APP-6a
Encyclopedia
STANAG
STANAG is the NATO abbreviation for Standardization Agreement, which sets up processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO state ratifies a STANAG and implements it within their own...
2019 (edition 4), promulgated in December 2000. APP-6A replaced APP-6 (last version, July 1986), which had been promulgated in November 1984 (edition 3 of STANAG 2019 covered APP-6), and was replaced in turn by APP-6B in 2008. The U.S. is the current custodian of APP-6A. The initialism APP stands for Allied Procedural Publication.
APP-6A's American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
equivalent standard is MIL-STD-2525A, Common Warfighting Symbology; the contents are essentially identical, but MIL-STD-2525 has been evolving faster than NATO's APP-6. MIL-STD-2525 was issued in September 1994, MIL-STD-2525A in December 1996, MIL-STD-2525A Change 1 in July 1997, MIL-STD-2525B in January 1999, MIL-STD-2525B Change 1 in July 2005, MIL-STD-2525B Change 2 in March 2007, and MIL-STD-2525C in November 2008. APP-6A is considerably different from APP-6, while the successive versions of MIL-STD-2525 more or less maintain continuity. APP-6B seems to be a subset of MIL-STD-2525C.
The APP-6A standard provides common operational symbology along with details on their display and plotting to ensure the compatibility, and to the greatest extent possible, the interoperability of NATO Land Component Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence (C4I) systems, development, operations, and training. APP-6A addresses the efficient transmission of symbology information through the use of a standard methodology for symbol hierarchy, information taxonomy, and symbol identifiers.
These symbols are designed to enhance NATO’s joint interoperability by providing a standard set of common symbols. APP-6A constitutes a single system of joint military symbology for land based formations and units, which can be displayed for either automated map display systems or for manual map marking. It covers all of the joint services and can be used by them.
Symbol sets
APP-6A recognises five broad sets of symbols, each set using its own SIDC (Symbol identification coding) scheme:- Units, Equipment, and Installations
- Military Operations (Tactical graphics)
- METOC (Meteorological and Oceanographic)
- Signals Intelligence
- MOOTW (Military Operations Other Than War)
Units, Equipment, and Installations consist of icons, generally framed, associated with a single point on the map. All sorts of graphical and textual modifiers may surround them, specifying categories, quantities, dates, direction of movement, etc.
Tactical graphics represent operational information that cannot be presented via icon-based symbols alone: unit boundaries, special area designations, and other unique markings related to battlespace geometry and necessary for battlefield planning and management. There are point, line and area symbols in this category.
Meteorological and oceanographic symbology is the only set not under the standard's control: rather, they are imported from the symbology established by the World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
.
The Signals Intelligence and Military Operations Other Than War symbology sets stand apart from Units, Equipment, and Installations although they obey the same conventions (i.e., they consist of framed symbols associated to points on the map). They do not appear in APP-6A proper, having been introduced by MIL-STD-2525B.
Icon-based symbols
Most of the symbols designate specific points, and consist of a frame (a geometric border), a fill, a constituent icon, and optional symbol modifiers. The latter are optional text fields or graphic indicators that provide additional information.The frame provides a visual indication of the affiliation, battle dimension, and status of an operational object. The use of shape and colour is redundant, allowing the symbology to be used under less-than-ideal conditions such as a monochrome red display to preserve the operator's night vision. Nearly all symbols are highly stylised and can be drawn by persons almost entirely lacking in artistic skill; this allows one to draw a symbolic representation (a GRAPHREP, Graphical report) using tools as rudimentary as plain paper and pencil.
The frame serves as the base to which other symbol components and modifiers are added. In most cases a frame surrounds an icon. One major exception is equipment, which may be represented by icons alone (in which case the icons are coloured as the frame would be).
The fill is the area within a symbol. If the fill is assigned a colour, it provides an enhanced (redundant) presentation of information about the affiliation of the object. If colour is not used, the fill is transparent. A very few icons have fills of their own, which are not affected by affiliation.
The icons themselves, finally, can be understood as combinations of elementary glyphs that use simple composition rules, in a manner reminiscent of some ideographic writing systems such as Chinese. The standard, however, still attempts to provide an "exhaustive" listing of possible icons instead of laying out a dictionary of component glyphs. This causes operational problems when the need for an unforeseen symbol arises (particularly in MOOTW), a problem exacerbated by the administratively centralised maintenance of the symbology sets.
