CONVOY SURVIVABILITY CONVOY SURVIVABILITY DEFEND AGAINST INDIRECT FIRE

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY DEFEND AGAINST INDIRECT FIRE 96

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY ACTIVE DEFENSE Indirect Fire Ø Direct counterbattery fire if direction and distance to enemy position can be determined Ø Direct fire against enemy forward observer Ø Coordinate air strike against enemy position 97

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY PASSIVE DEFENSE Indirect Fire Ø Halt only if artillery concentration is ahead of convoy Ø Locate alternate route around impact area Ø Increase speed and obtain maximum interval Ø Prepare for ambush Ø If ambush follows, defend as in any other ambush Ø Clear the area as soon as possible The best passive defense against indirect fire is an open column formation 98

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY BREAK CONTACT Commander’s Actions Ø Determine status Ø Designate floating or fixed rally point(s) Ø Give order to break contact Ø Give order to proceed to rally point(s) 99

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY BREAK CONTACT General Procedures Ø Gun trucks provide covering fire support Ø Deploy obscuration measures Ø Litter teams recover wounded and KIA Ø Maintain position, provide suppression fire, assist aid and litter teams Ø Destroy and abandon disabled vehicles Ø Vehicles displace Ø Use alternating displacement if vehicles on both sides of kill zone Ø Separated vehicles move to closest rally point 100

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY BREAK CONTACT Intent is to quickly move out of contact when the convoy cannot gain fire superiority. Enemy Position To forward rally point 5 4 3 1 2 6 7 Ø Convoy CDR orders withdrawal and designates rally point Ø Clear kill zone first • Priority to wounded • Link-up with leadership for accountability Ø Clear vehicles closest to kill zone and rear displace next Ø Gun trucks suppress/cover convoy as vehicles displace 101

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY ELO F REACT TO IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES (IED) 102

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY DEFINITION Those devices placed or fabricated in an improvised manner incorporating destructive, lethal, noxious, pyrotechnic, or incendiary chemicals, designed to destroy, disfigure, distract, or harass. They may incorporate military stores, but are Normally devised from non-military components. IEDs may have an NBC capability. 103

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE Ø Maintain situational awareness and a vigilant security posture Ø Attempt to detect IEDs before they can do damage Ø Scan the road and surrounding area 104

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY IED CHARACTERISTICS Ø Command detonated, victim actuated, or timed Ø May incorporate military ordinance, but normally devised from non-military components Ø Can be daisy chained Ø Can be disguised as virtually anything Ø Can be easily concealed Ø Can be dropped from overpasses 105

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY IED CHARACTERISTICS (Continued) Ø May be carried by children Ø May be left in the open to channel convoy traffic into ambush or other hazard Ø Can be vehicle borne 106

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY IED COMPONENTS Mortar rounds, battery and cable, liquid in a bottle (possible petrol), and a spool of wire 107

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY IED fashioned from a mortar round plus a secondary munition. Note the tip of the fuse. 108

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY Bucket fashioned into an improvised shape charge. 109

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY IED in a trash bag. 110

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY Post-blast photos of an IED concealed in a concrete curb. 111

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY IED firing point 112

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY IED with pole marker 113

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY AVOIDING IEDS Ø Maintain designated convoy speed Ø Follow tracks of preceding vehicles Ø Stay on the hardstand Ø Travel in lane best suited for rapid travel Ø Travel down middle of the road if possible Ø Present an unpredictable target Ø Scan the road before halting 114

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY AVOIDING IEDs (Continued) Ø Avoid abandoned or disabled vehicles on the road Ø Avoid animal-drawn carts Ø Watch for signs of tampering Ø Watch for fresh concrete work Ø Watch foreign objects at center median turnarounds Ø Watch for markings warning civilians of IEDs Ø Prevent civilian vehicles from infiltrating the convoy Ø Drive in nonstandard patterns to avoid predictability If it looks or seems suspicious, treat it as a “Possible IED” 115

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY OBSERVE LOCAL POPULATION Ø Sudden activity within crowds as convoy approaches Ø Civilians dispersing or disappearing Ø Absence of women and children normally present Ø Dramatic changes in population from one block to next Ø No activity where there are normally large crowds 116

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY OBSERVE LOCAL POPULATION (Continued) Ø Suspicious movement in upper floor windows Ø People and vehicles on overpasses Ø People inside traffic circles Ø Signals as convoy approaches Ø Vehicles following convoy and pulling to side of road Ø Civilians with video cameras Ø Presence of a media crew 117

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY REACT TO A SUSPECTED IED 118

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY METHODS OF DEFENSE Always assume that there is at least one secondary device. Ø Wear helmet, body armor, eye and hearing protection Ø Do not approach a known or suspected IED Ø Throw smoke grenade from your vehicle to warn follow-on drivers 119

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY METHODS OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) Ø If within 100 meters, increase speed and clear the area Ø Stop no closer than 300 meters short of a suspected IED Ø Do not transmit on radios or cell phones Ø Look for potential enemy vantage/observation points 120

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY THE FIVE C’S Ø CONFIRM and report Ø CLEAR the area (minimum 300 meters) Ø CORDON off and secure the area Ø CONTROL entry and exit Ø CHECK for secondary devices IED SCAN 300 m GUN TRUCK 300 m SCAN TASK VEHICLE 121

CONVOY SURVIVABILITY ALTERNATIVE TPP FOR LOGISTICAL CONVOYS Ø Large convoys (often 50 or more vehicles) Ø Faced with unique problems due to size Ø Highly vulnerable to attack Ø Alternate method: move to the far side of the road, accelerate, and keep moving Ø Forward UXO report Ø Check unit SOP 122