text: Army Tactics
  Table 1-1. Considerations for limited-visibility operations
  Advantages of limited-visibility operations Disadvantages of limited-visibility operations
  • Defenses are more susceptible to • Control of maneuver forces in the absence of
  infiltration. technical means is more difficult.
  • Darkness can conceal the movement and • Stationary defending forces can react more
  position of large forces in both offense and easily than attacking forces.
  defense. Physical and psychological • Extreme weather may degrade or prevent
  factors favor attacking forces, as shock,
  aviation support, including unmanned aircraft
  disorientation, and isolation are easier to
  systems.
  achieve.
  • Attacking forces have increased difficulty
  • Air assets can operate more easily in
  determining the limits of obstacle systems.
  contested airspace because air defenders
  • Restrictive terrain is more difficult to traverse.
  with only optical sights have greater
  difficulty acquiring targets at night. • Light, obscuration, noise, and fires can deceive
  • The element of surprise may increase attacking and defending forces.
  because forces are more susceptible to • Attacking forces lose momentum because of the
  military deception techniques, such as need to conduct attacks at a reduced tempo to
  decoy fighting positions, decoy equipment, maintain the coherence of the unit.
  dummy lights, noise, obscuration, and
  • Land navigation is more difficult at night; units
  fires. Applies to both offense and defense.
  may get separated, lose cohesion, and support
  • Reserves cannot employ as quickly at elements can move to the wrong positions.
  night as forces can during daylight
  • Defending forces can reposition or emplace
  conditions. True for both offense and
  obstacles during limited visibility to help avoid
  defense. Defense likely benefits from
  detection by friendly information collection
  interior lines when employing the reserve.
  assets.
  • Attacking units are easier to ambush at night.
  • Adjusting indirect fire is difficult, even with night-
  vision devices or illumination.
  • Units require significantly larger quantities of
  signal ammunition such as tracers, flares, and
  illumination rounds.
  • Units have more difficulty locating and
  evacuating casualties.
  • The risk of fratricide increases.
  • Effective range of direct fire weapon systems
  decreases due to visibility, degraded target
  detection and identification.
  1-108. Units establish control measures to facilitate visualizing, describing, and directing subordinate and
  supporting forces during limited-visibility operations. Units also take advantage of the technical capabilities
  of advanced equipment as they become available.
  1-109. Absent positive information to the contrary, units must assume that enemy forces possess the same
  limited-visibility observation capabilities as friendly forces when conducting a limited-visibility operations.
  Using terrain to mask movement and deployment remains critical because limited visibility may create a
  false sense of protection from enemy observation. During movement, leaders reduce the distances between
  vehicles or individual Soldiers as necessary to allow one system or Soldier to observe the other. This
  decreases the time necessary to react to enemy contact.
  Movement
  1-110. In the context of Army tactics, movement is the positioning of combat power to establish the
  conditions for maneuver (ADP 3-90). The distinction between movement and maneuver is whether or not
  friendly forces are moving in conjunction with friendly direct or established indirect fire support. A friendly
  force chooses a movement technique based on the threat prior to enemy contact. To direct movement, Army
  forces use the movement techniques, movement formations, and battle drills to mitigate the risk of making