.

The squad leader will then manoeuvre via cover or concealment up to the engaged team. He will assess the situation and make an assessment of the correct response at that time.

He will decide between conducting a flanking maneuver, breaking contact, or setting up a support by fire position for a platoon level action. The scope of this decision making process is outlined in the Squad Leader training program and is not relevant to this drill.

At this point all of these responses form a part of another battle drill.

Break Contact Rear

This drill assumes that the squad is on line, being engaged from 12 o'clock.

The squad leader gives the order for the squad to conduct a break contact rear and selects a team to move first.

At this time the fire team leader of the selected team will order his team to deploy smoke grenades to create a smoke screen between their position and that of the enemy. Care should be taken to check the wind direction so as not to cover the overwatch team’s view.

Once the smoke has propagated, the fire team will direct his team to retreat backwards to a covered position if possible, but no further than 1 minutes sprint. From this position the team will emplacement and signal to the squad leader that the second fire team should now retreat.

The second fire team will follow the same practices of deploying smoke and moving backwards.

This drill is a successive bounding manoeuvre, meaning that the teams should end on line with each other and should not retreat past the other team.

Assault on the Flank

The flank assault is a technique for assaulting an element where a strategic location is defended by a force that is unable to gain superiority of fires over the squad.

This technique works by the first fire team providing suppressive fire onto the objective whilst the second fire team moves via a concealed route to the flank of the enemy position.

Once the team is set on the enemies flank, the team leader will signal to the squad leader that the team is prepared to assault.

At this time, the squad leader will give the order for the overwatch team to lift or shift fire. This involves moving the field of fire away from the direction of the friendly forces.

Once the overwatch team has shifted their fires, the assaulting element will form on line and push through the objective, coming to a halt on the far edge of the objective to the side on which they assaulted from.

Once the assault team has reached this point, officially called the limit of advance, the overwatch fire team will assault through the objective, complete any actives on the objective such as destroying emplaned equipment and finally ending their advance at the outer edge of the objective on line.

Setting up for a platoon action

At a Platoon level the same battle drills are used except entire squads are used instead of fireteams.

In this effect a platoon react to contact drill might work like this:

The first squad takes contact, becomes decisively engaged and communicates the contact information whilst suppressing the target

Second squad move to flank and push through the contact

Second squad assault and move to the line of advance on the objective.

First squad move up and push to the line of advance on the objective.

Linear Danger Areas

A linear danger area is one where there is an extended, exposed horizontal area, devoid of cover or concealment, where an enemy force may spot and engage friendly forces. Examples of Linear Danger Areas (LDAs) include roads, runways, large clearings in forests as well as rivers and / or fords.

The Three Methods of Crossing a LDA

There are three methods that can be used to cross a LDA. Your element leader will select a method based on the speed and security with which he wishes to cross the LDA. This decision making process is covered in a higher level training and is not documented in this course.

Deliberate Crossing

A Deliberate Crossing is the slowest and most secure way of crossing a linear danger area.

This involves one team first setting security on the near side of the LDA, seeking cover and concealment, from which the other team can be covered as they move across the LDA.

At the fireteam level this will be done by creating a gate at the edge of the linear danger area through which the second team will pass to prevent crossing any friendly lines of fire. The size of the gate will be defined by the availability of cover and concealment but could be as small as a few meters or as large as one hundred meters.

Once the gate has been established the second team will cross the LDA and clear the far side. Once the far side is secure the team leader will set up a far side gate, placing his team in cover and concealment so that they can provide security to the crossing team.

Once the far side security has been set the Fire Team Leader will radio the Squad Leader that it is safe for the next team to cross. At this time the near side security team will pick up and move their position across the road.

Note

In the event that the deliberate crossing is part of a larger platoon crossing the near side team will not collapse. They will instead remain in position to allow the platoon to pass through. Once the platoon has passed through the near side security will then collapse across the road and the the squad will become the last in the platoon formation.

Hasty Crossing

A Hasty Crossing is a faster but still relatively secure crossing method of crossing an LDA that can be used if there is a low risk of contact and a desire to cover ground faster. The Hasty Crossing is sometimes referred to as “Scrolling” a road.

The Hast Crossing involves the squad facing alternating directions across the LDA and forming a File. The squad will then approach the edge of the LDA man by man, with the next man moving across when he is shoulder to shoulder with the man behind him.

