Fireteam


NATO Map Symbols

A fireteam

An infantry fireteam

a military police dog team

an Engineer EOD team

A fireteam or fire team is a small modern military subordinated element of infantry designed to optimize "NCO initiative", "combined arms", "bounding overwatch" and "fire and movement" tactical doctrine in combat. Depending on mission requirements, a typical "standard" fireteam consists of four or fewer members: an automatic rifleman, a grenadier, a rifleman, and a designated fireteam leader. The role of each fireteam leader is to ensure that the fireteam operates as a cohesive unit. Two or three fireteams are organized into a section or squad in co-ordinated operations, which is led by a squad leader.
Historically, militaries with strong reliance and emphasis on decentralized NCO-corp institutions and effective "bottom-up" fireteam organization command structures have had significantly better combat performance from their infantry units in comparison to militaries limited to officer-reliant operations, traditionally larger units lacking NCO-leadership and "top-down" centralized-command structures. Fireteam organization addresses the realities of 21st-century warfare where combat is getting exponentially faster and more lethal as it identifies and removes anything which slows down the reaction time between first detection of an enemy and rounds impacted.
U.S. Army doctrine recognizes the fire team, or crew, as the smallest military organization while NATO doctrine refers to this level of organization simply as team. Fireteams are the most basic organization upon which modern infantry units are built in the British Army, Royal Air Force Regiment, Royal Marines, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force Security Forces, Canadian Forces, and Australian Army.
In the Estonian Land Forces, Finnish Army, Swedish Army and Ukrainian Ground Forces the smallest unit is a fire-and-manoeuvre team.

NATO military symbol

in Chapter 2 of Army Doctrine Publication No. 3-90 provides the following definitions for army echelons:
  • a fire team is a small military unit typically containing four or fewer Soldiers; a fire team is usually grouped by two or three teams into a squad or section
  • a crew is a small military unit that consists of all personnel operating a particular system
  • a squad is a small military unit typically containing two or more fire teams; in some cases, the crew of a system may also be designated as a squad
  • a section is a tactical unit of the Army and Marine Corps smaller than a platoon and larger than a squad
U.S. Army Field Manual No. 1-02.2 in Table 2-3 and NATO standard APP-06 in Table 1-8 provide the following symbols for these echelons:
EchelonTeam / CrewSquadSection
SymbolØ●●●

In practice, the meaning of these symbols depends on the NATO member country. For example
  • Table 2-3 in U.S. Army Field Manual No. 1-02.2 and U.S. designations in Annex B to APP-06 contain the note that Common English language definition also applies to symbol ●, “a small group engaged in a common effort or occupation”
  • The Military English Guide v. 1.4, published by Swedish Defence University, makes no distinction between a section and a squad, designating them with the symbol ●●; a fire team is designated by the symbol ●
Symbols and names of teams in NATO member armed forces:

Concept

The concept of the fireteam is based on the need for tactical flexibility in infantry operations. A fireteam is capable of autonomous operations as part of a larger unit. Successful fireteam employment relies on quality small unit training for soldiers, experience of fireteam members operating together, sufficient communications infrastructure, and a quality non-commissioned officer corps to provide tactical leadership for the team.
These requirements have led to successful use of the fireteam concept by more professional militaries. It is less useful for armies employing massed infantry formations, or with significant conscription. Conscription makes fireteam development difficult, as team members are more effective as they build experience over time working together and building personal bonds.
In combat, while attacking or maneuvering, a fireteam generally spreads over a distance of, while in defensive positions the team can cover up to the range of its weapons or the limits of visibility, whichever is less. In open terrain, up to can be covered by an effective team, although detection range limits effectiveness beyond or so without special equipment. A team is effective so long as its primary weapon remains operational.

National variations

Canada

In the Canadian Army, "fireteam" refers to two soldiers paired for fire and movement. Two fireteams form an "assault group", which is analogous to most other militaries' understanding of a fireteam; two assault groups and a vehicle group of one driver and one gunner form a section of ten soldiers.
forces traditionally used three-man "cells" as the smallest military formation and such organization was widely employed throughout the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, Sino-Indian War, Vietnam War as well as Sino-Vietnamese War. It is unofficially named the "three-three organization". （）
In Chinese sources, this tactic is referred to as "three-three fireteams", after the composition of the attack: three men would form one fireteam, and three fireteams one squad. A Chinese platoon, consisting of 50 men, would form three ranks of such fireteams, which would be employed to attack "one point" from "two sides." Each cell carries at least one automatic weapon, while the rest carried a bolt-action rifle or a semiautomatic rifle so that each "cell" could independently fire and maneuver.
An example of a People's Volunteer Army fireteam in the late Korean War,
In the military publication Soldier's Guide 2017, prepared by Defence Command Finland, a 2-soldier formation, and a 3-soldier formation were referred to by the same name: fire team. In publications Soldier's Guide 2020 and Soldier's Guide 2024, the 2-soldier formation was called a fire-and-manoeuvre team.

