FM/C91 - Tactics - Urban tactics

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

As always when in an infantry role covering your sector is key in MOUT, if anything it is more important. When watching your sectors there are particular MOUT specific considerations:

• MOUT environments have a vertical element, ensure that you are watching windows as well as ground level
• Think carefully about your stance, communicating with your team to provide maximum security

Above: Two infantry cover a sector high/low with appropriate stances

When moving in a fireteam column during MOUT, maintain continuous coverage by assigning sectors based on position:

• Front: Covers the direction of movement while remaining aware of threats to the sides
• Rear: Covers behind the team while remaining aware of threats to the sides
• All others: Cover both the near side and far side of the road, watching doorways, windows, alleys, and higher floors where possible. Communication is key to ensuring all sectors are covered. 

As the team moves:

• Check openings as they are passed
• Observe multiple building levels where possible
• Engage any threats when identified

Maintain observation of the assigned sector at all times while moving.

Above: A 4-man and 5-man examples of formation when moving down a street

Cross the danger area using controlled movement and mutual cover:

1. When approaching a danger area, the leader alerts the team by saying ‘Danger Area’ 
2. The first two members hold on the near side, covering left and right across the danger area
3. The next two cross, move quickly to the far side, and take up left and right coverage
4. If more personnel remain, they cross next and cover the direction of travel
5. Once the main body is across, the original two members cross last
6. After crossing, they resume the direction of travel, restoring the original formation
7. The rest of the team re-joins the formation and continues movement

Above: A team leader rushes across a danger area as his team provides cover

When covering corners, if one player kneels while another stands behind them, two pairs of eyes and two rifles can cover the same area, increasing effectiveness. This is commonly known as a "high/low stack" and can be employed naturally whenever the situation allows. Note that the kneeling player must not stand unless he has cleared it with the standing player - else he's likely to stand up into a bullet.

Above: 2 players using High/Low stacking to maximize fire around a corner

A Fireteam is never alone during MOUT, a common situation will be a squad of two teams working in the same area towards a set goal. 

Contrary to a Squad Staggered Column, the teams would each have a designated flank, and they are to advance together through the obstacles. It is important to have the same pacing between the two teams. This may come in the form of short halts to let the other team catch up safely, or coordinating the crossing of danger areas to sync sector coverage. Maintaining pacing also allows for street side sector to cover and alert the other element of danger on their side (contact on higher floors or behind corners)

There are two ways that a breaching team can ‘stack up’ on a door – one is with all the members on the same side of the doorway (“stack”). If this is the case, the first man will state his entry type (“Cross!” or “Hook!”), with the following team members doing the opposite of the person in front of him/her. If the entry type is not stated, the second man simply does the opposite of what the entry man does, third man does the opposite of the second man, etc.

When ordering a stack, the lead man will either say "stack left" or "stack right" - the directions are relative to facing the doorway. "Stack left" will result in the entry team being on the left side of the door.

The following is a general description of the duties of the breaching team when stacking. Keep in mind that these duties are very contextual, and the focus should be on fluidity rather than doing things exactly by the book.

One Man: The point man, will before the breach maintain security of the breach and never take his eyes or gun away from it. The One Man will initiate the breach when the rest of the breaching team is ready.

Two Man: Keeps security long before breach. If the room needs to be prepped with frags or stuns, this will be the Two Man’s duty.

Three (+Four & Five if applicable) Man: Keeps security to the side (2-4 o’clock) of the stack. If more than four in the team, Three watches ground floor, Four takes upper floors, Five watches 4 o'clock (side-rear).

Last Man (all team sizes): Takes rear security, watching behind the team. The last man is always in the last man role, regardless of team size e.g. In a Fireteam of five, the Fifth man does the last man role and watches the rear, not the “Five man” role described above.

Above: Example of a single stack left, demonstrating how the 2nd man is the person to deploy grenades if needed, to ensure the point man -always- has eyes on the doorway and trigger finger ready

The other option is to split the stack into two, one on either side of the doorway ("split stack"). The One Man will state his entry type, and the other members of the breaching team will prepare to do a similar type of entry, except that the team in the other stack will do so from the opposite side of the door. This type of stack is best assumed when a closed door is present - moving across an open doorway for the sake of setting up a 'split stack' should never be done.

The following is a general description of the duties of the breaching team when performing a split stack. Again, keep in mind that the focus should be on fluidity rather than doing things by the book.

One Man: The point man, will before the breach maintain security of the breach and never take his eyes or gun away from it. Unless otherwise signaled, will be situated on the left hand side of the breach.

Two Man: On the opposite side of the breach, will provide cross cover into the breach

Three Man: Behind One Man, provides cover side front (approx 1 to 3 o’clock) from their perspective. If the room needs to be prepped with frag or stun grenades, this is the duty of the Three Man.

Four Man: Behind Two Man, provides cover ‘rear’ or ‘away’ if there are more men behind.

Above: An example of a 6-man team split stacking and executing a 'hook' entry. Notice that the 1st man is on the left of the doorway, and the grenadier is still the man behind him, therefore the 4th man is covering 'away' from the door

Stack up on an entry point using on of the following methods:

• Single stack: all members of the team stack up on a single side of the door
• Split stack: all members of the team distribute themselves and stack up on opposite sides of the door

When clearing a room with no non-combatents inside, throw in a offensive grenade (fragmentation, concussion) before entering the room

If there are non-combatents inside or when executing a capture mission, flashbangs can be used instead.

Before entering an entry point or when passing close by an opening in a building, pie it by deliberately maving from one side to the other while looking inside.This allows for visually clearing everything except for a corner or two.

Above: A demonstration of pieing an entryway

Enter a room using on of the two following methods:

• Hook: enter and immediatly turn back to the side your were stacked, essentially making a U-turn.
• Cross: enter and continue moving in the same direction, ending up on the opposite side of where you were stacked.

Once inside a room move and clear in the following manner:

• Move following the outside wall, and don't stop until the room has been cleared
• Clear the corner closest to you on your side of the room
• Clear the corner furthest from you on your side of the room
• Clear the center of the room

Say "Clear" when an area, room or building has been cleared.

If the area, room or building can be ambiguous, prepend it before saying clear: "{area} clear".