Once across the soldier will wait for the next man moving across when he is shoulder to shoulder with the man behind him.

Once across the soldier will wait for the next man to come across and take his position before moving on to a covered and concealed position.

This is repeated until the entire formation has crossed the LDA.

Crossing by Force

Crossing by Force refers to the practice of moving straight across the linear danger area without regard to special security or crossing techniques.

This is used when there is a very high demand for speed and a low chance of contact.

Map Reading: Grid References

Introduction

Map reading and navigation are essential skills for all players in Arma. Understanding how to interpret grid references allows you to locate positions accurately and relay them effectively to your team.

Grid References Overview

The map is divided into grids by Eastings (horizontal lines) and Northings (vertical lines). These numbers are used to create grid references that specify a location.

Types of Grid References

1. 4-Digit Grid Reference (1km x 1km):

   • Process:

     1. Read along the horizontal (Eastings) axis: e.g., 03.

     2. Read up the vertical (Northings) axis: e.g., 08.

     3. Combine: 0308.

   • Example: Locates a general area (1km x 1km).

2. 6-Digit Grid Reference (100m x 100m):

   • Process:

     1. Use zoomed-in grids for finer details.

     2. Add a third digit to both the Eastings and Northings: 036085.

   • Example: Marks a specific structure like a farm or building within the 1km square.

3. 8-Digit Grid Reference (10m x 10m):

   • Process:

     1. Estimate tenths along the horizontal and vertical grid.

     2. Add a fourth digit to both Eastings and Northings: 03630858.

   • Example: For highly precise targeting (airstrikes, artillery, etc.).

Key Concepts

• "Along the corridor, up the stairs":

  • Always read Eastings first, then Northings.

• Estimating 8-digit references:

  • Subdivide 100m grids into 10 equal parts (mentally).

  • Approximate based on position in the square.

Practical Applications

1. 4-Digit Reference: General area (e.g., town or landmark).

2. 6-Digit Reference: Specific structures or points of interest.

3. 8-Digit Reference: Critical for precision strikes or detailed navigation.

Example Grid Reference Breakdown

1. 4-Digit Reference: 0308 (1km square).

2. 6-Digit Reference: 036085 (farm within the square).

3. 8-Digit Reference: 03630858 (building within the farm area).

Pro Tip: Use 6-digit references for general navigation. Reserve 8-digit references for precision targeting such as calling in support.

Task Force Spartan 

Armored Convoy Halts & Dismounting 

It is a good idea to avoid staying mounted as passengers in them, due to the risk of a single RPG wiping out the entire vehicle, its crew, and the immediate family and close friends of everyone who was embarked on it at the time.

When dismounting, infantry elements should provide 360° security as a standard. They should also try to get at least fifteen meters of clearance from the vehicle to help protect against primary or secondary explosions in the event that it is engaged.

Moving on, let's look at the various other considerations that must be made regarding halts and dismounting from vehicles.

When to dismount?

To help decide on when to dismount, versus when to stay mounted, follow these basic guidelines.

●     If a halt is short duration (30 seconds or less), mounted troops typically stay in their vehicles. All personnel continue to scan around the vehicle and stay alert to any potential enemy threats.

●     If a halt is longer duration, mounted troops dismount and provide local security. Team leaders and squad leaders will order the dismount, at which point the "Dismount Drill" procedures are conducted. When it comes time to remount and move out, team leaders and squad leaders will say "Remount", "Mount up", or some variation thereof, which will then be repeated by everyone in earshot over direct-speaking comms. Each team leader will maintain accountability of their men each time they dismount and remount to ensure that nobody is ever left behind.

●     Regardless of the duration of a halt, the driver and gunner always stay mounted. The only time they will leave the vehicle is if it is disabled or destroyed. The gunner may also dismount if the vehicle gun is out of ammo, so that they can employ their personal weapon.

5 & 25 Scan

A "5 & 25" scan involves scanning the area immediately around you and the vehicle for five meters, then dismounting and scanning for 25 meters in all directions. The idea is to ensure that the vehicle did not stop near a concealed satchel charge, mine, or enemy. The tactical situation will determine how much time you have to spend on this scan. At the very least, upon dismounting, ensure that you do a hasty 360° threat scan. Ensure you check all of the concealment-offering objects - such as bushes, brush, etc - around you as time permits. A well-camouflaged enemy will be extremely difficult to detect.