Unit icons
The icon is the innermost part of a symbol which, when displayed, provides an abstract pictorial or alphanumeric representation of an operational object. The icon portrays the role or mission performed by the object. APP-6A distinguishes between icons that must be framed or unframed and icons where framing is optional.| Unit symbol | Unit type |
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Air Defence |
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Ammunition Ammunition Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions... |
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Anti-tank |
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Armour Tank A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities... (Stylized tank treads) |
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Field artillery Artillery Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons... (Simplified version of the Artillery insignia, a cannonball) |
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Aviation (rotary wing) |
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Aviation (fixed wing Fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered... ) |
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Bridging Bridge A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle... |
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Combat Service Support Combat service support Combat service support is a subset of military logistics. Combat service support is more limited in depth than logistics, as it primarily addresses those factors directly influencing combat operations.-United States Army:... |
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Engineer Military engineer In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war... |
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Electronic Warfare Electronic warfare Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly... |
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Explosive Ordnance Disposal |
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Fuel Military Supply Chain Management Military supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services. The broad management scope includes sub-suppliers, suppliers, internal information and funds flow.-Supply:... (POL: Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants) |
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Hospital Field hospital A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities... (personnel) |
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HQ Headquarters Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities... |
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Infantry Infantry Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies... (evocative of the crossed bandolier Bandolier A bandolier or a bandoleer is a pocketed belt for holding ammunition. It was usually slung over the chest. In its original form, it was common issue to soldiers from the 16th to 18th centuries. This was very useful for quickly reloading a musket.... s of Napoleonic infantry) |
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Maintenance Maintenance, Repair and Operations Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken... |
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Medical Combat medic Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury... |
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Meteorological |
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Missile Missile Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"... |
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Mortar Mortar (weapon) A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber.... |
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Military Police Military police Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:... (or "SP" for Shore Patrol Shore patrol Shore patrol are service members that are provided to aid in security for the U.S. Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, and the British Royal Navy while on shore... ) |
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Navy Navy A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions... |
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NBC Defence |
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Ordnance Ammunition Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions... |
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Radar Radar Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio... |
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Psychological Operations |
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Reconnaissance Reconnaissance Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment.... (or cavalry Cavalry Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms... ; inspired by the cavalry's sabre Sabre The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger... strap) |
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Signals Military communications Historically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name... |
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Special Forces Special forces Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform... |
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Special Operations Forces |
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Supply Military logistics Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:... |
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Topographical |
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Transportation Military logistics Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:... |
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Unmanned Air Vehicle |
Equipment icons
Equipment icons are "frame optional".| Equipment symbol (framed) | (unframed) | Equipment type |
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Bridge Bridge A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle... (e.g. AVLB) |
Installation icons
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Bridge Bridge A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle... production |
Modifier Icons
These unit type symbols can be combined, for example to represent armoured infantry units. There are also symbols that can be used to modify other unit symbols (they cannot appear by themselves):| Modifier symbol | Meaning |
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Airborne Airborne forces Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning... (including Air Assault and Paratrooper forces) |
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Paratrooper Paratrooper Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land... |
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Airmobile Air assault Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces... |
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Airmobile with organic lift |
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Amphibious |
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Motorized Motorised infantry In NATO and most other western countries, motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, or infantry fighting vehicles... |
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Mountain Mountain warfare Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains... |
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Rocket Rocket A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction... |
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Wheeled Armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars... |
Common combinations
Some of the most common combinations are:| Modifier symbol | Meaning |
