Post by zero_sector™ on Jun 18, 2009 21:24:05 GMT 8
Basic Military Tactics “101s”
The words “Military Tactics” are commonly used words among airsoft players, paintball players, and obviously, military personal. In this article there will be basic military tactics information and how to apply them to your team or just for yourself. In later issues, there will be more in-depth articles on tactics, but before one can learn the advance, one must learn the basics. Again, these are the basics many of the readers will know, but for the people new to the sport, we thought we should start at the beginning.
The words “military tactics” refer to: methods of engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Throughout time, military tactics have changed extensively under the influence of philosophy and technology. Up until the 19th century, military tactics were mainly on battle warfare concerning how to maneuver units in battle on open terrain. If you think about it, most battles around the 19th century and before were conducted when both armies met on open fields and fought, especially in the European wars and battles. In modern terminology, tactics refer more to the operational application of forces to a situation. Don’t get this confused with military strategy which is concerned with more long-term results. There are many levels on which tactics can be brought up on: from room clearing to how to clear miles of terrain. Common military tactics would include the following: frontal assaults, flank (rear) assaults, ambushes, etc.
Now let’s talk about some different basic types of tactics for you and/or your team to use. Reconnaissance is the military term for gathering information about the enemy. This could include: where they are located, how large their force is, their intentions, the best way to insert and extract into and from an enemy’s AO (Area of Operation), etc. Basically: you are gathering all the information you can about the enemy and how best to complete your assigned tasks and mission. This provides the solid building blocks for the intelligence side of the operation. Reconnaissance is often referred to as “recce” or “recon” depending on the role of the reconnaissance mission.
Patrolling is another tactic. Small groups of units or individuals (depending on how many men are needed) are sent from a larger formation to complete a certain objective and then return. There are many types of patrols, each depending on a different objective. The most common patrol is collecting intelligence by carrying out a reconnaissance mission. The patrol may try to remain covert and record info on the enemy without being detected. Some reconnaissance patrols are actually overt, which is the exact opposite of covert. Their mission may be to interact with the civilian population and receive information concerning the enemy they are fighting.
A fighting patrol is a group with a good substantial amount of men (platoon or company) and equipment to raid or ambush a specific enemy. Don’t get this confused with an attack because in a raid or ambush you do not hold the ground in which you acquire after defeating the enemy.
A clearing patrol is a brief patrol around a newly occupied defensive position to ensure the area is secure. These kinds of patrols are sent on missions called “screens” which means to patrol a certain area. Ambushing is another military tactic used for quite some time where the ambushing force uses cover, or concealment, to attack an enemy at a certain point when they pass by. The ambushers strike from a concealed position such as dense bushes or behind hills. This tactic is usually used to gather information or to establish control over an area.
Ambushing is most often used by ground troops up to a platoon size against enemy targets. Ambushes are multi-phase operations and usually should be planned in some detail from insertion to extraction (hint: always have a plan B, always then have a plan C, etc).
Since ambushing is used frequently, I thought I should outline the basics for planning for, setting of, executing of, and extracting from an ambush. The first step is planning. The first step is to designate a kill zone. This is a reasonable position in which there is cover and a vantage point that all your team members or you can see when the enemy is in range.
The next step is setting the ambush. To be successful in an ambush, a patrol must deploy into the area covertly and establish secure and covert positions overlooking the kill zone. If your squad has enough men, think about a cut-off group. This is a group which “scouts” ahead of the kill zone, radios the man in charge of the operation when the enemy is approaching, and prevents any enemies from escaping once the ambush is initiated. The main thing during setting the ambush is the man in charge should make sure that none of his men are directly in each other’s line of fire. Once your team, or you, is set up, you need to then wait for the enemy to come into sight.
