FM/C100 - Leadership - Leadership of combat elements

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

Leaders must ensure their element executes the operations order effectively while adapting to real-time developments. Leadership involves supervising movement, enforcing tactical discipline, and adjusting plans based on enemy contact or environmental changes.

Identify and track the enemy

• Constantly ask: "Where is the enemy?"
• Use terrain and likely avenues of approach to infer enemy positions. 

Maintain formation and discipline

• Confirm elements are following orders; address deviations promptly.
• Monitor spacing, formation integrity, and mutual support.
• Adjust formations to match terrain and threat levels. 

Avoid gaps and exposed flanks

• Identify and close any gaps between units that could be exploited.
• Maintain overwatch and support relationships between elements. 

Position key assets effectively

• Ensure anti-tank and other special assets are placed forward and ready.
• Confirm recon and point elements are in use where applicable. 

Clarify contact drills and ROE

• Reiterate ROE and reaction-to-contact drills.
• Adapt SOPs to mission-specific threats if necessary.

Confirm operational reality

• Compare the actual situation to the OPORD.
• Adjust plans if discrepancies arise due to faulty intel or unexpected contact.

Assess the tactical picture

• Identify enemy strength, weaponry, and disposition.
• Determine friendly deployment and positioning.

Achieve fire superiority

• Ensure the enemy is suppressed and fixed.
• Position elements for tactical advantage and cover.

Employ and coordinate assets

• Bring special teams and vehicles into action.
• Request artillery, CAS, or indirect fire when available.

Evaluate and adapt tactics

• Determine if the current plan can win the fight.
• Consider flanks, rear approaches, and terrain for alternate tactics.

Exploit enemy weakness

• Identify vulnerable enemy positions or exposed flanks.
• Use fire and manoeuvre, or assaults to gain the upper hand.

Monitor the fight continuously

• Track casualties and effectiveness.
• Disengage if unable to win the engagement.

Establish security immediately

• Secure the area with 360° coverage.
• Clear enemy combatants and occupy strong positions.

Conduct status and ACE reports

• Collect SITREPs and ACE Reports from all elements.
• Determine remaining combat capability.

Address casualties and medical needs

• Confirm medics are treating wounded effectively.
• Avoid clustering around aid stations; establish triage.

Reorganize and redistribute

• Reassign leadership if casualties occurred.
• Merge understrength teams as needed.
• Redistribute key equipment and ammunition.

Prepare for the next objective

• Once stabilized, determine the next phase of the mission.
• Rebrief units if needed and resume movement with discipline.

A far ambush occurs when the enemy is over 50 meters away. Immediate fire and coordination enable manoeuvre to neutralize the threat.

Actions

• If in the kill zone:
  • Return fire and move to cover.
  • Target enemy high-volume weapons (e.g., MGs).
  • Deploy smoke to obscure friendlies or enemy line of sight.
• If outside the kill zone:
  • Move via cover to flank and assault.
  • Inform base-of-fire team before initiating assault to avoid friendly fire.

A near ambush occurs when the enemy is within grenade-throwing distance. Immediate aggression is essential to survive and suppress the ambush.

Actions

• If in the kill zone:
  • Return fire immediately.
  • Throw grenades or smoke.
  • Assault enemy position swiftly once cover is created.
• If outside the kill zone:
  • Provide suppressive fire on enemy position.
  • Shift or cease fire when friendlies assault to avoid fratricide.

Breaking contact allows an element to disengage from the enemy while maintaining suppressive fire to avoid becoming decisively engaged.

Steps

1. Leader announces intent to break contact.
2. Assign a base-of-fire element (e.g., buddy-team, fireteam, or larger).
3. Base-of-fire takes hasty cover and suppresses enemy.
4. Other elements bound to the rear under fire protection.
5. Deploy smoke to conceal movement.
6. On signal, base-of-fire element bounds back to new position.
7. Repeat until disengagement is complete.

The Squad Leader manages the squad’s response to contact by gaining fire superiority, reporting upwards, and deciding whether to hold, manoeuvre, or break contact.