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Mountain Infantry Mountain warfare Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains... examples: Italy's Alpini Alpini The Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino .... , Germany's Gebirgsjäger Gebirgsjäger Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Riflemen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Jäger is the traditional German term for rifleman... , France's Chasseurs Alpins |
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Parachute Infantry Paratrooper Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land... example: 82nd Airborne Division (United States), Division Spezielle Operationen Division Special Operations (Germany) The Special Operations Division is an airborne division of the German Army. Its staff is based at Stadtallendorf. The structure and tasks of this division are unique within the modern German military. Division Special Operations was created as 1st Airborne Division The Special Operations Division... (Germany), United Kingdom's Parachute Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment is a parachute infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Sydney. 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq... (Australia) |
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Airmobile Infantry Air assault Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces... example: 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) 101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the... , Jägerregiment 1 |
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Mechanized Infantry Mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat .... example: US 3rd Infantry Division (equipment example: M113 APC M113 Armored Personnel Carrier The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S... ), |
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Combined Arms Combined arms Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different branches of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects... (new symbol for the Maneuver Elements of the US Heavy Brigade Combat Teams) example: US 1st Armored Division 1st Armored Division (United States) The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S... |
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Mechanized Infantry Mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat .... equipped with Infantry Fighting Vehicle Infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them... s equipment examples: M2 Bradley M2 Bradley The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is an American fighting vehicle platform manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, formerly United Defense.As with other infantry fighting vehicles, the Bradley is designed to transport infantry with armor protection while providing covering fire to suppress enemy... , BMP-3 BMP-3 The BMP-3 is a Russian amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty .- Production history :... , Dardo IFV Dardo IFV The Dardo is a infantry fighting vehicle designed for the Italian Army as a replacement for the M113 APC. It is designed and built by the Iveco Fiat Oto Melara Syndicated Company based in Rome... |
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Amphibious Mechanized Infantry example: 1st Marine Regiment (United States) when Amphibious Assault Vehicle Amphibious Assault Vehicle The Assault Amphibious Vehicle —official designation AAV-7A1 is a fully tracked amphibious landing vehicle manufactured by U.S. Combat Systems .The AAV-7A1 is the current amphibious troop transport of the United States Marine Corps... units are attached. |
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Mechanized Infantry Mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat .... (wheeled-"medium") equipment examples: 3rd Brigade (US 2nd Infantry Division), Stryker Stryker The IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:... , Patria AMV, Mowag Piranha Mowag Piranha The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation.... , BTR-80 BTR-80 BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army. -Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC... , Freccia Freccia Freccia means Arrow in Italian and may refer to:*Italian Armoured Division Freccia, of the Italian army in World War II.*Fiat G.50 Freccia, an Italian fighter aircraft of World War II.*Freccia class destroyers, of the Italian navy.... (with machine gun turrets) |
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Mechanized Infantry Mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat .... (wheeled-"medium") equipped with wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle Infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them... s equipment examples: Stryker Stryker The IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:... , Patria AMV, Mowag Piranha Mowag Piranha The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation.... , BTR-90 BTR-90 BTR-90 is an 8×8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier developed in Russia, designed in 1993 and first shown publicly in 1994. It is a larger version of the BTR-80 vehicle, fitted with a BMP-2 turret... , Freccia Freccia Freccia means Arrow in Italian and may refer to:*Italian Armoured Division Freccia, of the Italian army in World War II.*Fiat G.50 Freccia, an Italian fighter aircraft of World War II.*Freccia class destroyers, of the Italian navy.... (with autocannon Autocannon An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a... turrets) |
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Tank Destroyer Tank destroyer A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles... equipment examples: B1 Centauro B1 Centauro The Centauro is a wheeled tank destroyer designed for light to medium territorial defense and tactical reconnaissance. It was developed by a consortium of manufacturers, the Società Consortile Iveco Fiat - Oto Melara... , AMX 10 RC AMX 10 RC The AMX-10RC is a wheeled recon vehicle and tank destroyer built by GIAT. Over 300 are in service in the French Army. 120 additional vehicles were sold to Morocco and Qatar .... |
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Wheeled Armoured Reconnaissance Reconnaissance Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment.... equipment examples: Fennek Fennek The Fennek, named after the fennec , or LGS Fennek, with LGS being short for Leichter Gepanzerter Spähwagen in German , is a four wheeled armed reconnaissance vehicle produced by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Dutch Defence Vehicle Systems... , VBL VBL The Panhard Véhicule Blindé Léger is a wheeled 4x4 all-terrain vehicle offered in various configurations. It was designed to combine the agility of the Peugeot VLTT liaison vehicle with adequate protection against small arms fire, artillery fragments, mines and NBC weapons... , BRDM-2 BRDM-2 The BRDM-2 is an amphibious armoured patrol car used by Russia and the former Soviet Union. It was also known under designations BTR-40PB, BTR-40P-2 and GAZ 41-08... , ASLAV ASLAV The Australian Service Light Armoured Vehicle , is an Australian version of the Light Armoured Vehicle designed and manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada for the U.S. Marines. The initial design was the MOWAG Piranha 8x8, however the vehicle was re-designed to meet North American... |