The next step is pretty simple: eliminate the enemy - the execution phase. Again, the coming of the enemy should be signaled by the cut-off unit. Once the enemy is in range or in the middle of the ambush kill zone, the commander should initiate the ambush with either shots from his weapon, an explosive device, a hand signal, or a simple whistle blast. Once that has happened, it’s up to everyone in the unit to shoot straight and shoot fast. The final part of this step is to check the enemy for intelligence, taking prisoners, checking for bodies, and if you are nice, treating the wounded enemy. The final step is extraction. Your squad being compromised, there should be an extraction plan to get out of the AO as soon as possible before assisting enemy units arrive.
Now let’s talk about a frontal assault in more detail. A frontal assault is also called a suicide strike. Why? Well, it is basically a direct, hostile movement of forces towards the enemy in a large number in attempt to defeat them. This should always be the commander’s last resort. During the 19th century, this type of warfare was popular on horses, but as the range and accuracy of weapons improved, it proved to be suicidal. This type of tactic was also used a great deal in the American Civil War and World War I in trench warfare, being one of main reasons for the large number of casualties during trench warfare also.
Now these are the very, very basic military tactics. Later on in the issue, there will be a more in depth look at some tactics that you and your team can apply more directly to airsoft.
More In--Depth Look into the Basics:
Now that the basics were covered in the above article, I want to discuss a more in-depth look on how you can apply these to your team. You may want to modify them to adjust to your team’s situation, or you may not. Regardless of that, here are some more in-depth tactics of the “101’s” of military tactics.
Basic Field Operating Procedures
Infantry Minor Tactics or IMTs are the very basic tactics that are employed at the squad, section, or platoon level. They are, generally speaking, reasonably similar across most modern armies.
In most situations, except static defense, IMTs are based on the principle of "fire and movement" - that is firing and moving, often in pairs. One soldier is firing to suppress or neutralize the enemy while the other soldier moves either toward the enemy or to a more favorable position to attack/counter-attack. The movement often uses only 5-10 feet per move. This technique is sometimes referred to as "pepper-potting" (British) or "fire team rushes"(US). IMTs are typically taught to all arms and services both in basic training and often also whilst undergoing non-infantry specialty training. In some military forces, such as the Australian Army and the United States Marine Corps, all units in the field force regardless of corps, regiment, trade, or specialty are supposed to undergo annual refresher training in IMTs, on the basis all soldiers in a conflict can be expected to be involved at least providing local security for their unit
or formation.
Most IMTs are taught in the form of a drill – i.e. a series of choreographed steps that occur in reaction to a certain stimuli, such as sighting an enemy to the front, or being engaged by enemy from flank etc. The initial stages of the drill are reutilized, and therefore, action doesn't require full appraisal of the situation by individual soldiers or unit commanders. Such stimulus-response training allows coordinated responses without the need for direct orders. In combat, this allows the first few moments of the engagement to occur almost automatically and gives the soldiers a way to respond appropriately and predictably (i.e. take cover and start returning fire, or shift the flanks to becoming in enfilade to a surprise attack) while the unit commander assesses the actual situation and issues orders further orders.
Perhaps the most basic of all IMTs is the "Basic Drill". The Basic Drill is the drill all individual soldiers are supposed to perform if they come under "effective fire".
The basic drill is:
• Run two or three steps
• Drop to the ground or into cover
• Crawl a few yards (or move under concealment/cover)
• Observe
• Shoot (identified targets of opportunity within effective range)
• Move
• Observe
• Shoot
• Move
• Repeat until issued orders.
The basic drill is designed to provide the soldier with simple steps to follow under the stress of combat. The essential goal of the basic drill is to move the soldier into cover, remove him from the last position where he was likely to be seen by the enemy, and keep him "positively engaged” (identifying and shooting) with any targets in his effective area until his commander makes an appraisal and issues instructions.
