 Welcome to the Training and Doctrine Command OP4 Academy. I'll be your instructor for this module. I will familiarize you with the Hybrid Threat Tactical Doctrine associated with the Tactical Task Ambush. This module is designed for company-level units assigned in OP4 mission during home station training. I will cover the Doctrinal Basics, Functional Organization, and Synchronization for the Ambush. Let's start with the definition. An ambush is a surprise attack from a concealed position against moving or temporarily halted targets. The OP4 conducts ambushes to kill or capture personnel, destroy or capture equipment, restrict enemy freedom of movement, and collect information and supplies. There are three types of OP4 ambush, annihilation, containment, and harassment. The purpose of the annihilation ambush is to destroy the enemy force. Generally, this type of ambush uses the terrain to the attacker's advantage and employs mines and other obstacles to halt the enemy in the kill zone. A containment ambush is a security measure that usually supports a larger action. It prevents the enemy from using an avenue of approach or interdicting another OP4 action or mission. Obstacles are normally integral and serve to both prevent the enemy from using the route and hold the enemy in the kill zone. A harassment ambush interferes with routine enemy activities, impedes freedom of movement, and generates a psychological impact on enemy personnel. The OP4 may choose this ambush type if the enemy has superior combat power. It is typically conducted at the max effective range of the weapon systems. The Functional Organization and Subtas specified in Threat Doctrine apply to all three types of OP4 ambush. Ambush support and security elements are deployed around kill zones which focus direct and indirect fires on the enemy. Obstacles, mines, or other means are used to slow, immobilize, and or contain the ambush targets in the kill zone. Ambush elements are the designated action elements. Based upon the type and purpose of the ambush, they are typically assigned a task to destroy, assault, seize, or attack by fire. Threat Doctrine also specifies organizing the following enabling elements. Security elements are assigned tasks that provide early warning, isolate the ambush site, prevent the main body from becoming decisively engaged, or cover the withdrawal. The tasks most commonly assigned are shown on the screen here. Support elements provide command and control, fire support, counter mobility support, and combat service support. Depending upon the mission, enemy, and terrain, other enabling elements may be required for other actions. Examples are air defense and information warfare. This functional organization executes the sub-task shown to accomplish an ambush. Let's step through these sub-tasks to plan an annihilation ambush. Our OP4 element is an understrength guerrilla hunter-killer group that has been attritted over the past year. For this reason, the guerrilla company has dedicated heavy weapon support. The group now consists of 35 personnel organized into three sections and a weapon section, with PKM machine guns, 82-millimeter recoilless rifle, 60-millimeter mortar, NSV machine gun, and AT-13 Metis-M teams. Our mission is to conduct an annihilation ambush of a blue-4 logistics convoy that routinely moves on the north-south MSR. The first planning steps involve identifying the enemy element and capabilities to be ambushed. This enemy information, combined with the terrain, determines the type of ambush required. The blue-4 convoy transports class 1, 3, and 5, and is normally escorted by five MATV gun trucks. They are armed with 250-caliber machine guns, two M240 machine guns, and one Mark 19. A security team of two additional MATVs clears the MSR approximately 30 minutes ahead of the logistics convoy. The convoy normally maintains a 100-meter interval and consists of the gun trucks with two M1078 LMTVs carrying MREs, two M1078 LMTVs carrying class 5, and two M978 HEMET fuel tankers. The nearest quick reaction force, a striker platoon, is stationed 25 kilometers to the east. With the MSR being the focus of blue-4 security operations, our best chance for success is to divert the convoy to where we have prepared an ambush. Conducting a map reconnaissance, we select the ambush site location. The advantage of this location is the availability of an affiliated gang to create a civil disturbance or riot to block the MSR. The aim is to divert the logistics convoy onto the alternate route after the MSR's security sweep has passed. Performing ground reconnaissance as non-cabattants allows us to refine the plan by walking the kill zones and selecting firing positions while maximizing concealment and deception. Our estimate of convoy intervals and likely terrain driving techniques dictate the kill zone locations. It is important to establish where the five blue-4 gun trucks will be located in order to destroy them. The kill zone is also planned on the QRF's most direct route to the ambush site. The next step is to plan obstacles, mines, and IEDs at choke points to immobilize and contain the blue-4 in the designated kill zones. I also plan a victim operated IED for the QRF. We will plant these IEDs over a period of two months in order to avoid detection. The next step is to position the hunter-killer group's key weapons. The steep terrain reduces the fratricide risk allowing plunging fires from all sides. We will first position the key weapons to destroy the blue-4 combat escort. The AT-13, 82-millimeter recoilless gun, and three RPG-7s are in place to destroy the lead and trail combat vehicles in order to reduce the amount of returned fire and contain the convoy in the valley. The second priority is destroying the combat vehicle in the middle of the convoy. Two RPG-7s are assigned this task. Third in priority is destruction of the logistical vehicles. The