Weapon Control Status and more

Weapon Control Status and more...

Intro

This could be you...

Weapon Control Status

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1963256191
The most important value WCSs give us are:

• Fratricide prevention

• Collateral Damage (aka Civilians on the battlefield)

• Tactical control

The term Weapon Control Status was originally used to describe ADA (Air Defense Artillery) fire controls and rules of engagement (ROEs). Subsequently, they now cover all direct fire weapons but especially for infantry small arms (to include medium/heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, shoulder fired rockets etc).

Weapon Control Types

There are 3 types of control status:

• Weapon Hold

• Weapon Tight

• Weapon Free

As a safety precaution, all Weapon's Control Status should ALWAYS be a default of TIGHT.

The control status ranges from more restrictive to less restrictive

Weapon HOLD - fire only for self defense and/or when directly ordered to do so

Weapon TIGHT - engage all targets after PID (Positive IDentification) of a hostile is achieved

Weapon FREE - engage all targets not identified as Friendlies

Unless directly ordered to do so by a lawful order, Soldiers are responsible to obtain PID before any target engagement

Safety Posture

The Safety Posture is a way to describe the condition of your weapon system

Generally speaking, it is a 3 color code system:

• Green - Bolt forward, safety on, mag out and no round in the chamber

• Yellow - Bolt forward, safety on, mag in and no round in the chamber

• Red - Bolt to the rear (MGs), safety on, mag in and round chambered

Manual Safety

If you are conducting ANY vertical or horizontal movement you need to have your weapon on 'SAFE'

Your weapon should ALWAYS be on 'SAFE' during any type of movement

Your weapon should REMAIN on'SAFE' until you are ready to fire

After a target engagement, if their are no other immediate targets, your weapon need to immediately return to 'SAFE'

Your mileage may vary...

Method(s) of Employment

WCS (Weapon Control Status) can be employed in different manners

3 main ways of employing WCSs are:

• Command (voice, radio, OPORD etc.)

• Terrain based

• Enemy/Threat based

Command Based

Command based
When you receive some type of order that explains your ROE/WCS based on your situation
Ex - Your Standing Order may say to remain Weapon's HOLD inside of FOB/COPs; Weapon TIGHT while on guard duty and Weapons FREE while occupying OP/LPs.

Terrain Based

When your WCS changes based on the terrain
Ex - You have a Friendly unit to your left, and artillery unit 1 km to your East and no Friendlies to your front.



Due to Friendly units on your left flank, your western WCS is HOLD; due to the fire base 1 km East, your right WCS is TIGHT; due to no Friendlies to your front, your WCS is FREE

Enemy Based

Ex - WCS HOLD while Enemy presence is in Q 1/2 and WCS FREE when in Q 3/4

MELS

A MELs (Maximum Engagement Line) is the greatest distance at which a weapon system is effective and order not to fire before reaching

***MELs are not to be confused with maximum effective range***

M203 - 200 meters
Small arms - 300 meters
Shoulder fired rockets - 300 meters
Machine guns - 600 meters
Guided rockets - 1km

Based on varied Enemy threats, MELs are used to prioritize weapon systems
Ex - TOW (Tube-launch Optically tracked Wire-guided) has a 1km. They are WCS HOLD until 1km and WCS FREE at closer ranges.



While MG teams can go from WCS HOLD to WCS FREE at 600 meters

Unguided rockets and small arm fires are WCS FREE at 300 or less meters

Finally, M203 gunners can pass to WCS FREE at 250 meters

Priority of Fires

WCSs can be also used to prioritize your Soldier's target hierarchy
Ex -
TOW TM #1 & 2 are WCS FREE for Enemy armour at 1km
TOW TM #3 & 4 are WCS FREE for Enemy C2 armour only and WCS TIGHT until 500 meters

Conclusion

WCSs are important tools that must become part of your unit's SOP, as are your Weapon Condition guidelines...