Fire and movement is the basic military tactic used by small unit commanders on the modern battlefield. It uses the power of suppressive fire to decrease the enemy's firepower, organization, intelligence, and morale. This tactic has been brought to a new level with the advent of automatic weapons, but also has been used in its basics since ancient times with slingers and archers providing covering fire for advancing infantry and cavalry. Fire and movement work on the basis of suppressing an enemy with an appropriate level of fire, while at the same time advancing. This will take the form of two units of whatever size appropriate – two soldiers or larger.
Base of Fire
One unit will provide a base of fire from a position in order to suppress the enemy. This will take the form of sustained fire on the enemy position as to prevent movement or return of fire on the advancing unit.
Suppression
Heavy and continuous fire keeps an opponent suppressed and therefore limits the overall firepower of a unit (if a platoon has 30 soldiers, but only 15 are shooting back because the other 15 are being suppressed, you have tactically limited that unit's firepower by 50%). It also builds up confusion and sometimes panics for undisciplined forces. The fire cuts down on an enemy's intelligence in that they are not able to assess the situation as clearly. Finally the suppressive fire hurts an enemy's morale by scaring them, for the fire is continuous. In actuality, it scares more then it kills, but an enemy who hesitate the least bit is at a great disadvantage.
Advance
While a base of fire is set up, the second unit will advance to cover in front, in the process setting up a new base of fire at this point. After a new base of fire has been set up the first unit will advance, under cover of the new fire base, to a new position and set up another fire base there. This continues on and on till the enemy is either captured or killed.
Assault
The “advance” is repeated until the units have closed upon the enemy position. At this point a unit will close in on the enemy and destroy them.
Overwatch
In modern warfare, overwatch is the state of one small unit supporting another, while they are executing fire and movement tactics. An overwatching, or supporting unit has taken a position where it can observe the terrain ahead, especially likely enemy positions. This allows it to provide effective covering fire for advancing friendly units. The term overwatch originates in U.S. military doctrine.
An ideal overwatch position provides cover for the unit and unobstructed lines of fire. It may be on a higher piece of ground or at the top of a ridge, where a vehicle may be able to adopt a hull-down position. If the overwatching unit is in a position to fire over advancing friendly units, great care must be taken not to let fire fall short. The friendly units should be within tracer burnout (the range at which tracer rounds are visible).
Overwatch can be performed by platoons during company fire and movement, infantry sections, in platoon fire and movement, or even by fire teams or individual soldiers, in the final stages of an assault.
Offensive Tactics
These following tactics are basic offensive tactics on how to outsmart the enemy and how to defeat them by basic common knowledge of tactics.
A flying wedge or flying V is a charging technique in which troops are arrayed to form a V- shaped wedge formation or boar's head.
Military uses:
If the point of the wedge can breach the enemy line, the following troops can widen the gap. As successive ranks of the wedge engage, they can draw their opponents' attention away from previous ranks, thereby protecting them.
This tactic relies on momentum and penetration. If the point of the wedge can be stopped for even a moment, the wedge can be easily enveloped in a pincer attack which will be discussed later. The tactic is especially effective when used by heavily-armed infantry against shield wall defensive formations, where defenders link their shields to form an all but impenetrable wall. The flying wedge can be used to knock a small section of the wall open, and flank the enemy from inside their own line.
The pincer movement (double envelopment) is a basic element of military strategy which has been used, to some extent, in nearly every war. The maneuver is mostly self-explanatory; the flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy's flanks, in order to surround it. At the same time, a second layer of pincers attacks on the more extreme flanks, so as to prevent any attempts to reinforce the target unit.
Most infantry combat, on every scale, is based in some fashion on this military tactic and it is commonly used by aircraft as well. In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides or rear of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver were to succeed, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which often grants victory to the flanking side. As the flank is usually the weaker part of an army, flanking often gives the attacker an advantage on the psychological condition or the practical condition of an army, depending on the situation.
The flanking maneuver is one of the most basic tactics used in battles. There are two types of flanking. In the first type, the principle of the flanking maneuver is to be sudden and able to catch the enemy by surprise, causing the enemy to overreact or retreat when they are surrounded from a few directions. Usually this type of flanking is concealed in an ambush.
