Vehicle class identification - UNITAF Force Manual (FM)


Group

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



Guide
FM/BG-101 - Vehicle identification overview
Guide

Vehicle identification is a useful skill for anyone on the battlefield, and a requirement for many of the more specialised roles. While some vehicles pose only a minimal threat, some can halt an entire platoon by themselves. As such accurate identification is crucial to good situational awareness, planning and tasking.

  • Identifying a vehicle can be done at three levels of depth:
    • Vehicle class
    • Subclass within vehicle class
    • Specific vehicle model
  • Not all vehicles within a class fall under a subclass.
  • Vehicle identification covers only military vehicles. 
  • Any other vehicle should be referred to by it's common name, e.g.
    • pickup 
    • truck
    • bicycle
    • jetski
Guide
FM/BG-129 - Common terminology for vehicle identification
Guide
  • Auto-cannon: an automatic gun with a caliber between 20-60 mm
  • Cannon: a gun bigger than an auto-cannon
  • Direct fire: firing a weapon within the line-of-sight of the user of the weapon in a (relatively) flat trajectory
  • Indirect fire: firing a weapon outside the line-of-sight of the user of the weapon
Skill
FM/BS-102 - Identify light vehicles
Skill

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

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

Skill
FM/BS-103 - Identify AFVs
Skill

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
US Army M1126 Stryker AFV on patrol

Above: US Army M1126 Stryker AFV on patrol

Skill
FM/BS-104 - Identify tanks
Skill

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.

A section of US Army M1A2 SEPv2 Tanks engaging enemy forces

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

Skill
FM/BS-108 - Identify artillery
Skill

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
M119 Howitzer towed artillery unit in it's deployed configuration

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

Skill
FM/BS-105 - Identify anti-air
Skill

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
ZSU-23 Shilka Anti-Aircraft System

Above: ZSU-23 Shilka Anti-Aircraft System

Skill
FM/BS-109 - Identify helicopters
Skill

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)
US Army AH-64D Apache Gunship

Above: US Army AH-64D Apache Gunship

Skill
FM/BS-465 - Identify tiltrotor aircraft
Skill

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.

Skill
FM/BS-107 - Identify planes
Skill

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

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

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