Developing the Situation
Once the platoon makes contact with the enemy, it maintains contact until the commander orders otherwise. The platoon leader develops the situation based on the effectiveness of enemy fire, friendly casualties, size of the enemy force, and freedom to maneuver. A good MTC plan will provide the infantry leader with the knowledge needed to take advantage of the terrain. It will also facilitate reporting critical information about the enemy in order to recommend a COA. The platoon can bypass the enemy with permission from the commander, conduct an attack, fix the enemy so another platoon can conduct the assault, conduct a defense, establish an ambush, or break contact.
Defensive Considerations
In some situations, a platoon conducting an MTC makes contact with a much larger and more powerful enemy force. If the platoon encounters a larger enemy force where the terrain gives the platoon an advantage, it should attempt to fix the enemy force. This allows the rest of the company to maneuver against the force. If the platoon cannot fix the enemy, it may have to assume a defensive posture or break contact to more advantageous terrain, but it should do so only if it is in danger of being overwhelmed.
Approach March Technique
The approach march technique may be used when the enemy is expected to deploy using relatively fixed offensive or defensive formations. The concept behind the approach march is to make contact with the smallest element, allowing the commander the flexibility of maneuvering or bypassing the enemy force. As part of a larger unit using the approach march technique, platoons may act as the advance, flank, or rear guard. They may also receive on-order missions as part of the main body.
Advance Guard. As the advance guard (probe), the platoon finds the enemy and locates gaps, flanks, and weaknesses in its defense. The advance guard attempts to make contact on ground of its own choosing, to gain the advantage of surprise, and to develop the situation (either fight through or support the assault of all or part of the main body).
The advance guard operates within the range of the main body’s indirect-fire support weapons. One rifle squad leads the advance guard. The platoon uses appropriate formations and movement techniques, and the leader rotates the lead squad as necessary to keep soldiers fresh.
Flank or Rear Guard. The entire platoon may use the approach march technique to act as the flank or rear guard for a battalion conducting a movement to contact. The platoon moves using the appropriate formation and movement technique; provides early warning; destroys enemy reconnaissance units; and prevents direct fires or observation of the main body.
Main Body. When moving as part of the main body, platoons may be tasked to assault, bypass, or fix an enemy force or to seize, secure, or clear an assigned area. The platoon may also be detailed to provide squads as flank guards, stay-behind ambushes, rear security, or additional security to the front. These squads may come under the direct control of the company commander. Platoons and squads use appropriate formations and movement techniques, assault techniques, and ambush techniques.
Search and Attack Technique
Search and attack is used when the enemy is dispersed or is expected to avoid contact or quickly disengage and withdraw, or to deny the enemy movement in an area. The search and attack technique involves the use of multiple squads and fire teams in coordinated actions to make contact with the enemy. Platoons attempt to find the enemy and then fix and finish it. They combine patrolling techniques with the requirement to conduct hasty or deliberate attacks once the enemy has been found.
LIMITED-VISIBILITY ATTACKS
Effective use of night vision devices (NVGs) during limited-visibility attacks enhances squad and platoon ability to achieve surprise and cause panic in a lesser-equipped enemy. NVGs allow soldiers to see farther and with greater clarity, and provide a marked advantage over the enemy. Leaders also have an increased ability to control fires during limited visibility.
The well-equipped platoon has multiple types of enhancements for use, including laser target designators; aiming lights; and target illuminators consisting of infrared parachute flares, infrared trip flares, infrared 40mm rounds, infrared mortar rounds, infrared bike lights, and remote black lights. These assets greatly aid in target acquisition and fire control. The platoon leader and squad leaders follow tactical SOPs to synchronize the employment of infrared illumination devices, target designators, and aiming lights during their assault on the objective.
Leaders use strobe lights, luminous tape, or chemical lights to mark assault personnel to prevent fratricide. The enemy must not be able to see the markings. Two techniques are to place tape on the back of the helmet or to use small infrared chemical lights (if the enemy has no NVGs).
The supporting elements must know the location of the lead assault element. To reduce the risk to the assault element, the platoon leader may assign weapons control restrictions. For example, the squad on the right in the assault might be assigned weapons free to the right flank because no friendly soldiers are there. The squad on the left may be assigned weapons tight or weapons hold, which means that another friendly unit is located there.
The platoon leader may use the following techniques to increase control during the assault:
•Prohibit use of flares, grenades, or smoke on the objective.
•Allow only certain personnel with NVGs to engage targets on the objective.
•Use a magnetic azimuth for maintaining direction.
•Use mortar or artillery rounds to orient attacking units.
•Assign a base squad or fire team to pace and guide others.
•Reduce intervals between soldiers and squads.
Mortar, artillery, and antiarmor fires are planned as in a daylight attack. However, they are not fired unless the platoon is detected or is ready to assault. Some weapons may fire before the attack and maintain a pattern to deceive the enemy or to help cover noise made by the platoon’s movement. This is not done if it will disclose the attack.
Indirect fire is hard to adjust when visibility is poor. If the exact location of friendly units is not clearly known, indirect fire is directed first at enemy positions beyond the objective and then moved (creeping fire) back onto the objective.
Illuminating rounds that are fired to burn on the ground can be used to mark objectives. This helps the platoon orient on the objective but may adversely affect NVGs.
Smoke is planned to further reduce the enemy’s visibility, particularly if he has NVGs. The smoke is laid close to or on enemy positions so that it does not restrict friendly movement or hinder the breaching of obstacles. Employing smoke on the objective during the assault may make it hard for assaulting soldiers to find enemy fighting positions. However, if enough thermal sights are available, smoke on the objective may provide a decisive advantage for a well-trained platoon.
Illumination is always planned for limited-visibility attacks, giving leaders the option of calling for it. Battalion commanders normally control the use of conventional illumination but may authorize the company commander to do so. If the commander decides to use conventional illumination, he should not call for it until the assault is initiated or the attack is detected. It should be placed on several locations over a wide area to confuse the enemy as to the exact place of the attack. Also, it should be placed beyond the objective to help assaulting soldiers see and fire at withdrawing or counterattacking enemy soldiers.
Note: If the enemy is equipped with NVGs, leaders must evaluate the risk of using each technique and ensure the mission is not compromised because the enemy can detect infrared light sources.