Commanding a vehicle

Vehicle commanders must anticipate enemy threats before contact. Prioritize targets by danger: armour and ATGMs first, then unguided anti-tank infantry. Avoid skyline exposure; stay on low ground and shift position after engagement to avoid counterfire. Never drive directly out of overwatch; reposition laterally or reverse first.

• Alert with their crew position: e.g. “DRIVER” or “GUNNER”
• Give the order: e.g. “REVERSE” or “SCAN LEFT”

• State the destination and intended route when possible.
• Repeat or re-confirm instructions if the driver's response is delayed or unclear.

• Use the format: Give orders to a crew member FM/BS-1363
• Give visual cues only within the driver's visible sector (11 to 1 o'clock),
• Time commands to allow for heavy-vehicle response delay,
• Provide close guidance when in formation or near infantry,
• Repeat or re-confirm instructions if the driver's response is delayed or unclear.

• Define the gunner's left and right arcs using bearings, clock-ray, or landmarks.
• Use optics to verify distant threats before engagement.
• Update the crew on friendly positions to prevent fratricide.
• Account for commander vs gunner viewpoint differences when giving aim or engagement cues.
• Watch your gun direction and vehicle safety when moving in tight areas to avoid hitting obstacles.

• Alert: Focus the gunner. 
• Ammo/Weapon: Tell the gunner what system/ammo to use. Use specific shorthand (e.g., SABOT, HE, Coax, MG, Smoke).
• Target Description: Tell the gunner what the target is. For vehicles/aircraft Vehicle class identification FM/G18 should be used, other targets may include infantry, gun emplacement or a building
• Direction: Give an unambiguous direction indication and an approximate range relative to the vehicle. Distance helps set lead, ammo choice, and sights.
  • Accepted direction formats:
    • Clock + distance,
    • Degrees + distance,
    • Relative + distance.

Movement status: Give movement to help lead. Use short phrases: moving Left to Right, moving away, moving towards, stationary, stopped, on the move. If speed is important, add fast / slow.

Skip sections if they are not required.

• Announce “GUNNER” or “DESIGNATE*”,
• State the weapon/ammo the gunner should use,
• Describe the target and, if needed, the point of aim
• State the direction and range using one of the following:
  • Clock + distance: 
  • Degrees + distance: 
  • Relative + distance: 
• State the movement status
• Gunner: Announce “IDENTIFIED” when the gun is on target.
• Gunner: Announce “NOT SEEN” if the target cannot be found.
• Commander: Talk the gunner on to the target if needed Talk gunner on to target FM/BS-1371,
• Proceed with Execute an engagement FM/BS-1372.

*Only if using the Hunter/Killer system.

Alert the commander to a target

• Announce “IDENTIFY”,
• Target description,
• Direction,
• Proceed with Execute an engagement FM/BS-1372

• “FIRE”: Fire immediately,
• “FIRE AND ADJUST”: Fire immediately and adjust for follow-up if target is missed,
• “AT MY COMMAND”: Acquire target but await “FIRE” command.

• Give instructions to traverse left or right
• When close to the target announce “STEADY” to slow the speed and allow the gunner to locate the target
• Announce “ON” when the gunner is aiming at the correct target

• Commander: Give fire control order: Give fire control commands to a gunner FM/BS-1370
• Gunner: Just before the weapon is fired, announce “ON THE WAY” to alert the other crew members.

• When a round is fired, call the effect it has on the target:
  • “TARGET”:  Round hit the target
  • “OVER/SHORT”: Round missed long / short,
  • “LOST”: Round impact was unseen,
  • “DOUBTFUL”:  Round passed to the left or right of the target but the range seems correct,
  • “REENGAGING”: the gunner is preparing to fire again with corrections if needed,
  • “CEASE FIRE”:  Gunner should stop engaging the target.
• When required apply target corrections:
  • “ADD ONE/DROP ONE”: Move aim up / down,
  • “MORE LEAD/LESS LEAD”: Move aim further ahead or closer to a moving target.

A Hunter‑Killer Observation Override synchronises commander and gunner sights to allow rapid target acquisition by slewing one sight to the point observed by the other.

• Function: Syncs commander and gunner sight lines so a target viewed by one can be observed or engaged by the other without separate manual laying.
• Gunner / Commander- Observe: Using Observe moves the user's sight to the point currently targeted by the other sight, permitting immediate visual confirmation.
• Commander- Override: Using Override slews the gunner sight to the commander's aim point, enabling the gunner to acquire and engage the same target quickly.

If using the hunter-killer override, alert the gunner with "DESIGNATE" before taking control of the turret.

• Vehicle weapon disabled: 
  • Move vehicle back in cover, 
  • Report "[your callsign] WEAPON DISABLED" on command net, 
  • Stay in vehicle and await orders.
• Vehicle mobility disabled:
  • Report up  "[your callsign] MOBILITY DISABLED" on command net, 
  • Stay and defend vehicle if safe, 
  • Dismount vehicle and regroup near cover if not safe to stay in the vehicle.
• Vehicle disabled (or weapon and mobility disabled): 
  • Report  "[your callsign] VEHICLE DISABLED" on command net, 
  • Stay in vehicle if safe, 
  • Dismount vehicle and regroup near cover if not safe to stay in the vehicle.

• As the commander, If you identify that the vehicle is damaged and poses a risk to the crew, announce "BAIL, BAIL, BAIL"
• Exit the vehicle,
• Move to cover
• Report  "[your callsign] VEHICLE DESTROYED, [number of casualties] CASUALTIES" on command net, with the number of personnel wounded accounting for any still in the wreck.