Intro

This guide will help you become a better squad member and helps you to understand the basic formations within Arma 3.

Fire Team Formations

Fire Team Wedge

Wedge is the main fire-team formation. Commonly used for travelling areas which are not safe.

File / Column

File is travelling formation used for travelling in safe areas.

 With 2 Fire Teams or full squad

Easy to control. Useful for navigating the map, travelling. Cover to flanks Vulnerable from front/rear (hence MG's in those positions for heavy volume of fire). Encourages tunnel vision, remain vigilant to your arcs.

Composition:

• Machine Gunners (MG)/Automatic Riflemen (AR) - Front/Rear
• First 5 men = Alpha Fire Team-Fire Support Group (FSG)
• MG/AR, SL, Medic, Grenadier, Rifleman
• Rear 4 men = Bravo Fire Team-Assault/Flanking Group
• 2ic, Medic, Rifleman, MG/AR

Staggered Column

The staggered column is used for travelling formation used for travelling/convoy, this is one fireteam moving in parallel to another fireteam, with one group being slightly behind the other group. Commonly used while travelling along the main supply routes (MSR's).

Line

The line is the main battle formation used when the known enemy position is to your front. As soon as you are being engaged or approach known enemy location this is formation you use.

Arrowhead

Large volume of fire to front. Able to get half the Squads fire power to flanks easily. Able to break of into flanking Fire Teams easily. Easier than extended line to maintain as you can see the person to front and side of you. Only useful for open areas.

Bounding

Bounding or leap frogging is the main tactic for advancing or retreating while under contact.

Fire Team Bounding

In this picture you see how bounding within a fireteam works: Pair 2 provide base of fire cover while pair 1 advances to another covering position.

Squad Bounding

In this picture you see how bounding works within a squad: Team blue (2) provide base of fire cover while team red (1) advances to another covering position. Once team (1) has moved to cover, they report on comms: "team (1) set", and provide base of fire while team (2) moves.