When vehicles are moving with you in an urban environment you must stay on the sides of the road, ahead of the vehicle, as the most dangerous place to be is in front of or behind the vehicle. This is because;
Element leaders ensure their team boards the assigned vehicle, supervise loading, and board last. If acting as navigator, they must communicate to their team that the front passenger seat should be left for them to occupy.
All personnel must follow directions during embarkation. Leaders must take charge; subordinates must listen and comply.
When mounting in a vehicle, announce to the fireteam leader when your are mounted over the radio.
‘{name} up’
This allows fireteam leaders to then notify the squad leader and so on and ensure that everyone who needs to be on board, is on board before the vehicle departs.
Vehicles must avoid endangering friendly infantry. Do not run them over, and avoid firing main guns near dismounts unless absolutely necessary due to the risk of overpressure injuries. In close terrain infantry should move ahead of the vehicle as this gives dismounts a chance to spot threats early.
Vehicle commanders may, if required, dismount to coordinate directly with infantry.
When moving alongside infantry, vehicles must match their pace. Vehicles can act as mobile cover while advancing behind or beside infantry elements. Maintain awareness of spacing, arcs, and potential threats to avoid masking friendly movement or endangering friendly positions.
Vehicles may be utilised in overwatch roles, using their range and firepower to support advancing infantry by suppressing enemy positions, destroying fortifications, and reducing threats before infantry make contact. Keeping distance also reduces vulnerability to unguided AT weapons like RPGs.
Above: An IFV providing overwatch to infantry
Vehicles can create breaches in walls or compounds to give infantry alternative entry points. The breach vehicle selects a weak point, checks for traps or IEDs, then drives into the wall at speed, deploying smoke if available. After breaking through, the vehicle withdraws to safety, allowing infantry to move through.
Above: An IFV breaching a wall for infantry
Walls can be breached with cannon or heavy machinegun fire to collapse wall sections from a safe distance. Before firing, the vehicle should confirm no friendly forces are near the breach point. Once the breach is made, vehicles shift fire to allow infantry to advance.
Above: An IFV using its cannon to breach a wall
A hull-down position uses terrain to expose only a vehicle’s turret or weapon system while hiding its hull, minimizing the profile presented to the enemy and protecting vital components. Tanks and other vehicles with remote or turreted weapons can benefit from this posture.
After firing, the vehicle should retreat behind cover into a full “turret-down” position, reload, and then reappear at a different location to avoid enemy targeting. The farther the enemy, the easier it is to achieve hull-down using minor terrain features. Reusing the same firing position should be avoided to stay unpredictable.
Above: An MBT utilising a hull down position
Jockeying involves repositioning a vehicle laterally behind cover to avoid enemy return fire. The vehicle backs out of view, shifts left or right, and then re-enters a hull-down posture from a new angle to re-engage.
This manoeuvre makes targeting more difficult for the enemy by presenting a new position each time. It should be used after being spotted or fired on to stay survivable while maintaining offensive pressure.
Turning out allows the commander or driver to stand in the hatch for improved visibility but exposes them to enemy fire. It should only be done when the risk is low and situational awareness is worth the exposure.
Some vehicles require the commander to turn out to use a mounted machine gun, do so only when the tactical benefit outweighs the risk.
Vehicle commanders must anticipate enemy threats before contact. Prioritize targets by danger: armour and ATGMs first, then unguided anti-tank infantry. Avoid skyline exposure—stay on low ground and shift position after engagement to avoid counterfire. Never drive directly out of overwatch; reposition laterally or reverse first.
Vehicle commanders guide vehicle movement based on tactical needs and terrain. Drivers may have limited vision—only give directional cues they can see (11 to 1 o'clock). Explain the destination and route when possible. Time all commands with the delay in heavy vehicle response. In formations or near infantry, guide the driver closely, as they cannot always see others nearby.