heavy and medium machine guns are in place to destroy these vehicles and kill the personnel. The heavy weapons, RPG-7s, with additional rounds will complete the destruction of the convoy. The RPG-7s will reposition to cover multiple kill zones. I am placed the 60-millimeter mortar to suppress the kill zones and support the withdrawal of the ambush group. The final support position selection is for the cameraman and myself. We need a good vantage point to capture footage for information warfare exploitation. With the ambush and support positions pinpointed, we select security element positions to isolate the kill zones by fixing the blue-four response or security elements. I will allocate the eastern security position and RPG-7 to cover the pressure plate IED with fire in order to delay the blue-four QRF. With all kill zone fires planned, I can now assign control to 100-killer section leaders. Thus, the 100-killer group is functionally organized for the ambush. Number two and number three sections form the ambush elements. With the good fields of fire available and need to minimize our time on the objective, I do not plan to assault the kill zones. Therefore, I have given the section leaders control of both ambush and support positions. The number one section forms the security elements that will isolate the ambush site from blue-four assistance. The group headquarters and number four section form the support elements providing command and control and direct and indirect fire support. The affiliated gang that we are co-opting into blocking the MSR is also a support element. Let's step through the execution subtests and start working out the coordination details. We will infiltrate the security elements first and then support elements followed by the ambush elements. Camouflage, concealment, cover, and deception must be carefully applied to move undetected. The safest infiltration technique is to cache weapons and equipment near the ambush site and infiltrate over a number of days. Support and ambush elements rendezvous at an abandoned structure in the small village on the ambush route. All elements must remain alert to changes in tactical conditions that may warrant a change to our plan. The security elements establish positions to isolate the ambush site and cover the support and ambush elements occupation. They must be prepared to provide early warning and protect the hunter killer group's main body. Support elements are the second to occupy their positions. Finally, the IEDs are armed to contain the kill zone and the ambush elements move into position. If possible, we will employ women or children to arm the IEDs as the last civilian group departs the village. Thoroughly concealed and or covered, the ambush is now set and ready to execute. If additional groups or affiliated elements were available, I would employ them to isolate the ambush site in concentric layers in order to disrupt, delay, or interdict blue-four reaction forces further from the ambush target. After the blue-four security sweep of the MSR and the logistics convoy is inbound, I will call for our affiliate gang to block the MSR. At this stage, it is important that the entire ambush element not move to minimize the risk of detection from the air. The western security element will inform me when the blue-four convoy turns onto our ambush route. They must be alert to anything out of the ordinary. When the blue-four enters the kill zone, we will trigger the ambush to catch the lead combat vehicles with the IED in order to block the route. Immediately, direct and indirect fires and the other IEDs follow to destroy both lead and trail escort vehicles holding the blue-four in the kill zones. The priority is to destroy the combat vehicles first to minimize return fire and then any vehicles with communications antennas to disrupt calls for assistance. Once the gun trucks are destroyed, the heavy weapons and RPG-7s shift to complete the destruction of the logistical vehicles. The entire ambush should take no longer than two to three minutes. At this point, I will determine the need to assault into the kill zone to complete the annihilation of the convoy. My decision will be based upon the potential to capture personnel and equipment versus the length of time the ambush has taken. We must assume that blue-four air and ground assistance are en route to the objective area. Upon completion of the ambush, I will order the exfiltration. The first elements to withdraw an exfiltrate are the ambush elements and the cameraman with video footage. We plan both primary and contingency exfiltration routes avoiding infiltration routes previously used. The teams move as quickly as possible to cache weapons and equipment in order to blend in with the civilian populace. Cover, concealment and camouflage are employed throughout the exfiltration in order to move undetected. If affiliated elements in the other locations are available, they can cover the withdrawal by creating diversions to distract and or deceive the blue-four reaction forces. The support elements are next in order of withdrawal, remaining in small teams and keeping to separate exfiltration tracks where possible. The security elements are the final elements to exfiltrate. They also move to cache their materiel and blend into the local population as quickly as possible. This concludes the ambush. You are now familiar with the functional organization and subtask execution for the tactical task ambush. The subtask actions apply to both the regular and irregular elements of the hybrid threat. The OP4 task outline and TC7-100 series references are available on the Army Training Network web portal. Questions may be directed to the TRADOC G2 ACE Threats Integration Directorate at Fort Levelworth, Kansas, the Army's responsible official for hybrid threat tactical doctrine. Good luck in your training. Be aggressive and adapt quickly.