Anti-Aircraft Team

An anti-air missile team consists of a gunner and assistant gunner. Equipped with a Stinger man-portable AA missile system, and an additional missile, the two must be ready to use their launcher to engage and destroy any enemy air threats that might appear over the battlefield, either fixed-wing (jet) or rotary-winged (helo). Their proficiency and situational awareness can be the difference between life and death for a squad or platoon.

Launching a Stinger missile

Basic Anti-Air Missile Gunner Guidelines

• Fire high-probability shots only. Try to hit the aircraft when it is flying away, or flying at a shallow oblique angle relative to you. The closer they are (to a reasonable degree), the more likely the missile will be able to hit them before their flare countermeasures can be effective.
• Avoid shots against a jet aircraft that is flying perpendicular to you. You will almost never land a shot like this. Wait for a rear shot when firing on jets. Close-range flank shots against fast-moving helos can also be risky, but generally helos are flying at a speed that allows almost any aspect shot to work on them with equal effectiveness.
• Be aware of friendly positions. Shooting down a helo and having it land on top of a nearby friendly squad is less than desirable.

Good shots: Rear Oblique (L), Rear (R)

Good shots: Flank (L), Rear Oblique (C), Rear (R)

Bad shots: Frontal (L), Flank (R)

Demolitionist

A demolition unit can be an engineer, saboteur, or any unit that is carrying something like a Claymore mine, satchel charge, or anti-tank mine. They are extremely valuable in the defense and are also the key to enacting brutal and deadly ambushes. In the offense, they are a critical part of cracking enemy obstacles and defenses with their satchel and breaching charges.

Placing an anti-tank mine in a patch of grass on a road

Types of Demolition

Demolition comes in several forms, with many different uses. The basic types are as follows.

• Anti-tank mines. These heavy mines will wreck the day of any sort of armored vehicle, though their effects may be limited to blowing the tracks off of heavier vehicles. Anti-tank mines will not detonate from light vehicles such as HMMWVs, MTVRs, and similar.
• Anti-personnel mines, typically tripwire-initiated, such as the claymore. These can either be directional (such as the Claymore, which fires a spread of ball-bearings in a specific arc) or non-directional (such as a 'bouncing Betty', which bounds into the air before exploding like a frag grenade).
• Satchel charges, either command- or timer-detonated. These heavy packs of explosives can be used for a variety of purposes, to include improvised anti-vehicle weapons, the destruction of walls, knocking down buildings, etc.
• Breaching charges. Breaching charges are focused explosives that have a small radius of effect and are capable of knocking holes in walls. These are used to create an unexpected entry point into a compound or similar, and not as an offensive weapon.

Demolition Tips

• Conceal your explosives. For mines, try to place them where the road dips so that they cannot be seen before it is too late. If you can't find a dip, place them on the road where a tree shadow overlaps them. This makes them significantly harder to spot. For blast-radius explosives like satchel charges, or directional explosives like claymore mines, you have more freedom in where you position them. Place them alongside roads in brush or tree concealment, or place them in bushes, behind logs, etc. Placing satchel charges inside of buildings that are likely to be investigated or cleared by enemy forces can also work well.
• Obstacles can be used to guide the enemy into mines or other demolitions. For instance, placing a wrecked vehicle in the middle of a road may cause the enemy to drive around it due to them thinking it conceals an IED or satchel charge. To take advantage of this, place mines in the grass on either side of the road, so that a detouring vehicle runs into them.
• Know your detonation options. There are two methods - command-detonation and time delay. When using command detonation, you must be within a few hundred meters of the device or you will lose the option to set them off. Time delays are set with 30-second increments. You can increase the time to whatever you want, and as long as you are within transmitter range, you will be able to command-detonate if required. Note that satchel charges set for long delays can be used by a small force against a larger one as a distraction.
• Be creative and try to catch the enemy off-guard with your placement and method of detonation. If the enemy never sees it or has no reason to expect it, you're far more likely to kill them with your demolitions.
• When using tripwires, think about how the enemy will move through a given area. Place the tripwires in areas that are likely to have high foot traffic. Placing proximity-oriented mines in locations where the enemy is likely to take cover (such as a cluster of trees) can be an effective tactic as well. Get inside the enemy's mind and think of what they will do, and place your traps accordingly.
• FIRE IN THE HOLE! If you're setting off demolitions and friendly forces are near, ensure that you announce it and clear the area before triggering your explosives. An easy way to do this is to announce what you're going to be blowing up, tell people to get clear, and then repeat "Fire in the hole" three times before triggering the detonation. For example:

  Engineer: I'm blowing the fuel dump, get clear.
  