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Armoured Engineers Combat engineering A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions... equipment examples: M60A1 AVLB M60A1 Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB) The M60 AVLB is an armored vehicle based on the M60 Patton main battle tank chassis used for the launching and retrieval of a scissors-type bridge... , Bergepanzer BPz3. Also engineers mounted in IFVs such as Bradley or Warrior. |
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Self-propelled Anti-Aircraft Artillery Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon An anti-aircraft vehicle, also known as a self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon or self-propelled air defense system , is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability... equipment examples: FlaKPz Gepard Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard The Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard is an autonomous, all-weather-capable German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun . It was developed in the 1960s and fielded in the 1970s, and has been upgraded several times with the latest electronics... , SA-19 "Grison", Type 95 SPAAA Type 95 SPAAA The Type 95 is a Chinese self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle. It is armed with four 25 millimeter cannons and optionally four fire-and-forget QW-2 infra-red homing missiles. It was first displayed publicly at the Beijing Military Parade in 1999... |
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Armoured Artillery Self-propelled artillery Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery... equipment examples: M109 howitzer M109 howitzer The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin... , PzH 2000 PzH 2000 The Panzerhaubitze 2000 , abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall for the German Army. The PzH 2000 is one of the most powerful conventional artillery systems currently deployed... , 2S19 Msta, AS90 |
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Mountain Artillery Artillery Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons... equipment example: OTO Melara Mod 56 OTO Melara Mod 56 The OTO-Melara Mod 56 is an Italian-made 105 mm pack howitzer built and developed by OTO-Melara. It fires the standard US type M1 ammunition.-History:... |
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Multiple Rocket Launcher Multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns... equipment example: M270 MLRS M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is an armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher; a type of rocket artillery.Since the first M270s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1983, the MLRS has been adopted by several NATO countries. Some 1,300 M270 systems have been manufactured in the... |
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Wheeled Multiple Rocket Launcher Multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns... equipment example: HIMARS High Mobility Artillery rocket system The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is a U.S. light multiple rocket launcher mounted on a truck.The HIMARS carries six rockets or one Army Tactical Missile System missile on the U.S. Army's new Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles five-ton truck, and can launch the entire M270 Multiple... , Pinaka Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher Pinaka is a multiple rocket launcher produced in India and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Army. The system has a maximum range of 39–40 km and can fire a salvo of 12 HE rockets in 44 seconds, neutralizing a target area of 3.9 km2... , BM-27 Uragan, Astros II MLRS Astros II MLRS ASTROS II is a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher produced in Brazil by the Avibrás company. It features modular design and employs rockets with calibers ranging from 127 mm to 300 mm... |
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Missile Air Defence Surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles... equipment example: MIM-104 Patriot MIM-104 Patriot The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the Raytheon Company of the United States. The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary High to Medium... , Roland Roland (air defence) The Roland is a Franco-German mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system. The Roland was also purchased by the U.S. Army as one of very few foreign SAM systems.... |
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Attack Helicopter Attack helicopter An attack helicopter is a military helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the capability of engaging targets on the ground, such as enemy infantry and armored vehicles... equipment examples: AH-64 Apache AH-64 Apache The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. The Apache was developed as Model 77 by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the... , AH-1 Cobra AH-1 Cobra The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois... , Eurocopter Tiger Eurocopter Tiger The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre.-Origins:... , Mil Mi-28 Mil Mi-28 The Mil Mi-28 is a Russian all-weather day-night military tandem two-seat anti-armour attack helicopter. It is a dedicated attack helicopter with no intended secondary transport capability, better optimized than the Mil Mi-24 for the role... , Kamov Ka-50 Kamov Ka-50 The Kamov Ka-50 "Black Shark" is a single-seat Russian attack helicopter with the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. It was designed in the 1980s and adopted for service in the Russian army in 1995... , Agusta A129 Mangusta |
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Medium Transport Helicopter Helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally... equipment examples: CH-53E Super Stallion CH-53E Super Stallion The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest and heaviest helicopter in the United States military. It was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, a seventh blade to the main rotor and canting the tail rotor 20 degrees. Sailors commonly refer to the Super... , CH-46 Sea Knight CH-46 Sea Knight The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem rotor transport helicopter, used by the United States Marine Corps to provide all-weather, day-or-night assault transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment. Assault Support is its primary function, and the movement of supplies and... , UH-60 Blackhawk, Mi-17 Hip Mil Mi-17 The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude... |
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Aerial refueling Aerial refueling Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight.... equipment examples: KC-135 Stratotanker KC-135 Stratotanker The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker... , Il-78 Midas |
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an Airmobile Supply Transport Unit |
Unit sizes
Above the unit symbol, a symbol representing the size of the unit can be displayed:| Symbol | Name | Typical no. of personnel | No. of subordinate units | Typical rank of leader (Commonwealth and USA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXXX | Region or Theatre (very rare in peacetime) | 250,000+ | Several army groups | Commonwealth:Field Marshal Field Marshal Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical... US:General of the Army General of the Army General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field.... |
| XXXXX | Army Group Army group An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area... (rare in peacetime) |
120,000+ | Several armies | Commonwealth:Field Marshal Field Marshal Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical... US:General of the Army General of the Army General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field.... |
