COMMUNICATE
SKILLS ROOM
IN SILENCE
TACTICAL HAND SIGNALS
“Oi! Bert! He’s over there! Next to the big tree with the
blue flowers in front of it! If you go round to ‘is right
you can get ‘im from there easy!”
B
ellowed at full volume, the above will probably give the guy behind the
tree a clue that he’s been spotted!
What you need is a way of imparting the same information without
the intended target being any the wiser – and for that you might need to
communicate in silence. Over to the guys from Airbourne Airsoft…
Most military forces worldwide use some form of tactical communication. These
methods covertly communicate information in situations where tactical awareness
dictates that discretion is the better part of valour – ideal if you are attempting a
‘sneaky beaky’ mission, or to achieve a crucial objective without the situation going
unnecessarily loud and all hell breaking loose!
There are a huge variety, but we are going to focus on the 10 most basic hand
signals, relevant to airsoft, as used by the British army. By these you can quietly and
significantly increase the chances of your team winning games and outwitting your
opponents.
or near
2Enemy in sight,
1All clear, no enemy in sight.
This is probably the most instantly recognisable signal for things being good
and is a simple ‘thumbs up’ (clenched fist with a raised thumb pointing upwards),
held away from the body to aid sight in low light conditions. This indicates the
current tactical situation is good, or ‘clear’.
Naturally following on from the
thumbs up, ‘thumbs down’ – meaning
danger or caution – is typically
used when enemy are seen. This
is a clenched fist with the thumb
extended and pointing downwards,
again away from the body to aid sight.
This signal is often accompanied
by a number of extended fingers
pointing upwards from the fist to
indicate number of enemy, followed
by distance to target in tens of
metres (by holding fingers out to
the side), followed by an open hand
pointing in the direction of the enemy,
completing the sequence. Such a
sequence indicates enemy seen, in
what numbers, how far away and in
what direction and is an excellent way
of gaining a tactical advantage on an
enemy unaware of your presence.
www.airsoftactionmagazine.com
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