Note that due to the peculiarities of how Arma models armor and vehicle protection, the "5 & 25" scan often becomes "get out of the vehicle FIRST and scan afterward", instead of the more real-world procedure of scanning the first 5 meters while still mounted. In reality, being mounted in an armored vehicle provides a very large degree of protection. In Arma 3 this can depend heavily on the armor of the vehicle and the potential explosives used, so it can be a judgment call as to whether you'll want to dismount first or not.

Dismount Drill Procedures

The 'dismount drill' is a standard set of procedures that are executed upon dismounting a vehicle. While they can differ somewhat based on the tactical situation (ie: under fire or not), the same concepts apply at all times.

If dismounting under fire...

●     Dismount once the vehicle has come to a halt or is moving slow enough that exiting will not injure you. Always Dismount to the side that isn't taking fire from the enemy positions

●     Immediately return fire on known or suspected enemy positions while moving to a position that offers cover or concealment. If no cover or concealment is available, either use the vehicle as cover, or take a lower stance.

●     Begin the "React to Contact" battle drill and follow it until directed otherwise.

●     If the situation allows, conduct a hasty "5 & 25" scan, as described above. Ambushers will often try to get vehicles to stop in an area that has been mined or otherwise booby-trapped.

If not under fire...

Dismount once the vehicle has come to a halt.

●     Move away from the vehicle to a position that offers cover or concealment. If unavailable, take a knee or go prone to reduce your exposure.

●     Conduct a deliberate "5 & 25" scan, as described above.

●     Scan outward and identify likely threat avenues, key terrain, etc.

●     Continue scanning the surrounding terrain for enemy threats until ordered to remount the vehicle or move out with your team leader.

Bear in mind that this same dismount drill can be used when exiting a helo or any other vehicle where you may need to immediately fight or form a perimeter and provide security.

The decision to dismount can be a command from a leader or on your own disciplined initiative. If given as a command, it will be "Dismount, dismount!". Individual initiative is important here, of course. Don't sit in a vehicle getting shot up if you know you should be dismounting to react to the threat on foot!

Do not say "BAIL OUT!" when ordering an infantry dismount! "BAIL OUT" will cause the entire crew to exit the vehicle as well, and should only be used if the vehicle is in imminent threat of being completely destroyed.

Situational Awareness

Everyone in a vehicle must scan their sectors to maintain situational awareness at all times. Vigilance will help to spot enemy ambushers and spoil their element of surprise. The sector a person scans will depend upon where they are placed in the vehicle. For an MRAP, basic sectors are depicted below. 360° coverage is the ultimate goal.

Convoy Operations

Speed is Life, but Cohesion is Important

Speed in a convoy tends to result in security. This is due to the fact that speed makes it harder to engage the vehicles with threat weapons such as RPGs, command-detonated explosives, and more. However, one must be careful to balance speed with cohesion - if a convoy is spread out too far, the mutual support of each vehicle's weapons, and the security they bring, is lost. This leaves individual vehicles subject to the massed fires of the enemy, which can cause a lot of trouble in short order.

To maintain convoy cohesion, the first vehicle must be aware of their speed and the proximity of those behind them. The convoy commander and other vehicle drivers can facilitate that situational awareness by communicating with the lead vehicle and other vehicles, giving them guidance on their speed, interval, sectors of observation, and more.

If the lead vehicle needs to unexpectedly brake hard for some reason, the driver will say "BRAKING, BRAKING, BRAKING '' loudly over comms to help to prevent the trailing vehicles from piling into them when they slow down.

Interval

Maintaining good intervals is a key aspect of multi-vehicle operations. Depending on the terrain, vehicles should keep from 20 to 100 meters of spacing between each other. This helps to lessen the effects of enemy explosives such as satchel charges and IEDs and makes it harder for the enemy to mass fires on multiple vehicles at once.

It is particularly important to maintain good intervals when stopping temporarily, taking corners or other types of turns, and halting the convoy.

Route Selection & Actions-On

Avoid urban areas whenever possible. It is far   too easy for an enemy force to set up a devastating ambush in an urban area. Routes which pass through heavily wooded or extremely rocky areas are likewise dangerous, but due to the nature of some terrains, they cannot always be avoided. Caution is the prime defense in that case.

