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UNITAF members taking orders before an operation
Force Manual

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

FM/G18 · Target recognition

Vehicle class identification

Passages
10
Reading time
2 mins
Views
64
Owned by
Unit Command
Platforms
Every platform
Role cards
109 cards
Published
23 Sep 2026
On this page

Vehicle identification overview

Vehicle identification is a useful skill for anyone on the battlefield, and a requirement for many of the more specialised roles. While some vehicles pose only a minimal threat, some can halt an entire platoon by themselves. As such accurate identification is crucial to good situational awareness, planning and tasking.

  • Identifying a vehicle can be done at three levels of depth:
    • Vehicle class
    • Subclass within vehicle class
    • Specific vehicle model
  • Not all vehicles within a class fall under a subclass.
  • Vehicle identification covers only military vehicles. 
  • Any other vehicle should be referred to by it's common name, e.g.
    • pickup 
    • truck
    • bicycle
    • jetski

Common terminology for vehicle identification

  • Auto-cannon: an automatic gun with a caliber between 20-60 mm
  • Cannon: a gun bigger than an auto-cannon
  • Direct fire: firing a weapon within the line-of-sight of the user of the weapon in a (relatively) flat trajectory
  • Indirect fire: firing a weapon outside the line-of-sight of the user of the weapon

Identify light vehicles

Rapidly identify a light vehicle as being:

  • Wheeled
  • Not armed with an autocannon or larger
  • Not classified as an AFV

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

  • Technical: civilian vehicle adapted for military use
  • MRAP: mine resistant and protected against small arms
  • Truck: military truck
A column of US Army M1114 uparmored HMMWV (or Humvee)
A column of US Army M1114 uparmored HMMWV (or Humvee)

Identify AFVs

Rapidly identify a AFV as being:

  • Wheeled or tracked
  • Armed with nothing to cannon, intended for direct fire
  • Protected against at least small arms

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

  • APC: armed with up to a heavy machine-gun
  • IFV: armed with an autocannon
  • Assault gun: armed with a cannon
  • ATGM carrier: armed with ATGMs (anti-tank guided missile) as primary armament
US Army M1126 Stryker AFV on patrol
US Army M1126 Stryker AFV on patrol

Identify tanks

Rapidly identify a tank as being:

  • Tracked
  • Turreted
  • Protected against at least auto-cannon fire
  • Having a cannon capable and intended for direct fire

There are no subclasses.

A section of US Army M1A2 SEPv2 Tanks engaging enemy forces
A section of US Army M1A2 SEPv2 Tanks engaging enemy forces

Identify artillery

Rapidly identify artillery as being:

  • Towed, wheeled or tracked
  • Having a cannon or rocket tubes intended for indirect fire

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

  • Towed artillery: cannot move by itself
  • Self propelled artillery: cannon/rocket tubes are mounted on a wheeled or tracked vehicle
M119 Howitzer towed artillery unit in it's deployed configuration
M119 Howitzer towed artillery unit in it's deployed configuration

Identify anti-air

Rapidly identify anti-air being:

  • Primarily inteded for engaging helicopters or planes

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

  • AAA (anti-air artillery): primary armament is one or more guns
  • SAM: primary armament is surface-to-air missiles
ZSU-23 Shilka Anti-Aircraft System
ZSU-23 Shilka Anti-Aircraft System

Identify helicopters

Rapidly identify a helicopter as being:

  • Capable of powered flight
  • Generating lift with one or more horizontally spinning fixed rotors

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

  • Utility helicopter: armament is only intended for self defense (e.g. a door gun)
  • Attack helicopter: armament is intended for offensive use (e.g. rocket pods)
US Army AH-64D Apache Gunship
US Army AH-64D Apache Gunship

Identify tiltrotor aircraft

Rapidly identify tiltrotor aircraft as being:

  • Capable of powered flight
  • Generating lift with one or more horizontally spinning rotors capable of rotating in flight

There are no subclasses.

Identify planes

Rapidly identify a plane as being:

  • Capable of powered flight
  • Generating lift with wings

Those at higher proficiency are able to identify the subclasses as:

  • Cargo plane: military plane used to ferry cargo or passengers
  • Attack plane: slower flying aircraft intended for ground attack
  • Fighter plane: fast flying aircraft intended to fight other planes
US Air Force A-10A Warthog releasing a GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II
US Air Force A-10A Warthog releasing a GBU-48 Enhanced Paveway II

On role cards

On 109 role cards in 16 combat areas.

Named on

The other 94 roles read it through these cards.

By combat area

Next in Target recognition

FM/G24 Vehicle model identification