| XXXX | Army Army An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps... |
100,000 | Nominally several corps, typically 5–10 Divisions | General General A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given.... |
| XXX | Corps Corps A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service... |
30,000–60,000 | Several divisions | Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General.... |
| XX | Division Division (military) A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps... |
10,000–20,000 | Nominally several Brigades, typically ~10 Battalions plus support units | Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... |
| X | Brigade Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment... or Commonwealth Regiment Regiment A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel... [Administrative] |
2,000–5,000 U.S, 4,000–20,000 Commonwealth | Several U.S. Battalions or 2–50 Commonwealth tactical (field) Regiments. Largest permanent grouping for Commonwealth units | Commonwealth: Brigadier Brigadier Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general.... or Major General Major-General (United Kingdom) Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general... US: Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... |
| III | Group Group (air force) A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases... or Commonwealth Regiment Regiment A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel... [Tactical] |
500–2,000 | 3–7 Battalions or Wings. | Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... or Commonwealth Group Captain Group Captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore... |
| II | Battalion Battalion A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel... or equivalent, e.g. Commonwealth Regiment Regiment A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel... (some countries/arms only) & Wing Wing (air force unit) Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another.... or U.S. Cavalry Squadron |
300–1,000 | 2–6 Companies, Batteries, U.S. Troops, or Commonwealth Squadrons | Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence... or Commonwealth Wing Commander Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is... |
| I | Company Company (military unit) A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure... or equivalent, e.g. Commonwealth Squadron or U.S. Artillery Battery Artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems... & Cavalry Troop Troop A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon... |
60–250 | Several U.S. Platoons or Commonwealth Platoons/Troops/Flights | Captain or Squadron Leader Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... assisted by a First Lieutenant First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank... or Flight Lieutenant Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"... Also assisted by a Company Sergeant Major Company Sergeant Major A company sergeant major is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries, responsible for standards and discipline. In combat, his prime responsibility is the supply of ammunition to the company... , Master Aircrew Master Aircrew Master aircrew is the warrant-officer rank held by aircrew in the Royal Air Force. It is equivalent to warrant officer in other trades, and is effectively the highest non-commissioned aircrew rank... /Warrant Officer Warrant Officer A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first... (Commonwealth) or by a First Sergeant First Sergeant First sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff... (US) |
| ••• | Platoon Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the... or equivalent, e.g. Commonwealth Flight Flight (military unit) A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,... & Troop Troop A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon... (certain corps/armies only) or French Army Section |
25–40 | Several squads, sections, or vehicles | Commonwealth: Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... or Flight Lieutenant Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"... assisted by a Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:... , Colour Sergeant Colour Sergeant Colour sergeant or colour serjeant is a non-commissioned title in the Royal Marines and infantry regiments of the British Army, ranking above sergeant and below warrant officer class 2.... or Flight Sergeant Flight Sergeant Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure... US: Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal... assisted by a Sergeant First Class Sergeant First Class Sergeant First Class is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank... (or Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:... in USMC United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States... ) |
| •• | Section Section (military unit) A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:... or Squad Squad In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section... [implies inherent light machine gun] |
7–13 | 2–3 Fireteams | Commonwealth: Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... or Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... US: Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... or Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:... |
| • | Crew Crew A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard... or Patrol Patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :... [implies absence of light machine gun] |
5–10 | 1–2 Fireteams | Commonwealth: Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... or sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... US: Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... or Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:... |
| Ø | Fireteam Fireteam A fireteam is a small military unit of infantry. It is the smallest unit in the militaries that use it and is the primary unit upon which infantry organization is based in the British Army, Royal Air Force Regiment, Royal Marines, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Air... |
3–5 | n/a | Commonwealth: Lance Corporal Lance Corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed... or Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... US: Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... or Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
| ø | Fire and maneuver team | 2 | n/a | n/a |
Status
The status of a symbol refers to whether a warfighting object exists at the location identified (i.e., status is "present") or will in the future reside at that location (i.e., status is "planned, anticipated, suspected," or "on order"). Regardless of affiliation, present status is indicated by a solid line and planned status by a dashed line. The frame is solid or dashed, unless the symbol icon is unframed, in which case the icon itself is drawn dashed. Planned status cannot be shown if the symbol is an unframed filled icon.Affiliation
Affiliation refers to your relationship to the operational object being represented. The basic affiliation categories are Unknown, Friend, NeutralNeutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
, and Hostile. In the ground unit domain, a yellow quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
frame is used to denote unknown affiliation, a blue rectangle frame to denote friendly affiliation, a green square frame to denote neutral affiliation, and a red diamond frame to denote hostile affiliation. In the other domains (air and space, sea surface and subsurface, etc.), the same color scheme is used.