The convoy must know where to go, and must be planned out in advance with backup courses of action. If every driver knows the path they're supposed to take, and what the end goal is, they are able to better make tactical decisions and judgment calls in high-stress situations.

The convoy must know actions-on. If the vehicles take contact, the drivers must know what they are supposed to do. In some situations it will be important to maintain high momentum and fight through every ambush or contact with ferociously aggressive action, while others will benefit from a more deliberate approach which involves clearing each contact with the help of dismounted infantry. It is up to the convoy commander to ensure that actions-on are briefed before the convoy starts rolling.

Situational Awareness & Security

Gunners must cover appropriate sectors. The first vehicle in a convoy watches to the front, the last vehicle watches to the rear, and vehicles in between alternate left-right-left so that guns are pointed in all threat directions at all times. It is important that gunners maintain their 360° observation even when contact seems to primarily be coming from a specific direction - if not, it is easy for the enemy to exploit this and maneuver into or fire from unobserved areas while the gunners are distracted elsewhere.

Cohesion and security at halts are critical. Maintaining a cohesive formation and using good security procedures are critical to convoy survivability. If a full halt must be conducted, dismounted infantry must be employed to keep the convoy safe while halted. Cohesion is just as important, as it masses friendly forces and makes it much more difficult for the enemy to endanger the convoy. 

Actions on…

Contact - Push Through

If ambushed, our standard procedure is to fight through it while mounted and not stop until we have exited the kill zone. If the enemy begins firing on a convoy, all gunners should immediately bring their weapons to bear and put out a heavy volume of return fire. Even if the gunners cannot see the enemy, they need to be firing in the direction that they are taking fire from. Once an ambush is initiated, the lead vehicle driver needs to be particularly vigilant in their scanning of the road. The odds of an IED or other explosive being placed in the path is extremely high, and it will require split-second timing to avoid such devices.

Pushing through is the default action on ambush. Leaders can also emphasize this by stating "Push through!" upon making contact.

Contact - Dismount & Assault Through

The alternate method of dealing with contact as a convoy is to assault into the contact. This is done with the verbal command of "Assault through!". When this order is given, troops dismount while vehicle gunners lay heavy fire onto the enemy positions. The dismounts and vehicles then proceed to maneuver towards the enemy and decisively engage and destroy them. When the enemy has been defeated, troops remount and continue on with the mission.

Note that when assaulting through, the infantry and vehicles are still ultimately interested in continuing on the convoy. They have some freedom to maneuver off of the convoy route to take the fight to the enemy, but they do not want to get pulled too far away.

Disabled Vehicle

Most of the types of damage that can result in a disabled vehicle cannot be worked around in Combat. Because of this, our standard procedure for a disabled vehicle is for the other vehicles to drive around it, halt in a safe area (out of the kill zone, if it's an ambush), and recover the vehicle crew if they're still alive.

It is up to the crew of the disabled vehicle to get out of their vehicle and fight their way to friendly forces. Stopping more vehicles within an ambush kill zone would only result in casualties and more disabled vehicles.

When a vehicle is disabled, anyone who sees it states "Vehicle down!" on comms to indicate it.

Canalizing Ground

Canalizing ground is any sort of ground in which vehicles are heavily restricted in how they maneuver within it. When this sort of terrain is encountered, infantry are dismounted to move ahead and sweep the area before the convoy is committed to moving through it. It is important to keep the dismounted infantry within range of the supporting fires of the convoy vehicles while conducting this sweep, too.

Convoy Halts

When halting a convoy, simply stacking the vehicles up on the road one-after-the-other is not the ideal way to do things. While this can be used for very brief halts, the better choice for reaction-to-contact or longer-duration halts is either the Herringbone formation (preferred, as it's the easiest to do) or the Coil formation.

Note, of course, that infantry should conduct dismount drills and provide local security whenever convoy halts are made, as described previously.

Herringbone Formation

The standard formation to use when halting a convoy is known as the "Herringbone". In this, the vehicles pull off to both sides of the road in an alternating manner - the first vehicle pulls off to the right, second to the left, third to the right, and so on. The vehicles stay angled at about a 45° angle relative to the road. This formation is easy to execute and allows for the convoy to get good security when halted while also spreading the vehicles out a bit more than otherwise. This formation can be used in open terrain as well, in which case the direction of movement becomes the "road" and vehicles move relative to it.