  (pauses for a few seconds to visually check that people have cleared the area or listen for confirmation from team leaders that nobody is near the site)
  
  Engineer: Fire in the hole, fire in the hole, fire in the hole! (triggers the explosives)

  If at any point you hear someone shout any variation of "Wait!", "Abort!", "Hold!", or "Oh shiiiit!", cease the countdown and proceed to once again check that everyone is clear of the danger area.

Designated Marksman

A Designated Marksman is a squad-level unit that is equipped with a special rifle fitted with some sort of magnified optic. Their task is to provide accurate fire and observation on the enemy from ranges beyond what the normal riflemen can achieve. They are the precision shooting asset of a squad.

The 7.62x51mm Designated Marksman Rifle

The important distinction between a Designated Marksman and a true sniper is that the DM is attached to a squad and operates with it, to support the squad, whereas a sniper team operates independently and is a platoon-level asset, under the direct command of the Platoon Commander. The DM typically engages at medium to long ranges (ie - 300-700m), whereas the sniper team can operate out to ranges in excess of one kilometer.

A DM takes a knee behind cover before scanning nearby terrain for signs of the enemy

Basic Designated Marksman Guidelines

• Act as overwatch whenever possible. Your optics will give you a better view than the rest of your teammates - take advantage of it. Support the squad by fire from the best position you can find.
• When your squad is in combat, it is your job to target high-priority enemy combatants (ie machinegunners, team leaders, anti-tank gunners) and eliminate them as quickly as possible. Once they're down, attack enemies based on the threat they pose. Pay particular attention to longer-ranged targets that the regular infantry may have difficulty engaging successfully.
• Stay far enough back in any formation that you are able to maneuver at will if the element comes under fire. Being able to pick the best possible firing position is a much better option than being forced to take the first one you can find nearby.

Forward Air Controller

The "Forward Air Controller" or "FAC" is a player who is tasked with coordinating air elements in the support of ground forces. The FAC is expected to be knowledgeable in the employment of any CAS elements, be they fixed-wing (jets) or rotary-wing (helicopters). The more familiar the FAC is with the aircraft, the better he will be able to direct its employment. The best FACs have extensive experience as a CAS aircraft pilot.

The primary job of the FAC is to locate enemy targets and call in air strikes on them. He acts as the 'eyes on the ground' for the CAS aircraft and increases the effectiveness of the air support with the information he is able to relay to the aircraft.

It is of great importance that a FAC is used when player-controlled aircraft are operating in a close air support role. Without his support, the CAS aircraft cannot reach the same level of responsiveness and effectiveness.

The Forward Air Controller role is described in greater detail in the Combined Arms: Close Air Support section, later.

A Force Recon FAC laser designates a target for an AV8 Harrier

Forward Observer

The Forward Observer or "FO" is a player who is tasked with coordinating artillery support for the platoon. He is expected to be knowledgeable in all things artillery, from the types of rounds to use, how to call for fire, how to adjust fire, and everything in between.

The Forward Observer role is described in greater detail in the Combined Arms: Artillery Support section, later.

Artillery impacting on an enemy treelines position. Can't see the enemy anymore? Yep, that's the beauty of arty!

Scout/Sniper & Spotter

The role of a Scout/Sniper team is to both provide battlefield recon and intelligence and deliver precision shots on key enemy personnel. A Scout/Sniper team can be highly effective without ever firing a shot in some situations, whereas other scenarios will see them having a dramatic effect due to their ability to 'lock down' an area with precision shooting.

A scout/sniper team observes the battlefield

Scout/Sniper Team Organization & Responsibilities

Each Scout/Sniper team consists of two people - a sniper and his spotter. They are typically outfitted in ghillie suits to assist in concealment, and tend to operate at a significant distance from any friendly forces. Their mission is primarily scouting/reconnaissance, though their marksmanship will often be called into play when things heat up.

Their responsibilities are as follows.