The second type is obvious and transparent, and thus gives the enemy a chance to prepare. A typical example will be a platoon encountering an isolated enemy combat outpost. Taking fire from the combat outpost, the platoon commander may decide to flank. In this case, one third to two thirds of his platoon may remain in position and "fix" the enemy with suppressive fire. This prevents the enemy from retreating or reorienting to a new threat. The remainder of the platoon will advance discreetly to the flanks of the enemy, before destroying the enemy in rushes. Because of the possibility of fratricide, coordination is very important.
The most effective form of flanking maneuver is the double-envelopment that involves simultaneous flanking from both ends of the line of battle.
To prevent from being flanked, a unit could be sent to engage the enemy flanking unit before the enemy reached its target.
Motti is a Finnish military slang for an encircled enemy unit. This tactic of envelopment was used extensively by the Finnish forces in the Winter War and the Continuation War to a good effect. Basically motti is a double envelope maneuver using bad terrain and light troops to encircle an enemy restricted on good terrain or roads. They are heavily outnumbered, but mobile forces could easily immobilize an enemy twenty times larger than itself.
The idea is to cut the enemy columns, or battle groups, into smaller groups and then encircle them by light and mobile forces, such as ski-troops during winter.
A raid is a brief attack, normally performed by a small military force of commandos, or by irregulars. A raid may be conducted to demoralize or confuse an enemy, to ransack a camp, to obtain or destroy goods, to free POWs, to kill or capture people important to an enemy force, or to gather intelligence. Raids are especially common in guerrilla warfare also called Special Ops.
Hit-and-run tactics is a tactical doctrine where the purpose of the combat involved is not to seize control of territory, but to inflict damage on a target and immediately exit the area to avoid the enemy's defense and/or retaliation.
These tactics are a cornerstone of irregular warfare. Like guerrilla warfare, militant resistance movements, and terrorism where the enemy typically overmatches the attacking force to the point where sustained combat is to be avoided
Offensive Maneuvers
Offensive Maneuvers are different from offensive tactics because offensive maneuvers are some of the ways on how to conduct offensive tactics.
Skirmishers are infantry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to either harass enemy troops or to protect their own troops from similar attacks by the enemy. Skirmishers are generally lightly armed and armored for increased battlefield mobility.
Human wave attack is a military term describing a type of assault performed by infantry units. This type of maneuver is in which soldiers attack in successive line formations, often in dense groups and generally without the support of other arms or with any sophistication in the tactics used. The term is usually connected to conscript armies, whose poor training usually leaves them little tactical flexibility. The term has come to be used as a pejorative. In a human wave attack, there is no attempt to minimize casualties; on the contrary, part of the tactic involves presenting the defender with the shock value of overwhelming numbers of attackers. This dense concentration of troops in the open tends to lead to very high casualties.
Shock and awe, technically known as rapid dominance, is a military doctrine based on the use of "overwhelming decisive force", "dominant battlefield awareness", "dominant maneuvers", and "spectacular displays of power" to "paralyze" an adversary's perception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight. The doctrine was written by Harlan K. Ullman and James. P. Wade and is a product of the National Defense University of the United States.
Defensive Tactics and Maneuvers
Again, as with offensive tactics and maneuvers, don’t get the two confused: Maneuvers are the way on how to conduct tactics.
Defense Tactics
Yes, a defense. It is not a misspelling. Let me explain: a conventional defense strategy would concentrate all military resources at a front line which, if breached by an attacker, would leave the remaining defenders in danger of being outflanked and surrounded. This would also leave supply lines very vulnerable.
A “defense in-depth strategy” requires a defender deploy his resources such as fortifications, field works, and military units, both at and well behind the front line. Although an attacker may find it easier to breach the more weakly defended front line as he advances, he will continue to meet effective resistance. As he penetrates deeper, the attacker's flanks become vulnerable. Should the advance stall, the attacker himself risks being enveloped also.