Coil Formation

The other formation that can be used is more geared towards armored vehicles. When executing a "Coil" formation, the lead vehicle stops and faces forward, the second vehicle pulls to the left and faces left (angling their strong frontal armor to the left), the third vehicle pulls to the right and faces right, while the trail vehicle turns around or spins in place so that it is oriented towards the rear. This allows for the vehicles to place their strongest armor in the direction that they're covering and provides excellent 360° security.

Armor & Infantry

Armored vehicles are powerful force multipliers in the combined arms battle. When properly employed with the support of infantry, the combination is difficult to match.

Being familiar with and knowing how to work with armor are critical skills for infantry and vehicle crews to have.

Coordination

An armored vehicle without infantry is vulnerable, just as infantry without armored support are vulnerable.

When in close terrain (such as dense woods or urban environments), it is beneficial to have infantry dismounted and moving on all sides of the armor. Infantry should lead the armor in such a situation, to prevent the armor from stumbling into an anti-armor trap or ambush.

Armor/infantry coordination in close terrain requires a great deal of communication back-and-forth. Armor needs to know where the friendly infantry are, where the enemy is, while infantry need to communicate to the armor where it should move, whether there are any friendlies close to the armor (perhaps in its blind spot), where they suspect the enemy to be, and so on and so forth.

Infantry bring the following benefits to armored vehicle crews when employed together.

What Infantry Provide to Armor

-Dispersed eyes-on-the-ground which can stay alert for threats such as:

-Enemy anti-tank threats - AT gunners, cannons, deployed ATGMs

-Enemy armored vehicles

Mines, satchels, and IEDs

-Ability to spot targets without exposing the armor, and then direct the armor's movement and fires to kill the targets efficiently.

-Protection in close terrain.

-Guiding movement in close terrain.

Helicopters & Infantry

Helicopters provide infantry with both transportation and fire support. They are the most tightly-integrated air asset available to ground troops and act as a major force multiplier. 

Helicopters are commonly employed in a support role, and all players are expected to be familiar with their employment in the combined arms fight. That familiarity begins with knowing the pros and cons of their combined arms role.

Pros & Cons

The pros and cons of helicopters in the combined arms role are as follows.

Pros

1. Observation. Helicopters are great at reconnaissance and security. This is in part due to their relatively low speed and the low altitude that they operate at, combined with observation pods on many of the most common helicopters employed.

2. Insertion/extraction capability. Helicopters can airlift troops and drop them at will nearly anywhere they want. This allows for great flexibility in planning operations.

3. Orbit capability. A helicopter can stay "on station" over the ground forces it is supporting with ease, due to the dynamics of helicopter flight as compared to what jets are able to do. A helicopter that is orbiting over friendly forces is available to provide support in the form of machine guns, cannon fire, rockets, ATGMs, or observation, depending on the variant and armaments.

4. Rapid reaction to Close Air Support requests. Due to the ability to orbit as described previously, a helicopter acting in a CAS role can rapidly react to any support requests made. This reduces the time between a CAS request being made and rounds landing on target. This, in turn, makes it more likely that the CAS will be able to suppress or kill the enemy threat before it can do harm to friendly forces.

5. Precision CAS. Helicopters can be very precise in their employment of fires, due to speed, altitude, magnified optics, the capability to hover, et cetera.

6. Stealth. Helicopters can get low to the ground and can hide in terrain in a fashion similar to ground vehicles or even infantry. They can transport troops in a concealed fashion, as well as sneak around in a combat capability, popping up into view only when they're ready to kill something.

Cons

1. More vulnerable to most threat weapons. Helicopters can be taken down by a wide range of weapon types if they're not carefully employed. They fly low and slow relative to jets, and transport variants can be very vulnerable when flying into or out of a landing zone.

2. Weaker armament than jets. Helicopters cannot lift as much ordnance as jet aircraft, meaning that they almost never have anything that can pack the same kind of punch as a 500lb or 2000lb bomb from a jet. However, they make up for this with the precision of their fires.

3. Loud. The enemy will definitely hear helicopters coming in, unless in the midst of a major battle.

Airborne Assaults

An airborne assault is simply an assault which uses helicopters to move the infantry into position. Airborne assaults are planned by the highest leadership element in game - usually the Platoon or Company Commander in a cooperative environment.