• Sniper
  • Senior member of the team.
  • Carries and employs the sniper rifle.
  • Engages long-range or precision high-value targets and key enemy personnel.
  • Listens to his spotter's directions.
  • Provides intelligence and reconnaissance to the platoon.
  • Picks the specific 'hide'/shooting position(s) that will be used.
  • Plans the route that the sniper team will use to get to their 'hide' position.
  • Plans the exfiltration route from the 'hide' position.
• Spotter
  • Junior member of the team.
  • Equipped with a rifle with grenade launcher as well as binoculars.
  • Provides security for the sniper.
  • Assists the sniper in locating, identifying, prioritizing, and ranging targets, as well as spotting the effects of the sniper's shots.
  • Frequently acts as the point man when moving to or from a position.

Scout/Sniper Guidelines

• One Shot, One Kill. In an ideal environment, the sniper strives to fire only one shot from any position that he occupies. A single surprise shot is extremely difficult for the enemy to trace back to the sniper's position, and the morale impact that a surgical elimination of someone has is quite dramatic. If the enemy believes that they will be picked off if they poke their heads up or otherwise leave cover, you will have accomplished the suppression of an entire element with a single well-placed bullet.

Ready, willing, able...

• Get on the enemy's flank. The prime place for a sniper to be is off to the side of the enemy. If the enemy is expecting to make contact to their front, they will almost always orient themselves so that they're in cover to their front yet are open on their flanks. Not only does this provide a nice, juicy target to you, but it has the added benefit of being very confusing for them, and typically has them looking in a direction that you are not in - namely, to the front - which naturally means that they are not likely to see any firing signatures from your position (ie muzzle flash, smoke). If you are observing an enemy element from their flank, and friendly forces engage them from the front, you will very likely find yourself faced with a great many prime targets in short order.
• Be patient. Move slowly and deliberately into position. You'll be surprised at how safe you will be if you only use a bit of common sense in how you move. Stay low and slow and avoid sudden movements, as they draw the eye. Patience also comes in handy when it comes to shooting - waiting for a perfect shot on a valuable enemy person, like a machinegunner, squad leader, or similar, will pay off in spades in the long term. Wasting your initial shot on some poor FNG isn't going to have nearly the same effect as putting a bullet through the squad leader's head.


A sniper equipped with an M107 observes enemy movements, waiting for a leader to make himself known

• Target the important people first. You want to shoot at leaders, enemy snipers/designated marksmen, machinegunners, radiomen, and other high-value targets. One decent way to tell if they're a leader is whether or not they have binoculars - if they do, they're likely someone of some importance. Another way is to observe who a formation is guiding off of. Less-coordinated groups will typically form a "tactical trailing blob" around their leader.

• Relocate frequently. Depending on the tempo of the battle, a sniper may or may not be able to relocate between shots. When possible, snipers should move to a new shooting position any time that they can, or any time that they believe their current position has been pinpointed within a reasonable degree of accuracy. One tactic that can be used is to fire from a position, make yourself known, and then relocate to an adjacent position from which you can put fire on your previous location. In this manner you can engage any enemy infantry elements that might have been sent to flank you. As a general rule, always assume that the enemy will locate you significantly before you would think they would locate you. Playing it safe will pay off in survival.
• Shoot from back to front. If you're on the flanks of the enemy (as you should be), engaging targets that are to the rear of the formation will cause it to take longer for the enemy to figure out that they're taking effective sniper fire. The last person in the formation can topple over from a shot to the head without anyone seeing him, after all, which gives you time to work your way from back-to-front until you've inflicted a number of casualties before they've noticed. Shooting from back-to-front can also make the front people think that someone is firing ineffectively and missing them, causing them to be more bold in their movements.


A Russian rifleman takes a round from an M107

• Take advantage of loud noises to mask the sound of your shots. Firing when the enemy is firing, or when explosions or other loud noises are happening, can make it harder for the enemy to notice the sound of your rifle (particularly if it makes a distinctive noise).
• Use wounded enemies as bait. No matter how many times players are told not to run over to a wounded person without securing the area first, they still do it. If you take a shot and wound someone, particularly if it knocks them immobile, wait and see if anyone comes to rescue them. The same thing can be true if you kill someone who had an important weapon - such as an automatic rifleman. Oftentimes someone else will come over to retrieve the weapon, or check on their buddy. Medics will do the same thing, as per their job description. All of them make easy targets once they've crouched over the fallen form of whoever you shot.
• Consider what it looks like from the enemy's perspective, and try to shoot at deceptive times. For instance, if a player is advancing in cover, and then peeks his head around a corner and is shot, the natural assumption to anyone near him is that there was an enemy around the corner. If the reality is that a sniper shot him from the flank or rear, it is very unlikely that the enemy will figure it out before it is too late.
• Narrow lanes of fire can minimize the angles that you can be spotted from. If you position yourself back from two large bushes and fire through a small gap between them, at a distant slice of ground, you will be far less likely of being spotted. The reverse side is that it will limit the area you can observe and engage targets in. Balancing out just how much of a field of view you need versus how much cover or concealment you need is an art that will take time to perfect.
  
