ADVANCED LAND NAVIGATION TECHNIQUES SSG. Scott

1. ADVANCED LAND NAVIGATION TECHNIQUES SSG. Scott

2. PURPOSE To become a Special Forces Soldier, you must be able to navigate cross-country using a map, compass, and protractor under any conditions.

3. REASON To expose the student to several well proven land navigation techniques so that they are able to expand on the basic knowledge already developed and apply them on the ground to move through varying terrain and conditions to reach an objective.

4. CLASSROOM CONDUCT • If you have a question… ask it. • If you feel sleepy, stand up. • No tobacco of any kind (SWC policy). • Can drink. • Wait till break to use bathroom.

5. AGENDA • Employ eight basic Land Navigation Techniques • Plan a Land Navigation Route • Determine distance • Navigate by dead reckoning • Orient a map to the ground

6. THE EIGHT BASIC LAND NAVIGATION TECHNIQUES • Check Points • Attack Points • Deliberate offset • Steering Points • Bypass Obstacles • Handrails • Backstops • Search Patterns

7. CHECK POINTS • A defined, easily identifiable feature on the map and on the ground. • Used to confirm location during movement. • Linear is better.

8. CHECK POINTS X X

9. ATTACK POINTS • A well defined, identifiable feature on the map and on the ground. • Best if within 500 meters of the target. • Greater accuracy to find target. • Proceed on a deliberate azimuth.

10. ATTACK POINT cont. ROAD JUNCTION TARGET ATTACK POINT X START POINT

11. DELIBERATE OFFSET • A planned magnetic deviation. • Used when approaching a linear object. • Good when aware of drifting. • REMEMBER: 18 meters drift for every degree of offset, for every 1000 meters traveled.

12. DELIBERATE OFFSET X HWY 501 TGT. PT. OFFSET AZIMUTH TRUE AZIMUTH X

13. STEERING POINT • Any well defined point which is easily visible. • Can be man made or natural. • Allows the navigator to stay on azimuth. • Do not have to stay “buried” in the compass.

14. STEERING POINT

15. BYPASSING OBSTACLES • Used when the terrain is impassable. • Ideal for an unexpected obstacle. • Must be bypassed systematically.

16. BYPASSING OBSTACLES 90` 100 meters 90` ORIGINAL AZIMUTH & PACE COUNT BIG MUDDY LAKE 90` 90` 0` OR 360` AZ. 100 meters

17. HANDRAILS OR BOUNDARIES • Controls drift • Easily identifiable terrain feature or object • Prevents constant compass and map checks

18. HAND RAILS TARGET ROAD JUNCTION ATTACK POINT ATTACK POINT X X START POINT

19. BACKSTOPS • Linear terrain feature used to prevent overshooting your target • May be an obvious change in elevation

20. BACKSTOP

21. BACKSTOPS X LITTLE MUDDY CREEK

22. SEARCH PATTERNS • Used at the end of a pace count to find the objective • Systematic search pattern • There are many search techniques

23. SEARCH PATTERNS cont. Backstop END OF PACE COUNT

24. CHECK ON LEARNING • What is a check point? • A well defined identifiable feature on both the map and the ground that is used to confirm distance and location

25. CHECK ON LEARNING • What is a deliberate offset? • A planned magnetic deviation to the left or right of an azimuth

26. CHECK ON LEARNING • When would you use a search pattern? • At the end of a pace count to find the objective

27. ROUTE SELECTION

28. ROUTE PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS • Systematic Approach • Plot start and end point • Plot straight line from start to end point • Analyze terrain and look for easiest route • Establish boundaries and handrails

29. ROUTE PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS cont • Create and plot check points along your “easy” route • For each check point, plot distance, azimuth, and understand the terrain you will be covering • For your attack point, plot distance, azimuth, understand the terrain to the target, and know your backstop

30. TERRAIN CONSIDERATIONS • OACOK • Detour vs. Climb or Draw • Ground cover • Draw crossing

32. OTHER PLANNING CONSIDERING • Deliberate offset method • Steering point • Bypassing obstacles • Search patterns • Effects of the terrain

33. END POINT • Plot each point three times. 2. The most direct route is not always the best. START POINT

34. Avoid the draws. • Energy vs. Time • Stay on high ground as much as possible • Smooth is fast, fast is economy of motion END POINT START POINT

35. ROUTE CORRIDORS

36. Travel through corridors • Find a feature on the right that you will definitely know… • And DO NOT cross it ! Start Point End Point RIGHT BOUNDARY

37. Start Point • Find a feature on the left that you will definitely know… • And DO NOT cross that either ! End Point LEFT BOUNDARY

38. BACKSTOP • Find a feature past your point that you will definitely know.. • And STOP when you get to it. • Attempt to get it within 100 meters after your point Start Point End Point

39. END POINT • Always use boundaries • Travel inside your corridor as fast as you can while remaining oriented START POINT

40. ROUTE PLANNING

41. DETAILED ROUTE PLANNING • Do the paper work before the leg work • Write your plan in detail on paper • Stay on high ground as much as possible • Avoid the draws • Make enroute check points

42. TRAVELLING THROUGH YOUR CORRIDOR

43. THE GOLDEN RULES

45. Always look cool • Remain calm and in control • Panic shuts down your ability to reason Always know where you are and what you are doing • Know why you are taking this route and where you are going to If you don’t know where you’re at or what you’re doing, stay cool • When you know you’re lost… STOP • Stay calm and use your head • If you can’t figure out your location, back track to your last check point.

46. CHECK ON LEARNING • What terrain factors affect your route planning? • OACOKA • Detour vs. Climb • Ground cover • Draws

47. KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE

48. COMPASS AND PACE COUNT • Always trust your compass, it always points North. • Always trust your pace count. (backstop your pace count with one of several methods and check points. • Many different ways to keep count, use the one that works for you

49. PEBBLE METHOD • Place a pebble in the left or right pocket every 100 meters. • Start pace count over every 100 meters. • Once you arrive at the end point, each pebble equals 100 meters.

50. ROPE METHOD • Use A piece of suspension line. • Length of line based on distance needed to travel. • Every 100 meters, tie a lose knot in the suspension line.