Planning the Assault

Landing Zone (LZ) Considerations

The first thing that must be considered for an airborne assault is where the landing zone(s) will be. Things like equipment loadout, force composition, main objectives, etc are typically done on the mission-makers side, so they are not generally planned for at the platoon level. The platoon gets the orders [in the form of a mission operation order] and acts on them.

When choosing a landing zone, the following must be taken into consideration. In short, you use METT-TC and OCOKA, but specific emphasis is made on the following elements of it.

1. Terrain. What kind of terrain is around the objective? Is it hilly, flat, mountainous, etc? Flat terrain makes LZ selection difficult and generally forces you to land further from the objective. Hilly, rough terrain can allow for a closer LZ to the objective, but makes it harder to find a good LZ to set down at - which increases the usefulness of being able to drop troops without setting the helicopter down.

2. Approaches. Being able to approach the LZ and never come into visual view of the enemy is highly desired. If they cannot see you, they cannot hit you with direct-fire weapons, and you may be able to confuse them as to your precise landing spot. Terrain depressions, hills, and even forests can be used to mask the helo on the approach.

3. Cover/Concealment availability. Once the troops are on the ground, what kind of cover and concealment will they have? The more the merrier. At the same time, landing in an area with too much hard cover can be tricky for pilots, increasing the risk of damaging the aircraft.

4. Proximity to the enemy. The closer you try to land to the enemy, the riskier things get. While 'hot' landings can be done, they require the element of surprise to be effective, and benefit greatly from CAS and artillery fires being used to suppress or otherwise occupy the enemy during them.

5. Likelihood of patrols. The more likely enemy forces will be patrolling far out around the objective, the further the LZ should be, or the more the LZ should be prepped (by artillery or CAS) before the landing occurs.

6. Enemy anti-air capabilities. If the enemy has MANPAD missiles or Tigris AA vehicles, a masked approach becomes critical. If that is not possible, the LZ must be far enough away from the enemy that there is no reasonable chance of being engaged by the enemy anti-air at or near the landing zone.

After the primary LZs are chosen, a set of alternate LZs should be determined based on the possibility of enemy contact at the main LZs. Alternate LZs should typically be positioned 500 or more meters further away from the expected enemy positions than the primary LZs, as an additional safety measure.

Coordination

Once the LZ(s) and alternate LZ(s) are decided on (and clearly marked on the map), the next step is to coordinate the overall assault. At this point, the following needs to be hashed out.

1. What squads will be in what helos? As soon as this is known, the squad leaders will oversee the embarkation of their troops into their assigned helos.

2. What helos will go to what LZs, and in what order will they fly? Establishing an order of flight is critical if one wants to get to the LZ in any sort of organized fashion.

3. What is the planned route to the LZ? High/low alt, terrain following, etc. Mapping out the route with map marks is always useful. Note that pilots can use the 'vehicle' channel to place detailed waypoints on the map for their own reference during flight. When time is available to do this, it should always be done, as it greatly reduces the workload on the pilot/navigator and allows them to concentrate more fully on situational awareness.

4. What order will the helos land? Simultaneously, staggered? Are waves necessary? 

• Simultaneous. A simultaneous landing is when all aircraft hit the LZ within about fifteen seconds of each other. This puts a lot of boots on the ground very rapidly and forces any defending forces to split their fires between multiple helicopters. Simultaneous landings typically cover a decent stretch of ground, which further dilutes the effectiveness of any defensive enemy fire. The number of guns on the helos also helps to suppress the landing zone on the way in, and provides support on the way out.

• Staggered. Staggered landings occur when helicopters hit the LZ one after the other, with 30 seconds to a minute or more between each landing. This allows one squad to get on the ground, establish the security of the LZ, and provide coverage as the next helo comes in. Staggered landings are sometimes forced by the terrain - if there is only a small LZ in a clearing that is suitable for landing, you may not be able to orchestrate a simultaneous landing.

• Waves. Waves occur when the number of helicopters available cannot airlift the entire assault force in one go. The key characteristic of wave landings is that the initial force will be alone on the ground for as long as it takes for the aircraft to return to the staging area, pick up the next wave, and fly them in. If the enemy becomes aware of the fact that waves are being used, they are likely to try to ambush successive waves. It is important to not become predictable in flight path/ingress directions when using waves.