  

Adjusting for Elevation Differences

When firing up or down at a significant incline towards an enemy target, one must be aware of the fact that their bullets will generally strike higher due to weapon ballistics. In situations like this, a player needs to use the horizontal - or "map range" - of a target to calculate drop, and not the actual straight distance to the target. This is a rough rule of thumb that works acceptably to most shooting distances that ArmA2 portrays.

As you see in the below illustration, the direct range to a target when on an incline is further than the horizontal range. If you use the direct range to calculate your hold-over, you will inevitably end up firing over them. When in doubt, if shooting on an incline, aim lower than you normally would at the target.

'Special Forces'

Special Forces soldiers are defined by their high level of training and proficiency, above-average gear, and the fact that they typically get the toughest of assignments.

A Force Recon member in the midst of executing a High Altitude, Low Opening (HALO) parachute jump.

Special Forces troops are considered to be advanced roles due to them requiring more finesse and skill to play compared to normal infantry, largely because of the fact that they get tough assignments and rarely work in anything larger than a squad-sized element. SF units require patience and level-headedness to play, particularly when stealth is an element of the mission, as it often is. Unfortunately, it is all too common to see players in the 'general public' take SF roles without a clear comprehension of their intended usage, usually because they're seen as "cool roles" and whatnot. This tends to result in a lot of dead "SF". :)

Special Forces soldiers are often the ones behind enemy lines calling in close air support or acting as forward observers for artillery. To this end, they often carry a SOFLAM laser designator which can be used to guide in laser-guided bombs. SF are expected to be familiar with how to act as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) and a Forward Observer (FO) - both topics are covered in the "Combined Arms" section of this guide.

Basic Special Forces Guidelines

• Small unit leadership and individual judgment and initiative are key. Special Forces teams are trusted to make tough decisions when everything is on the line. A SF team with weak leadership and poor initiative is no better than a sub-par infantry team, and a "sub-par infantry team" doesn't cut it for typical SF assignments.
• The mission comes first. Killing a lot of the enemy is meaningless if your primary objective is not accomplished. Being a SF unit often means that you have to spend more time evading and sneaking by the enemy than you do actually directly fighting them. If all you want are firefights and kill counts, Special Forces units are not for you.
• Stealth is essential. A small element like an SF team cannot get engaged with a large enemy force if it intends to make it out in one piece. SF teams must be able to pick their fights and evade the enemy when necessary.


In addition to being used to evade contact, stealth can also be a great way to get into a position to decisively engage in combat - the less fair it is for the enemy, the better!

• Be prepared to break contact if engaged. SF teams can use their satchel charges on time-delays to hold up any pursuing elements of the enemy if need be. When breaking contact, an SF team will alter their direction of movement once out of sight of the enemy so that they cannot easily predict where the team is headed.
• Be familiar with CAS and FO techniques and procedures, as described on the next page. An SF team that cannot call in artillery or air strikes is like a rifleman who doesn't know how to aim his weapon.
• Call in the heavy weapons whenever you can. CAS and artillery are the major force multipliers for SF troops. Nobody gets paid extra because an aircraft went back to base with leftover bombs, or if the artillery unit had some ammo left over at the end of the day. Make them work for their pay.
• In addition to being very quiet, suppressed weapons do not have visible muzzle flashes. This makes it much harder for the enemy to locate operators equipped with such weapons in the dark.


A Force Recon member, equipped with a suppressed M4 carbine, observes the night landscape

• Silenced weapons (ie the MP5SD) fire subsonic ammo and thus have neither a muzzle flash or a supersonic bullet signature. The down side to this is that silenced weapons are extremely weak compared to other weapons. Burst or full-auto is the way to go with these, and close-range is a necessity.

M240G Medium Machinegun Team

The machinegun rules the realm of infantry. The ability to place sustained accurate fire in high volume on the enemy is capable of inflicting a large number of casualties in short order when properly employed.