French

The French section is divided into two teams. The "fire team" is based around the section-level automatic rifle or light machine gun. The "shock team", made up of riflemen armed with rifle grenades or disposable rocket launchers, is the reconnaissance and maneuver unit. The teams employ bounding overwatch, with one element covering as the other moves. The team leaders have handheld radios so the elements can stay in contact with each other, as well as with the section leader's backpack radio set. The most common symbol of the modern French junior NCO has been a radio hanging around their neck.

Russian Armed Forces

According to the Combat Regulations for the Preparation and Conduct of Combined Arms Combat, approved by Order No. 19 of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Russian Armed Forces dated February 24, 2005:
  • the order of battle of a motorized rifle squad may be based on maneuver and fire combat groups, the composition of which is determined by the squad commander
  • the maneuver group is designed to perform missions to destroy the enemy, firmly hold positions and objectives, and capture their facilities, weapons, and equipment
  • the fire group is designed to provide fire support to the maneuver group and jointly perform missions to destroy the enemy, firmly hold positions and occupants, and capture their facilities, weapons, and equipment
  • the composition of combat groups depends on the assigned mission and the prevailing conditions and may therefore vary
  • the combat formation of a motorized rifle squad advancing on foot typically includes a maneuver group, a fire group, and a combat vehicle.

    Spanish Army

s of the Spanish Army:
  • Rifle squad : made up of a corporal and 3–4 soldiers, so in this context it can be considered analogous to a fireteam
  • Machine gun squad, mortar squad, grenade launcher squad : made up of a corporal and 2–3 soldiers
  • Rifle section consisting two rifle squads or one rifle squad and one machine gun squad
  • Mixed section consisting of one rifle squad and one mortar or grenade launcher squad

    Ukraine

According to the Combat Regulations SBP 3-.58, the squad leader determines the composition of the fireteams in the context of the situation: usually a squad consists of three 3-infantrymen groups or one 3-infantrymen group and three 2-infantrymen groups, one of which includes the squad leader, but it is also possible to create a one 4-infantrymen group instead of 2 pairs.
In offensive combat, combat groups are created to increase the effectiveness of task performance during operations in trenches, communication moves, as well as in special combat conditions. The groups conduct an offensive with an interval of 20–25 m between themselves, and between soldiers in them - 3–5 m. Combat groups can operate in a line, a ledge or in two lines. By their purpose, combat groups can be maneuverable and fire:
  • a maneuver group is intended to seize the object of attack, destroy the enemy in the trench, perform a maneuver to reach the enemy's flank and rear, consolidate the achieved line, and perform other tasks; in some cases, it can make passes in mine-explosive and non-explosive obstacles, performing the functions of a clearing group; usually includes a senior rifleman, a rifleman and a machine gunner
  • a fire group is intended to cover the actions of the maneuver group, prevent the enemy from approaching those defending, complete the destruction of enemy manpower and firepower in the object of attack, and capture it together with the maneuver group; usually includes a squad commander, a machine gunner, a grenade launcher, and a rifleman.
An example of the composition of combat groups in offensive combat and in defense:
  • 1st group: senior rifleman, machine gunner, rifleman
  • 2nd group: squad leader, grenade launcher, grenade launcher assistant
  • 3rd group: combat vehicle commander, driver mechanic, gunner-operator / gunner
Tasks for the above groups in defense:
  • 1st group: conducting reconnaissance at a range of 500–700 m; destruction of enemy manpower and unarmored vehicles at ranges of 500–300 m; use of the most trained and courageous soldier in reserve to reinforce dangerous places
  • 2nd group: conducting reconnaissance at a range of 500–700 m; destruction of enemy manpower and armored vehicles at ranges of 500–300 m; protection of the detachment commander
  • 3rd group : conducting reconnaissance using optical reconnaissance equipment at a range of up to 2000 m; destruction of enemy manpower at ranges of 1200–1100 m; destruction of enemy armored targets at ranges: CV – 1500 m, APC – 1000 m.
Below are possible examples of dividing a squad into combat groups, in which the squad leader and combat vehicle commander are the same person:
No1st group2nd group3rd group4th group
1SL, CV crew + GL, AGrL, MGunGun, AGun, Med
2SL, MedGL, AGL, MGunGun, AGCV crew +
3SL, Gun, AGGL, AGLMGun, MedCV crew +
4SL, Med, MGunGL, AGLGun, AGCV crew +
5SL, Gun, AG, MedGL, AGL, MGunCV crew +

where:
SL – combat vehicle commander – squad leader ;
CV crew – deputy combat vehicle commander – gunner-operator and driver-mechanic ;
– combat vehicle;
GL – grenade launcher ;
AGL– rifleman-assistant grenade launcher ;
MGun – machine gunner ;
Gun – gunner ;
AG – assistant gunner ;
Med – rifleman-medic
By order No. 659 of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, dated January 3, 2023, two new positions were introduced for infantry, airborne assault, marines, and similar squads:
At the same time, the previous positions were retained:
  • squad commander — junior sergeant
  • deputy commander of marine squad — senior seaman
Thus, the Ukrainian armed forces began a transition to a structure similar to the American one, where the table of organization includes
a sergeant position of fireteam leader.