When commanding a gunner, clearly define the gunner’s left and right arcs using bearings, clock-ray, or landmarks. Set ROE based on threat level: “Hold Fire”, “Priority Targets Only”, or “Fire at Will”. Use the gunner’s optics to verify distant threats. Update crew on friendly positions to avoid friendly fire. Account for differences between the commander's and gunner’s viewpoints. Keep the gun’s orientation in mind when manoeuvring in close terrain to avoid jarring impacts.
Use a CIE to quickly orient your gunner on a threat. Follow the structure:
After ordering a CIE, begin scanning for follow-on threats. Maintain tempo and initiative.
All drivers must understand the actions on for situations that the convoy is likely to encounter. The convoy commander must brief these procedures clearly before departure.
Vehicles must push through the kill zone without stopping. Gunners return fire immediately, even without clear visuals, aiming toward the source of contact. The lead vehicle must scan aggressively for IEDs.
Troops dismount while vehicle gunners suppress enemy positions. Dismounts and vehicles advance together to engage and destroy the enemy. Once the threat is eliminated, units remount and resume the convoy.
Call out "Vehicle down!" over comms when a vehicle is disabled. If available, use tow ropes to extract the vehicle after securing the area. In some situations, it may be necessary to attempt towing while still under fire. If towing is not possible, a working vehicle may try pushing the disabled one—use this only if dismounting would be more dangerous for the crew.
Infantry dismounts and clears ahead of the convoy while staying within range of vehicle support. Maintain coordination to ensure effective covering fire and minimize risk as the convoy advances.
For halts longer than 30 seconds or reaction-to-contact halts, convoys must form either the Herringbone or Coil formation to maximize security and spacing.
The Herringbone formation involves vehicles pulling off alternately to the left and right sides of the road at about a 45° angle. This formation is easy to execute and provides good security and spacing, useful across open and road terrain.
Above: Visual Representation of Herringbone.
The Coil formation is designed for armored vehicles, where vehicles orient their strongest armor toward the direction they cover, enabling excellent 360° protection. The lead vehicle faces forward, the second faces left, the third faces right, and the trailing vehicle faces rear.
Above: Visual Representation of Coil.
For halts under 30 seconds, mounted troops usually stay inside but remain alert and scan for threats. For longer halts, troops dismount and provide local security under team or squad leader direction. Clear commands must be given to dismount and remount, with accountability ensured.
Upon halting, personnel should perform a "5 & 25" scan: first scanning 5 meters around the vehicle, then, if dismounting, scanning 25 meters in all directions to detect mines, ambushes, or other threats.
Convoy speed must balance security and cohesion. Excessive spacing weakens mutual support and increases vulnerability. The lead vehicle must monitor spacing and adjust speed as needed. Drivers and the convoy commander must stay in communication to report speed, spacing, and observation sectors.
Speed increases convoy survivability by reducing enemy engagement windows (e.g., RPGs, IEDs). However, overextending the convoy can lead to loss of support and leave vehicles vulnerable to concentrated enemy fire. The Convoy Commander is responsible for balancing this risk.
If the lead vehicle must brake suddenly, the driver must announce “BRAKING, BRAKING, BRAKING” over comms to prevent collisions.
Gunners must maintain 360° security at all times. The lead vehicle is responsible for observing to the front, the rear vehicle covers the rear, and interior vehicles alternate left and right to ensure continuous coverage in all directions. Gunners should cover their assigned sectors and resist the urge to fixate on one threat direction.
Vehicles must maintain a spacing of 20 to 100 meters, adjusted for terrain and visibility. This interval must be preserved while moving, turning, or stopping to reduce vulnerability to explosives and concentrated enemy fire.
Above: Visual Representation of Spacing and Gunner Arcs
Convoy routes must be planned in advance, with known objectives and alternate routes.
Avoid urban routes when possible due to high ambush risk. Forested or rocky terrain may also be dangerous but is sometimes unavoidable—move with heightened caution. Commanders should always plan primary and alternate routes.