The M240G is a medium machinegun firing a 7.62x51mm caliber bullet - significantly more powerful than our infantry's normal 5.56x45mm round, which is the same round used in our automatic rifle, the M249. The M240G has a longer range than our M249s, and by default are loaded to fire daylight-visible tracer ammunition every fifth round, unlike our M249s, which employ "dim trace" that can only be seen under NVGs.

When employed in a base-of-fire or support-by-fire position, or when employed in the defense, the M240G is a powerful asset to our platoon.

M240 gunner engages targets while his assistant gunner observes and supports with rifle fire

M240 Team Organization & Responsibilities

The M240G MMG team consists of three people - a gunner, assistant gunner, and ammo man. In some situations the team will be reduced to a gunner and a-gunner, in which case the a-gunner gets the responsibilities of the ammo man as well as his own typical responsibilities.

Their responsibilities are as follows.

• Gunner
  • Senior member of the team
  • Carries the M240G
  • Picks the location(s) from which the machinegun will be employed
  • Engages targets and listens to his a-gunner's directions
• Assistant Gunner
  • Second in command of the team
  • Equipped with binoculars, he acts as a spotter for the gunner
  • Carries some additional ammo for the M240G
  • Gives adjustments to the gunner's fire (up, left, down, right)
  • Scans for and prioritizes targets
• Ammo Man
  • Junior member of the team
  • Carries additional ammo for the M240
  • Provides security for the team

A machinegun squad is comprised of two M240G teams and a squad leader.

An M240 gunner, wounded, continues to lay down suppression as his assistant gunner leads a medic to him

M240 Team Guidelines

The M240 Team uses the same guidelines as the basic fireteam members, with the Gunner using the guidelines for the Automatic Rifleman, the Assistant Gunner using the guidelines for the Assistant Automatic Rifleman, and the Ammo Man also using the Assistant's guidelines.

Assault Team (SMAW)

The SMAW "Assault Team" is a rocket team that is capable of delivering accurate and deadly direct anti-tank/anti-bunker fire. They are commonly attached to the ShackTac Platoon when assaulting fortified positions or when enemy armored assets are expected.

SMAW gunner and assistant prepare to engage an enemy-occupied building during an urban fight

About the SMAW

The SMAW - or Shoulder-fired Multipurpose Assault Weapon - is a crew-served anti-tank/anti-bunker multi-munition reloadable rocket system with a spotting rifle that can be used for increased first-round-hit probabilities. It can fire a range of rocket types and is generally more effective than the AT-4 or comparable light anti-tank weapons. The specific features, in detail, are as follows.

SMAW gunner as seen through NVGs

• Spotting Rifle. The SMAW has a 9mm spotting rifle attached to it that fires ballistically-matched tracer ammunition. Wherever these bullets go is where the rocket itself will go. A gunner fires the spotting rifle, adjusts, fires it again, and when the bullet strikes his target, he fires off the main rocket. This feature is available in .
• Crew-served. The SMAW is used by two players. One is the gunner, the other an assistant gunner that carries additional rockets and assists the gunner in the employment of the weapon.
• Reloadable. Unlike the AT-4, the SMAW is reloadable. The gunner himself typically carries two rounds, with the assistant gunner having two or three more, giving them four to five rockets to use before needing resupply.
• Scoped. Most SMAWs you will use will have a magnified optic, allowing for better target discrimination and more precise aiming and post-shot damage assessment.
• Multiple round types for a variety of roles. The SMAW carries a range of rocket types that each have a specific use, allowing a SMAW team to pick the best rocket type for the task at hand.
  • HEDP - High-Explosive Dual-Purpose. HEDP rounds are effective against light armor, walls, structures, bunkers, etc. They do a significant amount of area damage, and a fair amount of anti-armor damage.
  • HEAA - High-Explosive Anti-Armor. HEAA rounds are ideal against medium and heavy armor. They do very little area damage, but a great deal of anti-armor damage.
  • FTG - Follow-Through Grenade. Does not exist yet in ArmA2, but will likely be added in . The FTG rocket blows a hole in a wall and then projects and explodes an additional charge (the 'grenade') on the far side, causing additional casualties.
  • NE - Novel Explosive. Does not exist yet in ArmA2, but will likely show up in a mod like . Novel Explosives use thermobaric principles to cause extreme blast and pressure damage around their point of detonation. These are very effective against infantry and buildings.

SMAW backblast

SMAW Team Organization & Responsibilities

Each SMAW team consists of two people - a gunner and assistant gunner.