The “defense in-depth strategy” is particularly effective against an attacker who is able to concentrate his forces and attack a small number of places on an extended defensive line.
Defenders who can fall back to a succession of prepared positions can extract a high price from the advancing enemy while themselves avoiding the danger of being overrun or outflanked. Delaying the enemy advance mitigates the attacker's advantage of surprise and allows time to move defending military units to make a robust defense and to prepare a counter-attack.
A well-planned defense in depth strategy will deploy forces in mutually supportive positions and in appropriate roles. For example, poorly trained troops may be deployed in static defenses at the front line whereas better-trained and better-equipped troops form a highly mobile reserve. Successive layers of defense may use different technologies or tactics; another example would be: a row of dragon's teeth may be a problem for tanks, but no barrier to infantry while another barrier of wire entanglements has the opposite effects. “Defense in-depth” may allow a defender to maximize the defensive possibilities of natural terrain and other advantages.
The disadvantages of “defense in-depth” are it may be unacceptable for a defender to plan to give ground to an attacker. This may be because: vital military or economic resources are close to the front line or yielding to an enemy is unacceptable for political or cultural reasons.
A scorched earth policy is a military tactic which involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from the area. The term refers to the example of the practicing of burning crops to deny the enemy food sources. Although, it is by no means limited to food stocks and can include shelter, transportation, communications, and industrial resources which are often of equal or greater military value in modern warfare. The practice may be carried out by an army in enemy territory, or by an army in its own home territory.
A counterattack is a military tactic used by defending forces when under attack by an enemy force. During their assault, the attackers may have become vulnerable through exhaustion or complacency. At the right moment, the defenders aggressively charge out of their fortifications meeting and stunning their attackers directly, and gain the initiative. This can break a siege or change the tide of a battle. However, if the wrong moment is chosen, or a counterattack is poorly executed, a military disaster could result for the defending side since the defenders are no longer protected by their fortifications.
The Parthian shot was a tactic employed by ancient Persian horse archers. The horsemen would feign retreat at full gallop, and then suddenly turn their bodies around and fire arrows at the pursuing enemy. You can apply this by retreating and then turn around and firing back. The Parthian shot is a forerunner for the leapfrogging tactic. This tactic can be used for both offense and defense.
Retreats
Here I will discuss how to retreat if your unit is to come under fire and need to extract fast. Also, they are good tools for moving out of an AO without everyone running in each direction in panic. These help build confidence, teamwork, and a professional and efficient way of retreat while still hurting the enemy.
Center Peel, or simply Peel for short, is a type of retreat practiced by modern-day infantry. This particular tactic is more specifically designed for situations where smaller groups of infantry withdraw from an engagement of a much larger force. In general terms, it is a sloped or diagonal retreat from the enemy.
This tactic was designed with human psychology in mind (no pun intended). It begins with an infantry unit facing off with a larger force of enemies. Once the command is called, the soldiers implement a battle line formation facing into the enemy's midst. The soldiers then begin, or continue, to use suppressing fire to delay the enemy's attack and advance. Depending on the direction of the retreat, the
second to last soldier on the far most end, opposite the retreating direction, calls out, "Peel 1". Now, the infantryman next to him, on the end of the line, ceases fire, works his way behind the line towards the other side, takes a position one meter diagonally back from the far most soldier on this side, and resumes suppressing fire. Then, the process repeats with the commands being simplified to "Peel.” The “1” is only stated at the beginning to signify the actual start of the tactic. The slanting motion of the tactic gives the impression of increasing numbers of infantry joining the battle, a psychological move designed to demoralize the opposition.