Actions

• Achieve fire superiority.
• Confirm fireteams are reacting appropriately.
• Report contact to the Platoon Commander when possible:
• Prioritize squad command over reporting if needed.
• Assess the position:
  • Hold if viable.
  • Manoeuvre fireteams using bounding overwatch if needed.
  • Break contact if untenable.
• Coordinate with adjacent squads and listen for higher orders.
• Monitor flanks and casualty status via Squad Medic.

The Fireteam Leader is responsible for quickly assessing the situation and ensuring their team responds effectively to sudden enemy contact.

Actions

• Order team to move to covered or concealed positions.
• Identify and report the enemy's position to the Squad Leader.
• Begin engaging the enemy.
• Direct team fire as needed.
• Prepare to manoeuvre as ordered by the Squad Leader.

Convoy ambushes must prevent vehicles from escaping the kill zone and neutralize armoured threats rapidly.

Tactics

• Prioritize disabling the lead, then the rear vehicle.
• Engage soft targets by aiming for tires and drivers.
• Eliminate armored threats immediately—double up AT gunners if possible.
• Stay clear of wreckage due to secondary explosions.
• Use decoy vehicles to bait convoys into halting.

An L-shaped ambush uses two elements forming a right angle, enabling simultaneous frontal and flank fire into the kill zone.

Advantages

• Highly effective due to crossfire.
• Even a single flanking rifleman or marksman significantly increases ambush lethality.
• Can be employed by varied team sizes and roles.

Above: Visual representation of an L-shaped ambush

The linear ambush positions all friendly elements in a single firing line parallel to the enemy's expected path of travel. It is fast to set up and commonly used in hasty situations.

Considerations

• Works well with limited time and mobility.
• A longer line reduces enemy cover options.
• Avoid excessive spacing—ambushed enemies should not be able to breach the line.

Above: Visual representation of a linear ambush

Explosive devices can enhance ambush effectiveness by adding shock and confusion, especially against vehicles or in deliberate setups.

Applications

• Satchel charges and claymores are ideal for deliberate or vehicle ambushes.
• Initiating the ambush with explosives increases lethality.
• Not typically suited for hasty ambushes due to setup time.

An ambush is a surprise attack from concealment against a moving or halted enemy. Ambushes capitalize on surprise and firepower to destroy or disrupt enemy elements.

Key Elements

• Friendly Positioning: Use concealment and elevation to maximize survivability and lethality.
• Kill Zone: Select open terrain with minimal cover; ensure clear, overlapping fields of fire.
• Initiation of Fire: Initiated by the leader, usually with a verbal warning. Fire must be immediate, heavy, and accurate.

Contingency: If fire is accidentally initiated early, all elements must immediately engage to salvage effectiveness.

Snipers pose a long-range precision threat. Quick movement, cover usage, and coordinated suppression are key to survival.

Actions

• Identify direction of fire and seek hard cover.
• If sniper fire is suspected, call out "Sniper!" to alert others.
• If exposed, move unpredictably and avoid direct paths.
• Relay sniper’s position to friendly elements; use map marking if possible.

Snipers are best countered by coordinated team action rather than individual efforts. Flanking and suppression are critical.

Best Practices

• Suppress suspected sniper positions if feasible.
• Flank as a team to neutralize threat.
• Avoid peeking from the same spot repeatedly.
• Use smoke to conceal intended movement route, not current position.

Above: Visual representation of how to utilise smoke in a counter sniper situation

The crack/bang method uses sound delay between bullet crack and muzzle blast to estimate sniper range and direction.

Technique

• Listen for the supersonic "crack" of the round, followed by the "bang" of the rifle.
• Long delay = distant shooter; short delay = closer shooter.
• Use the muzzle blast direction to orient toward the shooter.

Jets are fast-moving threats that rely on visual detection and powerful area-of-effect weapons. Survivability depends on movement and concealment.

Best Practices

• Move perpendicular to attack run to throw off aim.
• Use reverse slopes to block line of sight and reposition after each pass.
• Avoid exposure, jets struggle to detect infantry at speed.

