What are the 6 section battle drills
So you've heard about section battle drills? Right, here's the deal. They're basically the go-to, standardized moves a military section — that's like 8 to 10 soldiers — uses the second they bump into the enemy or hit a specific tactical situation. The whole point? Make everything instinctive. Cut out the hesitation. Get everyone acting as one coordinated team when bullets start flying. In the British Army and a bunch of Commonwealth forces, these six drills are the absolute bedrock of all infantry tactics. They've got numbers, and you run through them in order the moment you make contact.
What are the 6 section battle drills in order?
Here's the thing — you do these in a strict sequence after the section commander shouts the order. No messing about.
- Drill 1: The Contact Drill (or "Contact Front"). This is your immediate reaction to enemy fire. Everyone hits the deck, starts shooting back, and the commander gets on the radio with a "Contact" report. Simple.
- Drill 2: The Locate Drill. Once you're returning fire, you've gotta figure out where the enemy actually is. Scanning, watching for tracer rounds, calling out locations. It's all about spotting them.
- Drill 3: The Suppress Drill. Now you lay down some serious, accurate fire to keep the enemy's heads down. Stop them from shooting back or moving around. Basically, you're pinning them in place.
- Drill 4: The Assault Drill. This is the fire and movement bit. One group — the fire support group — keeps shooting to suppress, while the other group — the assault group — moves forward to get close and destroy the enemy.
- Drill 5: The Clear Drill. The assault group reaches the enemy position and clears it out. That means systematic room or trench clearing, checking for enemy casualties, and grabbing any intel you can find.
- Drill 6: The Reorganization Drill. Objective's secure. Now you reorganize. Redistribute ammo, treat the wounded, set up all-round defense, and report back to higher command. Get ready for what's next.
Why are these specific 6 section battle drills important?
Honestly, they're a lifesaver. In the chaos of a firefight, your brain's working overtime. These drills replace complicated decision-making with simple, practiced actions. You automate the initial response, and suddenly your section's reacting faster than the enemy can think. The drills make sure you gain and keep fire superiority — that's the whole name of the game in infantry tactics. Without them? Your section's a mess. Higher casualties. Mission probably fails. It's that stark.
How do section battle drills differ from platoon drills?
Think of it like this. Section battle drills are just for one section — 8 to 10 soldiers doing their thing. Platoon drills? That's three or more sections working together under a platoon commander. A section drill is all about immediate enemy contact and clearing a local area. A platoon drill might be a deliberate attack, a flanking move, or a coordinated withdrawal. The section drills are your building blocks. A platoon attack is basically a bigger version of the same ideas, just with way more coordination between sections.
What is the most common mistake made during section battle drills?
The big one? Failing to keep effective fire support going during the assault phase — that's Drill 4. Soldiers in the fire support group often stop shooting, or they fire inaccurately, once the assault group moves forward. They're scared of hitting their own guys. Problem is, that loss of suppression lets the enemy recover and start engaging the assaulting troops. Proper training and clear "fire control orders" are key. You need the fire support group to keep firing until the assault group is safely close to the objective.
Detailed Sequence of the 6 Section Battle Drills
| Drill Number | Name | Primary Action | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contact | Get down, return fire, send contact report. | Immediate survival and communication. |
| 2 | Locate | Identify enemy position using scanning and tracer. | Target acquisition. |
| 3 | Suppress | Heavy, accurate fire to fix the enemy. | Fire superiority. |
| 4 | Assault | Fire and movement to close with the enemy. | Destruction of enemy position. |
| 5 | Clear | Systematic clearance of the objective. | Security and intelligence gathering. |
| 6 | Reorganize | Consolidate, treat casualties, report. | Readiness for next action. |
Checklist for Executing Section Battle Drills
- Pre-contact: Make sure everyone knows their fire positions and roles — gunner, rifleman, commander. No confusion.
- On contact: Shout "Contact" and get behind cover immediately. Don't freeze. Just move.
- Locate: Look for muzzle flashes, dust kicking up, or movement. Grab binoculars if you've got them.
- Suppress: Keep firing steadily. Machine gunners should use bursts — saves ammo but keeps the pressure on.
- Assault: Move in bounds. The assault group never moves while the fire support group is reloading. Timing's everything.
- Clear: Use the "peel" method or room clearing techniques. Watch out for booby traps — they'll get you.
- Reorganize: Count heads, treat the wounded, and split up the ammo. Send a "Sitrep" — situation report — to higher command.
Frequently Asked Questions about Section Battle Drills
Can the order of the 6 drills ever be changed?
No, the order's strict. You don't skip around. Going straight to assault without suppressing? That's tactically stupid and almost always ends badly. That said, if the enemy's already suppressed or in a really weak spot, the commander might call for a "hasty assault." But that's the exception, not the rule.
How long should it take to execute all 6 drills?
In training, a well-practiced section can get through all six in under 10 minutes. In real combat? Depends. Enemy strength, terrain, casualties — it all changes things. The point isn't speed. It's synchronization. Getting it right together.
Are these drills used by other armies besides the British Army?
Yeah, loads of armies use similar stuff. The US Army has "Immediate Action Drills" (IADs) — pretty much the same idea. The Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand armies use the 6-drill system too, just with minor tweaks. The core stuff — contact, suppression, assault — that's universal.
What happens if the section commander is killed during the contact drill?
Every soldier's trained to step up. The second-in-command — the section 2IC — takes over immediately. The drills are designed so they work no matter who's in charge. Everyone knows the sequence and their own role. It's built in.
Resumen Breve
- Drills Estandarizados: Los 6 ejercicios de sección son acciones inmediatas y estandarizadas para reaccionar al contacto enemigo.
- Secuencia Fija: Contacto, Localizar, Suprimir, Asaltar, Limpiar y Reorganizar. El orden no debe alterarse.
- Objetivo Clave: El objetivo principal es ganar y mantener la superioridad de fuego para permitir el asalto y la destrucción del enemigo.
- Entrenamiento Crítico: La repetición de estos ejercicios en entrenamiento es esencial para que se conviertan en acciones instintivas bajo presión.