| Unknown | Friend | Neutral | Hostile |
|---|---|---|---|
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The full set of affiliations is:
- Pending (P)
- Unknown (U)
- Assumed Friend (A)
- Friend (F)
- Neutral (N)
- Suspect (S) (Assumed Hostile)
- Hostile (H)
- Exercise Pending (G)
- Exercise Unknown (W)
- Exercise Assumed Friend (M)
- Exercise Friend (D)
- Exercise Neutral (L)
- Joker (J) (Exercise Suspect)
- Faker (K) (Exercise Hostile)
There are no "Assumed Neutral" and "Exercise Assumed Neutral" affiliations.
Battle dimension
Battle dimension defines the primary mission area for the operational object within the battlespace. An object can have a mission area above the Earth's surface (i.e., in the air or outer space), on it, or below it. If the mission area of an object is on the surface, it can be either on land or sea. The subsurface dimension concerns those objects whose mission area is below the sea surface (e.g., submarines and sea mines). Some cases require adjudication; for example, an Army or Marine helicopter unit is a manoeuvring unit (i.e., a unit whose ground support assets are included) and is thus represented in the land dimension. Likewise, a landing craft whose primary mission is ferrying personnel or equipment to and from shore is a maritime unit and is represented in the sea surface dimension. A landing craft whose primary mission is to fight on land, on the other hand, is a ground asset and is represented in theland dimension.
Closed frames are used to denote the land and sea surface dimensions, frames open at the bottom denote the air/space dimension, and frames open at the top denote the subsurface dimension.
| Air and Space | Ground | Sea surface | Subsurface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friend | |||
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| Neutral | |||
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| Hostile | |||
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| Unknown | |||
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An unknown battle dimension is possible; for example, some electronic warfare signatures (e.g., radar systems) are common to several battle dimensions and would therefore be assigned an "Unknown" battle dimension until further discrimination becomes possible.
The full set of battle dimensions is:
- Space (P)
- Air (A)
- Ground (G)
- Sea Surface (S)
- Sea Subsurface (U)
- SOF (F)
- Other (X)
- Unknown (Z)
The letter in parentheses is used by the Symbol identification coding (SIDC) scheme —strings of 15 characters used to transmit symbols.
The Space and Air battle dimensions share a single frame shape. In the Ground battle dimension, two different frames are used for the Friendly (and Assumed Friendly) affiliations in order to distinguish between units and equipment. The SOF (Special Operations Forces) are assigned their own battle dimension because they typically can operate across several domains (air, ground, sea surface and subsurface) in the course of a single mission; the frames are the same as for the Ground (unit) battle dimension. The Other battle dimension, finally, seems to be reserved for future use (there are no instances of its use as of 2525B Change 1).
Symbol modifiers
APP-6A stops with field AB. MIL-STD-2525B and 2525B Change 1 add a number of other modifiers.
Graphic modifiers
- Echelon (field B) Identifies command level (see Unit sizes, below).
