Part one of this series introduced the new licence-exempt two-way radio scheme, that was introduced in the UK in early 1999, called PMR446, and some of the models of radio that could be used with this radio service allocation.

In this instalment in the series, we shall examine how to effectively use these radios, without giving the other side (the 'Enemy') any reliable idea on just what the hell you are about to do to them!

OK, so what do I mean by 'Tactical Use' of radios?

There are three ways of using a radio in the military environment: The Wrong Way, The Tactical Way, and the Strategic Way.

We won't, obviously, go into the Wrong Way of using radios!

OK, definition time.

Tactics are the methods used to bring about a victory in the battlefield area.

Strategies are, broadly speaking, the methods used to bring your enemy to that battlefield.

Since the enemy in a skirmish game is already on the battlefield, so to speak, we can safely ignore the strategic elements of radio usage, and concentrate on the tactical usage of radio instead.

Initially, there are a few simple rules to remember. The reason for this is that since the enemy probably has radios too, and, as we saw in the last instalment, can listen into you with relative ease, we have to disguise the way we talk to one another.

RULE ONE: Never give the enemy free information...

The first such method is called 'minimise'. 'Minimise' is army speak for keeping your radio transmissions brief, and to the point. Do NOT discuss what you are going to do over the radio, unless it's not possible to do so in any other way.

Do not tell your people where they should go in the battle area in absolute terms, instead, use the 'clock ray' method (see future instalments for fieldcraft signalling techniques and more details on the 'clock ray' method), and distances, for instance, "Four, this is One, from your position, ten o'clock, fifteen metres, dead ground."

RULE TWO: Use call signs, not names.

Why? It confuses the enemy. After all, you may actually KNOW that Fred is the guy with the M60 and the SPAS, but you wouldn't know that he was actually called "Four" on the radio, would you - especially if the enemy change the numbering system for each Skirmish game?

RULE THREE: Use "BattleTalk©".

The Army has a great code system at the unit level, which we shall call, for want of a better (and more accurate description, as it's rather highly classified) call "BattleTalk©". I am NOT going to describe the Army's system here, as I don't want to disappear for several years into an Army Prison, OK (tough if you don't like it!)?

"BattleTalk©" is a method of giving names or phrases to certain pre-set places, manoeuvres, and objectives, so as to disguise them from the enemy (It could also be used to describe a very basic coding system, but that's way, way, outside the scope of Airsoft, so we won't look at that side of the concept).

For instance: The enemy base could be called "Alpha", the bridge to it, "Bravo", the path to the bridge "Charlie", and so on. The advance to contact could be called "Balaclava" (check your Military history!), and the fight through the decimated enemy called "Kuwait". The capture of the enemy base could be called "Stanley", by the same methodology.

Now, I'm NOT saying that you should use military history as your guide, for use in selecting your code words; it's entirely up to you. Hell, you could use "Faulty Towers" as your guide, for all I care! The point is, to disguise the way you talk over the radio, as one of their team COULD be assigned the task of listening in to you. By confusing the CENSORED (rather rude word) out of him, you WILL, I guarantee, do yourself a favour...

Slightly more advanced communications procedures...

RULE FOUR: Call Signs...

One method that the Army uses to try to hide who is talking over a radio, is the call sign system. The army does this from the unit level, upwards. The basic Army unit is the Fire Team, then the Section, then the Platoon, then the Company. Any further up the chain is of no use to the average Airsoft Skirmish game, as to have a Company of gamers, would require a unit strength of over 120 people!

Sections and platoons are normally identified by numbers and letters, for instance, 1 section, 'A' platoon, 1st Battalion, the Royal Beer Drinkers Regiment.

So, with the above in mind, here's how the Army radio call sign system works:

UNIT = CALL SIGN

Commander, A Platoon = One-Zero
1 section, A platoon = One-One
2 section, A platoon = One-Two
3 section, A platoon = One-Three

Commander, B Platoon = Two-Zero
1 section, B platoon = Two-One
2 section, B platoon = Two-Two
3 section, B platoon = Two-Three

Commander, C Platoon = Three-Zero
1 section, C platoon = Three-One
2 section, C platoon = Three-Two
3 section, C platoon = Three-Three

OK so far?

Right. Now to add to your confusion.

Each section may have more than one radio, normally, one or two to a fire team, depending on circumstances and the available equipment within that unit (ideal, in the skirmish game, by the way), so each section is further numbered off, as follows:

Commander, A Platoon = One-Zero
1 section leader, A platoon = One-One Alpha
Commander, Charlie Fire Team, 1 Section, A Platoon - One-One Bravo
Commander, Delta Fire Team 1 Section, A Platoon - One-One Charlie

2 section leader, A platoon = One-Two Alpha
Commander, Charlie Fire Team, 1 Section, A Platoon - One-Two Bravo
Commander, Delta Fire Team 1 Section, A Platoon - One-Two Charlie

And so on. As you can see, the overall numbering system is kept intact, as it has a small amount of flexibility built in (The Army also uses a prefix letter, for instance, 'Papa One-Two Alpha', but this is to do with something completely outside the scope of this article, so we won't go into it here, as it's hellishly complicated).

Nine times out of ten, all you need to do, is give your people normal numbers, like 'One', 'Two', and so on, but the above is also a valid alternative.

So, if your team has, for instance, eight members, you can split it into two fire teams, and either number each team member from 1 to 8, or use the call sign system above. Just remember to rotate the call signs every so often, in case you meet the same team on the battle field a few times. Letting them get used to who has what call sign is the same as them knowing just who 'Fred' is, OK?

In summary...

By incorporating some, or all, of the methods described above, you should, at the very least, be able to leave your opposition in the Airsoft Skirmishing games, rather confused. Future installments of this series will introduce radio voice procedure, 'Pro Words', and a little field signalling, if there's time...

I hope you enjoyed this article. Please tune in, same time, same place, next time <grin>!

About the author...

Roger Stenning is a former Territorial Army Corporal, who served seven and a half years with the T. A. Royal Military Police. A major part of his training, like other territorial Army soldiers, involved the tactical uses of radios and field signals in general. For more information about the Territorial Army, please see http://www.army.mod.uk/ta. He has also been a licensed Radio Amateur, call sign G1LIW, since 1985. Amateur radio is the hobby of two-way radio communications. For more information about the hobby, please go to the Radio Society of Great Britain.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: "BattleTalk^©" is the word phrase, invented by the author, for the method of disguising unencrypted tactical communications. Licensing agreements for the use of this phrase can be made. Contact the Author through the Publisher.

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