Rotary-wing aircraft are the most dangerous CAS threat due to precision and persistence. Prevention through stealth is preferred.

Best Practices

• Avoid detection via low, concealed movement routes.
• If equipped with AA assets, engage helicopters on approach.
• If no AA is present, rely on concealment and avoid engagement unless certain of success.
• Engage low-and-slow helicopters only when confident in a kill.

If spotted by enemy aircraft, quick dispersion and terrain masking reduce casualties from guided or area-effect weapons.

Actions

• Spread out immediately, avoid clustering.
• Move to terrain that limits aircraft attack angles: forests, urban areas, reverse slopes.
• Only engage aircraft with small arms if escape or survival depends on it.

Artillery and mortars can inflict heavy casualties. Early warning, rapid response, and dispersion are key to survival.

Actions

• Stay alert for distant firing sounds or incoming shells.
• Shout "Incoming!" at the first sign of artillery to warn others.
• If static, spread out and take cover immediately.
• If mobile, follow the element leader’s direction to escape impact area.

Indirect fire threats can be neutralized through accurate location, counter-battery efforts, or direct assault.

Countermeasures

• Call for counter-battery or CAS if available.
• Mortar positions can sometimes be attacked directly.
• Use triangulation with separated elements and compass bearings to identify artillery source.
• Expect delayed repeat barrages—stay in cover until confirmed clear.

Keep proper spacing and offset from lead.

• Communicate speed/distance issues.
• Observe sectors based on offset:
  • Left offset = watch left/front
  • Right offset = watch right/front
  • Rear = observe rear
  • Share rear security if no dedicated element

Leading elements set the pace and direction.

• Guide movement based on orders.
• Prevent outpacing of trail elements.
• Maintain observation forward and to flanks.
• Provide point element if needed.

Formation control ensures spacing and cohesion throughout movement.

• Leaders correct deviations using clear, relative directions.
• Control is maintained by the formation’s overall leader.

Use simple, relative directions when ordering formations.

• Reference direction of movement, not bearings.
• Use “front, left, right, rear” to describe offsets.

Leader roles and positions differ by echelon.

• Squad Leaders “push” fireteams from centre or rear.
• Fireteam Leaders “pull” teams by leading from the front.

Formations can be layered across command levels with Platoons, squads, and fireteams each using different formations. Each leader determines formation appropriate to their level to enables flexibility without micromanagement.

Formations guide positioning to support cohesion and control. They are adaptable, not rigid templates.

Principles:

• Use formations as a baseline, not a constraint.
• Leaders must understand strengths and weaknesses of each formation.
• Precision is less important than practicality, adapt to terrain and threat.

Danger areas are terrain features that expose friendly forces to heightened risk from enemy fire.

These may include:

• Bridges, streams, open lanes, streets, or other open spaces.
• Often observed or covered by enemy forces, including snipers or machine gunners.

Danger areas must be identified early and treated with deliberate caution.

Crossing a danger area is conducted using bounding overwatch principles.

• Cross in small elements to avoid detection and reduce exposure.
• Maintain continuous security throughout the process.
• Movement techniques used are an extension of basic infantry manoeuvre principles.

Step 1: Establish security

• Form a security element to cover the danger area before attempting to cross.
• Use at least half the force to provide overwatch.
• Ensure wide spacing to reduce visibility.
• Security observes flanks, rear, and the danger area itself.

Step 2: Scout the far side

• Send a scout element to cross and clear the far side.
• Typically fireteam-sized.
• Conduct limited penetration to check for threats.
• Provide overwatch for main body during their crossing.

Step 3: Controlled crossing

• Once scouts report clear, remaining elements cross sequentially.
• Cross one element at a time.
• Maintain spacing and speed.
• Do not bunch up or rush the crossing.

Step 4: Consolidate after crossing

• Once all elements are across, regroup and continue the mission.
• Re-establish control and situational awareness.
• Ensure no one is left behind or disoriented.

If taking fire during the crossing, shift to emergency reaction techniques.

• Deploy smoke to obscure movement.
• Use suppression fire to cover crossing elements.
• Maintain aggressive momentum to clear the area quickly.