What are the responsibilities of the various squads and fireteams upon landing? 

Each squad needs to know where to go immediately upon landing so that they clear the LZs as quickly as possible and provide security for the assault force. Security must be given high-priority consideration, as it is critical to the success of getting all friendly infantry onto the ground safely. Each fireteam should know what area of responsibility it has, and the squads should be given clear orders regarding what areas they are responsible for covering at the landing zone.

At the Landing Zone

Assuming that none of the above-listed contingencies happen (downed helo, heavy contact, emergency landing), the following steps take place at the landing zone.

The helo comes into range of the LZ and prepares to land. Speed and altitude drop accordingly. It is important that the pilot's approach is smooth and fast, as it minimizes the amount of time the embarked troops are in a vulnerable position.

The door gunner and crew chief scan the LZ area and suppress any contacts as necessary. The helo crew scans vigilantly to ensure that the helo is not about to set down into an ambush. If they see anything suspicious, they immediately report it to the pilot.

Helo touches down at the LZ.

Pilot announces "Go, go, go!" loudly, which the senior infantry leader on the helo repeats. It is important to let the pilot make this announcement, since they are the one that knows whether or not the landing is complete. "Jumping the gun" and hopping out too soon can result in rather nasty falls.

Upon hearing "Go, go, go!", all infantry immediately dismount, and the door gunner and crew chief hold fire to avoid hitting any dismounting infantry. The door gunner dismounts after their fellow infantry are safely out. Note that when disembarking, every player should avoid crossing the door gunners' lines of fire if possible. Even though the door gunner and crew chief are supposed to hold their fire when troops are debarking, there may be times when they have to risk it and fire anyway. Obviously, running in front of something like an M134 can end your day in a real harsh way. To play it safe, players should do their best to avoid crossing the lines of fire of the door gunner and crew chief. As a door gunner or crew chief, you should exercise a great deal of caution when firing in the five seconds after touchdown during which the troops are disembarking and moving out.

Senior element leader (ie: squad leader) oversees the dismounting process. They step away from the aircraft a few paces, take a knee if possible, and watch the passenger section of the aircraft.

All infantry immediately head to their assigned areas. A typical squad insertion involves the fireteams spreading out on either side of the landing zone to provide 360° security. Each fireteam moves away from the aircraft, spacing out and orienting outward to defend against any nearby threats. If hard cover and concealment is around, the infantry naturally integrate it into their movement and defensive plans.

When no troops are left on the helo, the senior element leader tells the helo pilot that ground forces are clear of the helo. The crew chief is also observing the cargo area and will tell the pilot as well - either can be used as the signal for lifting off.

The helo takes off. Upon hearing that ground forces are clear, the crew chief resumes firing suppression of any enemy forces around the LZ. The pilot then begins their post-insertion mission, which oftentimes is that of aerial reconnaissance and support.

Extractions

Getting troops on the ground is only part of the problem. Oftentimes they will need to be extracted as well - sometimes from a clear LZ and sometimes from the midst of a heated firefight.

Helo extractions can take several forms. At the highest level you have a full multi-squad extraction of all friendly elements that requires several helos to achieve. At a lower level you may see an extraction of something like a scout/sniper team, forward observer, or other small element. 

The main point for the infantry on the ground is to do everything they can to minimize the risk of the helo being shot down when it comes in to make a landing. This requires good choices of landing zones, posting security, good lanes of fire and observation, and good communication and coordination with the helo.

Procedure for Calling an Extract

1. First, give a heads-up to the pilot along with a general area they should start to head for. This allows the aircraft to be making progress towards the area before the specific LZ has been decided on.

2. Identify a good extraction area and mark an LZ on the map. Oftentimes the tactical situation will require you to choose an LZ that is difficult to observe and fire into. Forcing the infantry to run a bit further, provided that it reduces the chance that the helo will be shot down, is an acceptable side effect.

3. Communicate the LZ position to the extract helo(s). Use clear and concise language and ensure that you tell the helo about the situation at the LZ - specifically, mention any expected threats, whether the LZ is hot or cold, the terrain, and the intent in choosing it. For example - if you picked an LZ on a specific side of a hill, make sure that the pilot(s) know that you did so because you expect an enemy threat to exist on the other sides of the hill.

