Afghanistan Mujahadeen

Tactics, Techniques, &

Procedures
UNCLASSIFIED
 Objective
► Action: Identify the Tactics, Techniques,
and Procedures used by Mujahadeen in
Afghanistan.
► Conditions: Given student handouts
► Standards: Identified the Tactics,
Techniques, and Procedures used by
Mujahadeen in Afghanistan.
 Administrative
► There are no safety requirements.

► The risk assessment level is low.

► There are no environmental considerations

► Evaluations Student Checks

Topics
► Maneuver
► Fire Support
► Air Defense
► Command & Control
► Mobility & Counter-
mobility
► Logistics
► Denial & Deception
 Maneuver
► Ambush
► Harassment
 2 to 15 personnel
 Small scale
 Rapid withdrawal
► Resupply
 Require more personnel
► Up to 150
 Looting
► W eapons
► Food
► Munitions
 Maneuver
► Ambush Teams
 Observers
 Firing Element
 Alert Element
 Reserve Element
► Radio or visual
communications
► 3 Lines
 Fire Element
 Commo Element
 Command Element
Maneuver
► Ambush Locations
 Entrance/exit of canyon
 Behind earthen walls
► Early morning or
evening
► Hit convoys on return
trips
► Hit rapid reaction forces
 Maneuver
► Ambush Lessons
Learned
 Advance recon patrols
are necessary
 Helicopter support is
essential
 Avoid predictable
patterns
 Communicate with
replacements
Maneuver
► Sniper Operations
 Lack of well-trained Muj
shooters
► Al Qaeda marksmanship
is generally good
 Will use canals to move
 Catch targets in
crossfire
 Use of bounties
► Helicopter crews are
popular
Maneuver
► Raids
► Generally against
isolated outposts
► Probe for weaknesses
 Gather forces covertly
► Prefer cover of night
 Attack the objective
 Seize needed supplies
 Withdraw before
counterattack
 Maneuver
► Individual & Small
Team Tactics
 Probe and assess
reactions/patterns
► Airfield Raids
 Influenced by Soviet war
 Propaganda value
► Shelling Attacks
 Will attack civilians to
prove Gov’ts inability to
protect them
 Maneuver
► Mujahadeen Tactics
 Fire and move
 Reduce signatures
 Delayed fuse rockets
 Survivability is key
 Use of mines
 Blend in with population
Maneuver
► Mountain Defense &
Ambushes
► Caves and tunnels
 Used since Mongol
invasion
► Prepared defenses
 Used to attract attacks
► Ambush
 Limited routes
 Attack on return
► Use of air support
 Maneuver
► Urban Ambush and
Bombs
► Cover for action
 Homes
 Businesses
 Mosques
 Gov’t buildings
► Multiple IED attack

Kanhadhar  Max casualties

 Maneuver
► Hostile House-Clearing
 6-10 team
 Ak-47, hand grenade
 Room to room
 Single location
► Hostage Taking
 Tradition technique
 Front, rear vehicles
 Box vehicle
 Kill guard/driver
 Subdue abductee
 Exit scene
 Maneuver
► Armor
 Small number assets
 Primarily defensive
 T-54, T-55, T-62
 May still possess
 Fortified/stationary
position
 Dug in defensive
position
 Hard to spot
 Alters signatures
 Sensor-fused weapons
hard to target
 Maneuver
► Infantry Anti-tank Weapons
 Used as multipurpose direct
fire weapons
 Used on aircraft
 Used as crude mortar
 Used to destroy buildings or
bunkers
 Improvised off-route mine
 Breach minefields
 Used against light
armored/soft-skinned
vehicles
 Maneuver
► Recoilless Rifles
 90mm
► No info on use
 B10 82mm
► Not seen in
engagements
► Large amounts of ammo
found
 SPG-9 73mm
B-10 82-mm Recoilless Rifle ► Often fired on shoulder
Maneuver
► Rocket-Propelled
Grenades
 Anti-armor weapon
 Used against helicopter
 Firing signature
► Tactics
 W etting ground
 Track flight patterns
 Higher elevation
 Teams
► Countermeasures
 Physical
 Tactical
 Fire Support
► Mortars
 Primary support weapon
 Team leaves mortar set up
 High elevations
► 82 mm mortar
 Primary indirect weapon
► 120 mm mortar
 Used, not preferred
► 60 mm mortar
 Found, not used
 Fire Support
► Rockets
 No organized units
 High elevation
 Crude, expedient launch
 Harassment fire
 Cities and bases targets
► 107 mm rocket
 Crude time delay firing
► 122 mm rocket
 Expedient aiming methods
 Fire Support
► Artillery
 Employ
unconventionally
 Control of warlords
 Not employed against
coalition forces
► 122mm D-3 Howitzer
 Most plentiful prior to air
attacks in 2001
Air Defense
► MANPADS
 Limited numbers may
still exist in theater
 Work in pairs or small
groups
 Attempt to use higher
elevation (warmer
months)
 Take off or landing
 Along take off or landing
path
Command & Control
► C2
 Use of commercial VHF
radios
 Tactical leaders use,
higher levels use
operator
 Probable satellite
telephone use
 Couriers
 Challenge and
Password system
► Arabic
► Dari/Pashtu
Command & Control
► Intelligence and
Reconnaissance
 Human intelligence and
dissemination
► Family, friends, tribal
leaders
 Commercial radio
scanners
 Know the area
 Attacks to observe
countermeasures
 Command & Control
► Checkpoints
 Traditional fundraising
function under Taliban
 Tribal leaders or
warlords may keep
unofficial tolls to a
minimum
 Unofficial checkpoints
usually do not hamper
coalition operations
 Mobility & Counter-Mobility
► Mine Threat
 5 million uncleared
 Urban and rural areas
 Iran/Pakistan borders
mined
 Markings
 Indicators
 Mobility & Counter-Mobility
► Improvised Explosive
Devices/Booby Traps
 Coupling
 Daisy Chain
► Up to 200 meters
 Boosting
 Sensitizing
 Timed delay
 Vehicle borne
Logistics
► Caravan and Convoy
 Use to bring in supplies
 At night
 Vehicles, livestock
 Canyons, caves, dry
riverbeds, green zones
 Advance team
 Decoy team
 Main element
Logistics
► Caches
 Throughout AF
 In operational area
 Small to large
 Caves, houses, possibly
commercial or
government facilities
 May use guards
 Many
individual/households
have small cache for
self-defense purposes
Denial & Deception
► Understanding
Signatures
 Basic knowledge of
D&D
 Understand difference
between night-vision
and thermal sensors
 Information to my
Afghani Mujahideen
Brothers
 Spiderholes, tarps,
blankets
 Denial & Deception
► Thermal Decoys
 Wood fire in shallow pits
 Look like person or
vehicle
 Method to deceive radar
with rocks and pieces of
metal approximating
size of vehicle
Questions?