Anti-vehicle Handbook

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The FM outlines our core skills, policies and guides to ensure every member stands ready for the mission ahead.

Rapidly identify a light vehicle as being:

• Wheeled
• Not armed with an autocannon or larger
• Not classified as an AFV

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

• Technical: civilian vehicle adapted for military use
• MRAP: mine resistant and protected against small arms
• Truck: military truck

Above: A column of US Army M1114 uparmored HMMWV (or Humvee)

Rapidly identify a AFV as being:

• Wheeled or tracked
• Armed with nothing to cannon, intended for direct fire
• Protected against at least small arms

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

• APC: armed with up to a heavy machine-gun
• IFV: armed with an autocannon
• Assault gun: armed with a cannon
• ATGM carrier: armed with ATGMs (anti-tank guided missile) as primary armament

Above: US Army M1126 Stryker AFV on patrol

Rapidly identify a tank as being:

• Tracked
• Turreted
• Protected against at least auto-cannon fire
• Having a cannon capable and intended for direct fire

There are no subclasses.

Above: A section of US Army M1A2 SEPv2 Tanks engaging enemy forces

Rapidly identify artillery as being:

• Towed, wheeled or tracked
• Having a cannon or rocket tubes intended for indirect fire

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

• Towed artillery: cannot move by itself
• Self propelled artillery: cannon/rocket tubes are mounted on a wheeled or tracked vehicle

Above: M119 Howitzer towed artillery unit in it's deployed configuration

Rapidly identify anti-air being:

• Primarily inteded for engaging helicopters or planes

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

• AAA (anti-air artillery): primary armament is one or more guns
• SAM: primary armament is surface-to-air missiles

Above: ZSU-23 Shilka Anti-Aircraft System

Rapidly identify a helicopter as being:

• Capable of powered flight
• Generating lift with one or more horizontally spinning fixed rotors

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

• Utility helicopter: armament is only intended for self defense (e.g. a door gun)
• Attack helicopter: armament is intended for offensive use (e.g. rocket pods)

Above: US Army AH-64D Apache Gunship

Rapidly identify tiltrotor aircraft as being:

• Capable of powered flight
• Generating lift with one or more horizontally spinning rotors capable of rotating in flight

There are no subclasses.

Rapidly identify a plane as being:

• Capable of powered flight
• Generating lift with wings

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

• Cargo plane: military plane used to ferry cargo or passengers
• Attack plane: slower flying aircraft intended for ground attack
• Fighter plane: fast flying aircraft intended to fight other planes

Above: US Air Force A-10A Warthog releasing a GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II

Use a firing position that provides:

• as good of a shot as possible on the target
• the best possible cover
• no backblast hazard (like an enclosed space)

When preparing to make an anti-vehicle shot, quickly scan the surrounding area while loudly declaring others to "Clear backblast!". The scan is intended to give visibility on who or what may be behind the launcher and help visually verify that the backblast area is clear of friendly personnel.

Declare "Backblast clear!" to let the gunner know that they are able to safely fire, after clearing the danger area by visually scanning it.

Upon hearing "Backblast clear!", or having visually confirmed that the area is clear, confirm the sight picture, loudly declare "Rocket!" and then fire the weapon.

Hit non-moving (static) targets:

• Within the effective range of the weapon
• While using a unguided weapon system

Hit moving (non static) targets:

• Within the effective range of the weapon
• While using an unguided weapon system

When shooting an unguided rocket, use the following criteria to determine the part of a vehicle to aim for:

• Will the rocket penetrate? Generally the front of the vehicle will be the strongest part, while the rear will be the weakest. Impact angle should be as close to 90° as possible.  
• Will the rocket cause damage? The rocket needs to hit a certain part of a vehicle to do damage to it. The best components to hit are the turret and the engine, with worst being the passenger compartment. Keep in mind different types of ammunition will affect the type and amount of damage a vehicle takes from a hit.

Above: From top left to bottom right: Rear, Flank, Frontal, Frontal Oblique, Rear Oblique

Prioritize vehicle targets based on the following factors:

• Urgency of the threat: immediate threats should be engaged first, with vehicles posing no threat either engaged last or not engaged at all.
• Success chance: every engagement should have the highest possible likelihood to succeed. In any case, refrain from shooting when:
  • the target is out of range
  • the target is moving too fast
  • the target cannot be effectively damaged
• Future considerations: do not engage vehicles when doing so might have negative effect later. e.g. shooting an AT-4 at a technical, when expecting BMPs.

Engage a structure using a launcher, after obtaining permission from the element leader, by:

• hitting inside the structure with an HE warhead
• hitting the outside of the structure with a warhead that has a penetrating effect (e.g. HESH)

Hit non-moving (static) targets:

• Within the effective range of the weapon
• While using a unguided weapon system

Hit moving (non static) targets:

• Within the effective range of the weapon
• While using an unguided weapon system

When shooting an unguided rocket, use the following criteria to determine the part of a vehicle to aim for:

• Will the rocket penetrate? Generally the front of the vehicle will be the strongest part, while the rear will be the weakest. Impact angle should be as close to 90° as possible.  
• Will the rocket cause damage? The rocket needs to hit a certain part of a vehicle to do damage to it. The best components to hit are the turret and the engine, with worst being the passenger compartment. Keep in mind different types of ammunition will affect the type and amount of damage a vehicle takes from a hit.

Above: From top left to bottom right: Rear, Flank, Frontal, Frontal Oblique, Rear Oblique

Prioritize vehicle targets based on the following factors:

• Urgency of the threat: immediate threats should be engaged first, with vehicles posing no threat either engaged last or not engaged at all.
• Success chance: every engagement should have the highest possible likelihood to succeed. In any case, refrain from shooting when:
  • the target is out of range
  • the target is moving too fast
  • the target cannot be effectively damaged
• Future considerations: do not engage vehicles when doing so might have negative effect later. e.g. shooting an AT-4 at a technical, when expecting BMPs.

Engage a structure using a launcher, after obtaining permission from the element leader, by:

• hitting inside the structure with an HE warhead
• hitting the outside of the structure with a warhead that has a penetrating effect (e.g. HESH)

• Use the thermal optics to find targets
• Differentiate between active vehicles and disabled/destroyed vehicles

Above: MH-6 Observer performs a battle damage assessment using thermal imaging

• Use top-down attack mode wherever possible to hit the top armour (almost always the weakest part of the vehicle).
• Use direct attack mode in situations when firing from confined spaces, or forests where top-attack would be hazardous.

Prioritize vehicle targets based on the following factors:

• Urgency of the threat: immediate threats should be engaged first, with vehicles posing no threat either engaged last or not engaged at all.
• Success chance: every engagement should have the highest possible likelihood to succeed. In any case, refrain from shooting when:
  • the target is out of range
  • the target is moving too fast
  • the target cannot be effectively damaged
• Future considerations: do not engage vehicles when doing so might have negative effect later. e.g. shooting an AT-4 at a technical, when expecting BMPs.