- Task Force (field D) Identifies a unit as a task force. It may be used alone or in combination with Echelon, like so:
- Frame Shape Modifier (field E) A short textual modifier that completes the affiliation, battle dimension, or exercise description of an object ("U", "?", "X", "XU", "X?", "J" or "K"). It is treated as a graphic modifier, however.
- Direction of Movement (field Q) A fixed-length arrow that identifies the direction of movement or intended movement of an object. It emanates from the symbol's centre except in the ground domain, where it is hooked to a short offset, straight down from the symbol's base centre (see diagram).
- Mobility Indicator (field R) Depicts the mobility of an object (see Mobility, below). It is used only with equipment.
- Headquarters Staff or Offset Location (field S) Identifies a unit as a headquarters, or indicates the object's actual location on the map when it has been shifted away in order to declutter the display. It goes straight down from the symbol's centre left, then angles towards the actual location (see diagram).
- Feint/Dummy (field AB) Identifies a unit intended to draw the enemy’s attention away from the area of the main attack, or a decoy designed to fool enemy intelligence. It consists of a dashed chevron, placed above the frame, like the echelon graphic modifier (the standard is unclear as to how the two combine graphically). See Feints/Dummies, below.
- Installation (field AC) Identifies a particular symbol as an installation. It sits atop the frame. See Installations, below.
- Auxiliary Equipment (field AG) Indicates the presence of a towed sonar array (used exclusively in the sea surface or subsurface battle dimensions). It sits below the frame, like field R (see Auxiliary equipment, below).
- Area of Uncertainty (field AH) Indicates the area where an object is most likely to be, based on the object’s last report and the reporting accuracy of the sensor that detected it. This can take various forms, such as an ellipse, a bounding box, or lines indicating probable bearing and distance.
- Dead Reckoning Trailer (field AI) Identifies where an object should be located at present, given its last reported course and speed. This can take the form of a dotted line (extending from the symbol to the dead-reckoned position) or a dotted circle (bounding the zone the object may have reached since, when the direction of movement is unknown or uncertain).
- Speed Leader (field AJ) Depicts the speed and direction of movement of an object. It is identical to the Direction of Movement indicator except that its length is variable (and there is no arrow head).
- Pairing Line (field AK) Connects two objects.
Feints/dummies and installations
| Feint/Dummy | Installations | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Mobility and auxiliary equipment
| Wheeled (limited cross-country) |
Wheeled cross-country |
Tracked | Half-tracked | Towed | Railway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Snowmobile | Sled | Pack animals | Barge | Amphibious | |
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| Short towed array (typ. sonar Sonar Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels... ) |
Long towed array (typ. sonar Sonar Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels... ) |
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Text modifiers
- Quantity (field C) Identifies the number of equipment items present.
- Reinforced or Reduced (field F) Displays (+) for reinforced, (-) for reduced, (±) for reinforced and reduced.
- Staff Comments (field G)
- Additional Information (field H)
- Evaluation Rating (field J) A letter-and-number reliability and credibility rating, assigned by Intelligence.
- Combat Effectiveness (field K)
- Signature Equipment (field L) Used for hostile equipment; "!" indicates a detectable electronic signature.
- Higher Formation (field M) Number or title of higher echelon command.
- Hostile (Enemy) (field N) "ENY" denotes hostile equipment.
- IFF/SIF (field P) IFF/SIF Identification modes and codes.
- SIGINT Mobility Indicator (field R2) "M" for Mobile, "S" for Static, "U" for Uncertain.
- Unique Designation (field T)
- Type (field V)
- Date/Time Group (DTG) (field W) Indicates the symbol's date and time stamp.
- Altitude/Height/Depth (field X)
- Location (field Y) Location in degrees, minutes, and seconds (or in UTM or other applicable display format).
- Speed (field Z) Velocity as set forth in MIL-STD-6040.
- Special C2 Headquarters (field AA)
- Platform Type (field AD) "ELNOT" (Electronic Intelligence Notation) or "CENOT" (Communications Intelligence Notation)
- Equipment Teardown Time (field AE) In minutes.
- Common Identifier (field AF) Example: "Hawk" for a Hawk SAM system.
Other information
On the lower left of the unit symbol, the name of the unit can be displayed; on the lower right, the name of the unit it is part of can be displayed (if applicable).For example, the symbol for A Company of the (friendly) 42nd Armored Infantry Battalion would look like this:
A hostile Motorised Anti-Tank Division would look like this:
APP-6 organization chart of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF):