4. Move to and secure the landing zone. Clear the area of hostiles and think about where enemies could position themselves that would be a threat to the incoming helicopters.

5. Post security. Security elements will watch for the enemy and hold them off if necessary. They will be the last to board the helos. Security elements must be confident that their leaders will tell them when to board the helos, so that they can focus on providing security and not being distracted by watching the aircraft come in, land, et cetera. Typically the entire squad will be employed as the security element.

6. Guide the helo in verbally and visually and deploy smoke if available to help it on final approach. The senior element leader on the ground will communicate with the pilot to ensure that they are coming to the correct LZ. If operating in visually cluttered terrain, smoke can be deployed to help reduce the amount of time it takes for the pilot to locate the LZ. The senior leader on the ground will talk to the helicopter pilot until they have touched down, giving them feedback on where they are landing, where friendly troops are, where the enemy is expected to be, and correcting them as necessary.

7. Board rapidly and get out of there. Once the helo is on the ground, security elements are called in and board the helicopter. The process of boarding must be done very rapidly, with each team leader guiding their teammates to the helicopter as quickly as possible. The last person in should be the overall element leader, who is accountable for their troops. Once they're in, they board the aircraft and loudly state "We're in, go, go, go!", at which point the helo takes off and the crew chief and door gunner, if available, fire heavy suppression to cover the aircraft as it gains speed and altitude.

Close Air Support

Close air support (CAS) is the use of aircraft to directly support ground forces. It comes in two main forms - that of fixed-wing (jet) support, and rotary-wing (helo) support. Both have their pros and cons, and both are major force multiplies for the infantry.

The CAS Request

A standard CAS request is as follows. This can be expanded on or condensed as the situation dictates - this should simply serve as a guideline of what information can be useful and how to present it.

1. Establish comms with the aircraft. This call allows for the CAS aircraft and FAC to establish that CAS is needed and warn the pilot that the full CAS request will follow.
   
   "Hawg, this is _______, requesting immediate CAS"
   
   

2. Describe the target. The FAC gives a brief description of the target to be attacked. This helps to give the CAS aircraft an idea of what ordnance they will use.
   
   "Target is an enemy infantry squad"
   
   

3. Describe the target location. The FAC clearly describes where the target is located. Map markers are good to use for this, combined with some kind of visual reference that can be seen from the air.
   
   "They're in a treeline to the west of Bravo's position, 600 meters out. Marked as 'treeline ei 3'."
   
   

4. Define control, time on target, and ordnance to use. Whether the strike happens ASAP or at a designated time or in response to a specific call, and if necessary, the type of ordnance requested.
   
   "Give me bombs and rockets on that target ASAP."
   
   

5. Elaborate as necessary. Anything not covered already, as time and the situation allow.
   
   "The treeline runs north-west to south-east, approaching from either. Friendlies are located 600 meters east of the treeline in good cover. The enemy is spread throughout that treeline; hit it all over."
   
   An example of how that might be condensed in a gaming environment is as follows:
   
   "Hawg, need immediate CAS on enemy squad at marker 'treeline ei 3' 600m to the west of Bravo. They're all over the treeline, hit it ASAP with whatever you've got."
   
   

6. Target Designation WITHOUT Lasers
   CAS without laser designation is a bit trickier. Follow these guidelines...
   
   

7. Guiding with Landmarks
   Depending on the type of landmark and distance of the target from it, landmarks can be either excellent or merely acceptable guides. The key thing to keep in mind is that the landmark must be something that can be easily seen from the air.
   
   The type of air asset (jets naturally are moving much faster than helos) will dictate what type of landmark is suitable. Landmarks can be natural parts of the terrain (ie boulders, a prominent cluster of trees, the bend of a river) or man-made (buildings, destroyed vehicles, smoke columns).
   
   

8. Guiding with Munitions or Smoke
   
   This is the least desirable way to orient aircraft on a target, since it typically alerts the target and gives them a bearing on friendly forces. In a pinch, infantry can utilize smoke (preferably launched via a 3GL or other UGL) or a Mk32 to designate a target for aircraft. Tracers can also be used to designate targets. Guiding a CAS strike with munitions can be very difficult, and should be avoided when possible. Efforts should be made to accomplish the guidance in another fashion before resorting to this, particularly when stealth is a concern.