Fireteam

[3][4][5][6][7][8] Historically, militaries with strong reliance and emphasis on decentralized NCO-corp institutions and effective "bottom-up" fireteam organization command structures have had significantly better combat performance from their infantry units in comparison to militaries limited to officer-reliant operations, traditionally larger units lacking NCO-leadership and "top-down" centralized-command structures.

Fireteam organization addresses the realities of 21st-century warfare where combat is getting exponentially faster and more lethal as it identifies and removes anything which slows down the reaction time between first detection of an enemy and rounds impacted.

In combat, while attacking or maneuvering, a fireteam generally spreads over a distance of 50 metres (160 ft), while in defensive positions the team can cover up to the range of its weapons or the limits of visibility, whichever is less.

A Chinese platoon, consisting of 50 men, would form three ranks of such fireteams, which would be employed to attack "one point" from "two sides.

The "fire team" (équipe de feu) is based around the section-level automatic rifle or light machine gun.

The "shock team" (équipe de choc), made up of riflemen armed with rifle grenades or disposable rocket launchers, is the reconnaissance and maneuver unit.

The most common symbol of the modern French junior NCO (chef d'équipe) has been a radio hanging around their neck.

Infantry units of the British Army, Royal Marines and RAF Regiment introduced the fireteam concept following the adoption of the SA80 rifle and light support weapon.

[31] Skirmishers in the Napoleonic War would often work in teams of two, ranging ahead of the main group and providing covering fire for each other.

The Germans used their stormtroopers organized into squads at the lowest levels to provide a cohesive strike force in breaking through Allied lines.

The British and Canadian troops on the Western Front started dividing platoons into sections after the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Survivors of these French Chasseur units taught these tactics to American infantry, who used them with effectiveness at St. Mihiel and the Argonne.

The introduction of the Thompson submachine gun and Winchester Model 1912 shotgun was popular with the Marines as a point-defense weapon for countering ambush by Nicaraguan guerrillas within the thick vegetation that could provide cover for a quick overrun of a patrol.

A team of four men armed with these weapons had proven more effective in terms of firepower and maneuverability than the standard nine-man rifle squad.

After sustaining severe wounds, Carlson was replaced and his battalion later disbanded and reorganized under conventional Marine doctrine of ten-man squads.

The US Army Rangers and Special Service Force adopted an early fireteam concept when on campaign in Italy and France.

The United States and most Commonwealth armies mainly rely on the concept of fire teams forming a squad.

According to the Swedish Armed Forces field manual, a Stridspar working in unison is as effective as four soldiers of same quality acting individually.

A Georgia National Guard fireteam armed with M4 carbines during a military exercise .
Royal Anglian Regiment soldiers during a lull in operations in Afghanistan in 2014; their numbers and equipment correspond to a British fireteam of the period (Left to right: L110A2 LMG, L85A2 with L123A2 UGL, L85A2, L129A1).
US marines on patrol in Afghanistan, 2009; their numbers and equipment correspond to a United States Marine Corps fireteam (left to right: M4 carbine, M16A4 rifle with M203, M16A4 rifle, M249).
An example of fire and maneuver in actual combat. Here, during the Battle of Okinawa , a US marine on the left provides covering fire for the marine on the right to break cover and move to a different position.