Their responsibilities are as follows.

• Gunner
  • Senior member of the team.
  • Carries the SMAW.
  • Chooses the firing position for the SMAW.
  • Engages targets and listens to his a-gunner's directions.
  • Decides on the best rocket type to use on the given target.
  • Is proficient in using the SMAW's 'spotting rifle' to range and engage targets.
• Assistant Gunner
  • Junior member of the team.
  • Equipped with binoculars, he carries additional rockets for the SMAW and acts as a spotter for the gunner.
  • Gives adjustments to the gunner's spotting rifle and rocket fire (up, left, down, right), scans for, and prioritizes enemy armored targets and emplacements.
  • Provides rockets to the SMAW gunner when required.

SMAW Team Tips

• Know your rocket types. HEDP rounds do a lot of damage to infantry in a decent blast radius, as well as cause damage to structures, soft vehicles, and light armor. HEAA, by comparison, does much less 'splash' damage but does do a great deal of damage to armored vehicles.
• Use the spotting rifle when possible to heighten first-round accuracy. In , the SMAW has the attached 'spotting rifle' available in a functioning manner. The spotting rifle fires a 9mm tracer bullet that is balistically matched to the SMAW rockets - fire the spotting rifle until your tracers are hitting the target, then switch to the rocket and fire again - the rocket will travel the same ballistic path, allowing you to achieve greater hit percentages than otherwise.
• When not fighting armor, the SMAW's optic can be used to assist the infantry in spotting concealed or distant targets.
• Reload in cover. Fire from different positions each time, as the situation permits. Backblast will give you away most of the time, so ensure that you move away from it after each shot.

Mortar Squad (60mm)

Mortars are a specific type of artillery support that is organic to infantry units due to its ability to be man-carried along with the grunts. Mortars provide integrated indirect fire support to the infantry, with quick response times, the ability to bring fire safely to within close range of friendly forces, good accuracy and range, and solid terminal effects.

The mortar is often called the 'hip pocket artillery of the infantry'. The 60mm mortar is the most man-portable of those available to US forces. It can safely be used to drop rounds close to friendly forces (when in the defense, the 60mm can hit targets as close as 70-100 meters away from the gun position). The 60mm mortar is capable of striking almost anything within three and a half kilometers of it. This allows for the mortar team to be well out of enemy direct fire while still supporting an attack via fire. The typical time-of-flight for a mortar round is from 20-40 seconds, so that must be accounted for when planning fires.

60mm Mortar Ammo & Fuze Types

A variety of ammunition and fuze types give the 60mm mortar a range of possible applications.

Ammo types include:

• High explosive (HE). Simple explosives that kill via blast and fragmentation effect.
• White Phosphorous (WP). Used for smoke concealment, marking, or to cause incindiary effects.
• Illumination (ILLUM). Parachute flares used to provide illumination in low-light/night conditions.

Fuze options include:

• Proximity (PRX). Causes the round to burst from 1-4 meters above ground.
• Near-surface Burst (NSB). Causes the round to burst about a meter above the ground.
• Impact (IMP). Causes the round to burst upon impact with the ground.
• Delay (DLY). Allows the round to penetrate into the ground somewhat before exploding.

60mm Mortar Squad Organization & Responsibilities

Each 60mm mortar squad consists of three players - a gunner, assistant gunner, and ammo man. Depending on the situation, they may or may not have a vehicle transporting additional ammunition for them. When used in the defense, they typically have crates of mortar shells available for their usage.

The responsibilities of the squad members are as follows.

• Gunner
  • Senior member of the team.
  • Carries the mortar tube.
  • Chooses the emplacement position of the mortar.
  • Plots targets.
  • Coordinates with higher HQ regarding employment of the mortar.
• Assistant Gunner
  • Second in command of the team.
  • Carries the mortar baseplate and tripod assembly.
  • Equipped with binoculars, he acts as a spotter for the gunner when firing on targets within visual range of the mortar.
  • Carries additional mortar shells.
  • Drives the mortar squad vehicle, if assigned.
• Ammo Man
  • Junior member of the team.
  • Carries additional ammo for the mortar.
  • Provides security for the team.
  • Guns for the mortar squad vehicle, if assigned and applicable.

Basic Guidelines for the 60mm Mortar Team

A few basic guidelines for mortar teams follow.