Leapfrogging: This is the military tactic of using a combination of suppressive fire with either offensive forward movement or defensive disengagement. As members of a unit (element to platoon level) fire at the enemy, other members advance to cover; these two groups continually switch roles as they surround the enemy. This process may be done by "leapfrogging" by fireteams, but is usually done within fireteams along a squad/platoon battle line to simulate an overwhelming movement towards the enemy and make it more difficult for the enemy to distinguish specific targets. This military tactic takes continual training and focused coordination to be effective on the modern battlefield. It is also a common tactic practiced by Special Forces and Special Ops to move to an extraction point once a mission has been completed, or to extract fast if they come under fire.
Laws and Safety
Many people are concerned that the realism of airsoft guns makes them dangerous. Parents need to be aware that giving an airsoft gun to irresponsible children can put their child in danger. In certain countries where real firearms are illegal the police, and others, may understand that children are playing with fake guns. In the United States, however, airsoft guns are regularly mistaken for real guns. Just as you would not brandish a real firearm in public, the same is true with airsoft guns. Airsoft guns are not cap guns or squirt guns. Be aware that if your child brings an airsoft gun to school, or any other public place, they may be arrested or, at worst, shot by a police officer.
If you are a parent and are reading this, thank you for taking responsibility and being pro-active in learning about airsoft guns. To learn more about airsoft gun safety please read on.
Not only do airsoft guns appear to be real, they also shoot plastic pellets. Many of the more expensive models such as AEGs are fully automatic. The speed at which airsoft bb's come out of airsoft guns is much slower than the speed that bb's are shot out of a traditional bb gun. Generally speaking, this speed allows people to shoot at each other with airsoft guns safely, under certain conditions. The first condition is eyewear. Never, ever, shoot at someone who is not wearing proper eye protection. Proper eye protection means eye goggles rated at least ANSI Z87.1 or paintball goggles. Proper eye protection is not military sun/dust/wind goggles, ski goggles, or shop goggles. Do not risk your own eyes or take on liability for your friend's eyes. Always wear proper eye protection when shooting airsoft guns! Read more about eye protection.
Also, please be aware of the speeds at which all airsoft guns used in an airsoft game are shooting. Typical out-of-the-box airsoft guns shoot at ranges anywhere from 250 feet per second to 350 feet per second. Airsoft guns can be modified to shoot faster. Speeds between 375 feet per second and 400 feet per second are usually the maximum speeds US airsoft teams will allow. Make sure that anyone firing an airsoft gun over 400 feet per second is experienced, can accurately judge distance, and does not engage targets at close range. Never mix real bb guns into an airsoft gun game. If you are unsure of an airsoft gun's firing speed, either buy a chronograph to measure the speed or simply do not allow it at a game.
The simplest rule to remember with airsoft guns is to treat them as real guns. An accidental discharge at close range can have any number of damaging results including, but not limited to, broken teeth and damaged eyes.
When transporting your gun to and from a game, carry it in a gun case. Not only is a gun case the safest means of transportation, it also naturally protects your gun (airsoft guns can be quite fragile) and makes a great place to store airsoft pistols and spare magazines. For many areas, a gun case is the only way to legally transport your airsoft gun. Remember, it is very difficult to visibly distinguish an airsoft gun from a real gun.
Many people are concerned about the use of airsoft guns in crimes. A criminal is a criminal and will use whatever means they can to break the law. I would prefer a less dangerous criminal with an airsoft gun to a criminal armed with a real gun and the capability to kill innocent people.
Don't let any of these safety issues scare you away. Airsoft is not a dangerous sport as long as everyone playing understands safety. If you cannot follow these rules, please try another outdoor sport. When everyone follows the rules, airsoft is just as safe as paintball. In 3 years of playing, I never saw any serious accident. On a few occasions a BB at close range has drawn blood, but that is rare. I have played in games with 50+ people without incident.
Last, but not least, before you play an airsoft game make sure that the airsoft teams you are playing with have strict rules concerning safety and feet per second limits for guns involved. Good Luck!
(Source: www. AirsoftgunHelp.com)