2003 US Army BRADLEY GUNNERY 503p.pdf - Survival Books

FM 3-22.16-2. TARGET DETECTIONThe crew searches for personnel, vehicles, equipment, or objects of potential militarysignificance on the battlefield.a. Signatures. Target signatures help the observer detect potential targets.(1) Each weapon and vehicle produces signatures that are specific to its design andfunction. For example, firing a vehicle’s main weapon system produces severalsignatures: blast, flash, noise, smoke, and dust. A list of typical battlefieldsignatures follows:(a) Soldiers.• Foxholes.• Voices (which carry farthest in cold, dry weather and at night).• Broken vegetation.• Footprints (weather conditions permitting).• New and old fires.• Trash.• The noise and flash from small-arms weapons.(b) Tracked Vehicles.• Vehicle tracks on the ground (if weather conditions permit).• Hot spots from road wheels or tracks (visible in thermal sight).• Hot spots from engine compartments (visible in thermal sight).• Hot spots from weapon barrels (visible in thermal sight).• Engine noise.• Exhaust plumes and smoke.• Dust clouds from movement.• Disturbed areas of vegetation.• Reports and smoke from firing weapons.• Bright flashes at night.• Open hatch silhouettes.(c) Antitank Weapons.• Sharp crack of a fired ATGM.• Missile launch "swish."• Fast-traveling hot spots with vapor trails in thermal image.• Long, thin wires from fired ATGMs.• Destroyed armored vehicles.(d) Artillery, Non-Self-Propelled.• Loud, dull sound.• Grayish-white smoke cloud.• Bright orange flash and black smoke from airbursts.• Rushing noise several seconds before round impacts.(e) Artillery, Self-Propelled. Self-propelled artillery pieces produce the same thermal,infrared signatures as tracked vehicles.(f) Artillery, Towed. These vary according to the towing vehicle.(g) Aircraft, All.• Engine noise.• Vapor trails from engine exhaust or fired missiles.(h) Aircraft, Fixed-Wing. Reflected glare from the canopy, wings, and fuselage.6-7