• Mortar teams need to take initiative even more than most other players. They should set up their mortars without having to specifically be told to, in keeping with the overall commander's intent.
• The mortar position should be protected from direct-fire weapons as best as possible. This means situating in the courtyard of a large building, behind a hill, in a depression, or some other place where the natural terrain protects the team from observation or fire.
• Plot out targets in advance. Locate likely attack, rally, or observation points for the enemy and ensure that you know the numbers needed to get rounds on those locations quickly.
• Only use mortars against targets that can potentially be hurt by them. Don't waste rounds on tanks, but instead concentrate on soft vehicles and infantry.
• Use the right round if you have multiple types. Mix them to get a more pronounced effect - for example, a mix of white phosphorous and high-explosive rounds can be quite deadly.
• The mortar ammo bearer(s) should provide security to the gun team. This means that they need to be positioned in areas where they can see any potential enemies approaching from any direction, and can warn the gun team in time.
• If the mortar team must withdraw and cannot take the entire gun with them due to casualties, someone needs to grab the mortar tube itself and carry that away. This is as close as we can get to "spiking" and destroying the mortar to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

The 60mm mortar system will be implemented either by , or by ShackTac in-house developers (and then rolled into ).

Javelin Anti-Tank Missile Team

The Javelin team wields the most deadly anti-tank infantry-carried weapon system in the Marine Corps. When heavy armor is expected, they are great assets to have attached to the platoon.

A Javelin gunner searches out targets through the powerful optics

About the Javelin

The Javelin is a fire-and-forget top-attack anti-tank missile system that uses an explosive formed penetrator (EFP) to kill tanks and other armored vehicles by striking them in their thin top armor.

The Javelin assistant gunner observes a target as the gunner prepares to fire his missile

The Javelin characteristics are as follows.

• Fire-and-forget guided missile. Once the missile has been launched, the team can immediately take cover.
• Flight profile options . The Javelin gunner can choose to fire his missile in a high profile (arcing into the sky before coming down onto the target) or low profile (shoots up a bit above the target, but not as high as the high profile mode) attack mode. This allows him to avoid obstructions such as trees and the like which may otherwise risk the effectiveness of the missile, or to strike targets hiding under bridges and other obstacles.
• Extremely deadly EFP warhead. The explosively formed projectile that is the heart of the Javelin's killing power is extremely effective against enemy armor. Javelins are superb at killing enemy tanks.
• Long range. The Javelin can be used out to about 2000 meters, giving it far more range than any other comparable infantry system.
• Soft-launch. The soft launch nature of the Javelin means that it can be fired from enclosures without risk to the team. Additionally, the soft-launch results in a lower visual signature (ie: backblast) than other AT weapons, making it hard to locate Javelin teams after they've fired.
• Magnified optic. The Javelin sports a high-magnification, variable-power optic that can be used for target identification and post-shot battle damage assessment.
• Reloadable. The Javelin system consists of a Command Launch Unit (CLU), which the missile system marries up to and uses for pre-launch guidance. Once a missile has been fired, the CLU can be detached and another missile loaded onto it.

Javelin missile taking flight

Javelin Team Organization & Responsibilities

Each Javelin team consists of two people - a gunner and assistant gunner.

Their responsibilities are as follows.

• Gunner
  • Senior member of the team.
  • Carries the Javelin.
  • Picks the position from which the missile system will be employed.
  • Engages targets and listens to his a-gunner's directions.
  • Decides on the best engagement profile to use on the given target (high or direct).
  • Exercises good judgment insofar as "What rates being destroyed by my weapon?", and preserves his round(s) when other AT assets are available to deal with lesser armor.
• Assistant Gunner
  • Junior member of the team.
  • Equipped with binoculars, he carries an additional missile for the Javelin and acts as a spotter for the gunner.
  • Scans for, identifies, and prioritizes enemy armored targets.
  • Provides an additional Javelin missile to the gunner when the first has been expended.

The same shot, from a different angle

Javelin Team Tips

• Do not waste your missiles on light armored targets. AT4s and SMAWs can deal with light armor just fine - save the Javelin missiles for enemy main battle tanks or other high-priority threats.
• When not fighting armor, the Javelin's magnified optic can be used to assist the infantry in spotting concealed or distant targets.
• Reload in cover. Fire from different positions each time, as the situation permits. Due to the soft launch nature of the rocket, your backblast will be hard for the enemy to locate.
• Know your flight profiles, and in what terrain they work best. Direct attack can be used when striking targets at the edges of woods, or those under bridges or with other obstacles in the path that would normally be taken by the top-attack profile.

Crew-Served Weapon (CSW) Team - M2, Mk19, TOW, 60 & 81mm Mortars

Crew-Served Weapons (CSWs) are heavy machineguns, mortars, grenade machineguns, anti-tank missile systems, and other weapons which require more than one person to carry around, deploy, and operate due to their bulk and weight.

These weapons typically break down into three components - the gun itself, the tripod to mount it on, and the ammo. A crew-served team consists of however many people are necessary to move the weapon and ammo around the battlefield. One person acts as the gunner (and carries the gun itself), another acts as the assistant gunner (carrying the tripod), while a third and potentially fourth and fifth haul around the ammo and act as security for the gun team.

Crew-served weapons tend to be extremely powerful and can be effective in both the defense and offense when employed correctly. The following guidelines should help to ensure that these powerful weapons are in fact employed correctly.

.50cal M2 Browning Heavy Machinegun

General "CSW" Team Organization & Responsibilities

A crew-served weapon team typically consists of a gunner, assistant, and ammo man. The exact responsibilities will differ based on the type of weapon it is, but their general responsibilities are as follows. Adapt the relevant guidelines for other teams (ie: M240, SMAW, mortar) where appropriate.

• Gunner / Team Leader
  • Senior member of the team.
  • Carries the main part of the CSW.
  • Chooses where to employ the CSW and directs the a-gunner to deploy the tripod accordingly.
  • Responsible for relocating the CSW as required, in coordination with higher leadership.
  • Engages targets and listens to his a-gunner's directions.
• Assistant Gunner
  • Second in command of the team.
  • Carries the tripod for the CSW as well as some additional ammo.
  • Equipped with binoculars, he acts as a spotter for the gunner.
• Ammo Man
  • Junior member of the team
  • Ensures that the CSW is loaded and that ammo is available for reloading.
  • Provides security for the gunner/a-gunner when not actively loading the CSW.

General Guidelines for a Crew-Served Team

• Stick together. A heavy machinegun without a tripod to put it on is functionally worthless. The gunner & assistant gunner (who carry the weapon + tripod) should stick close together, with the ammo bearer(s) tagging along behind them.
• Know how to deploy/undeploy rapidly. The crew-served team is most vulnerable while emplacing the weapon or breaking it down. They may have to deploy or displace under fire or on short notice, so it is imperative that the crew be familiar with the process. The gunner removes the gun from the tripod, the assistant gunner takes the tripod, and the ammo bearers act according to the situation. Ammo bearers either provide cover fire for the gunner/a-gunner (if in contact or under fire) or pick up any spare ammunition at the site of the gun (if the situation allows for it - do not grab the ammo if it means you're going to get shot doing so).
• The team leader decides on where to emplace the gun, and he coordinates with higher leadership (ie squad or platoon leader) to get his crew-served teams set up where they can best support the platoon. He should pick spots from which the weapon can have a good influence on the battlefield without being too exposed to the enemy. Positioning on a prominent, visible terrain feature tends to get crew-served teams wiped out.
• When deployed, the ammo bearers act as security for the crew-served weapon. They should "ground" (drop) some ammo for the two-man gunner/assistant gunner team, then move to positions from which they can protect their gun team.

Man-portable crew-served weapons will be a introduced in the Advanced Combat Environment 2 mod. 'Static' varieties exist in ArmA2 out of the box, but cannot be moved around. It is anticipated that will introduce the ability to move deployed weapons around while they're assembled - proof-of-concept work has already been done on this, infact.

Tripod-based TOW missile system. The main advantage of the TOW missile over the Javelin is that it has approximately two times the range of a Javelin - almost 4 kilometers.

Mortar Squad (81mm)

The main difference between the 60 and 81mm mortars lies in their terminal effects. The 81mm mortar fires a significantly more powerful shell, causing greater damage upon detonation.

81mm mortars set up to support an infantry assault

The 81mm mortar is also significantly heavier than the 60mm mortar and requires more effort to transport around the battlefield. They will often end up carried in HMMWVs and other vehicles, with minimal 'foot marching' occurring. This is in contrast to the 60mm mortar, which can fairly easily be man-transported over the battlefield.

Other than these differences, the mortar squad and 60mm mortar team are virtually identical. The 81mm Mortar Squad uses the 60mm mortar and Crew-Served Weapon guidance as their baseline.