USMC’s New Guide For Mitigating Signature Under UAS

SIGMAN Camouflage SOP 200630

“To be detected is to be targeted is to be killed.”

The Marine Corps has published a new SOP for mitigating the small unit signature under Unmanned Aerial Surveillance (UAS). The first section should sound awfully familiar to anyone who’s been in the Scout Course:

ALL ​unit ​SOPs ​and camouflage ​TTPs ​CONFORM to the following Camouflage Fundamentals:

1. DISPERSE into multiple small ​elements​. This is the most important step. BE ​indistinguishable​—unable to be identified as different—IOT avoid being targeted. ASSUME you are being watched. DISPERSE individuals, vehicles, and positions irregularly. DISPLACE ​often​.

2. PICK a concealed ​site​. CONFORM to terrain. FIND low dead ground and micro-terrain, behind hills, tucked against the shadows of buildings, or under trees. In the city, move ​inside​ a building.

3. OPERATE at ​night​. Camouflage discipline includes light discipline. TRAIN in night operations, with NVGs, lasers,and camouflage ghillie blankets. OPERATE in rain, fog, wind, and dust when UAS cannot fly. OPERATE at dawn or dusk when shadows are long, sun glare is high, and thermal crossover masks your heat signature. KNOW the daily light levels.

(NOTICE IT DIDN’T SAY WHITE LIGHT AT NIGHT? – NCS)

4. CAMOUFLAGE ​people​, ​positions​, and ​equipment​. BLEND with your background. Camouflage discipline includes ​light​ discipline, ​heat​ discipline, noise​ discipline, ​trash​ discipline, and ​movement​ discipline. Minimize lights. Mask engines,heaters, and generators. Silence all equipment. Leave NO trash behind, especially dunnage. Control convoy movements.

Again, it should sound familiar. If you’re planning on working either with a limited or no support network, then you should have this guide damn well near memorized. And if you’re not training on camoflage, concealment, quiet movement, tracking and countertracking, then you’re not training in small unit tactics. Period.

Download and print it out.

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About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .

20 Comments

  1. Anonymous August 5, 2020 at 13:00

    5

  2. brunop August 5, 2020 at 13:05

    “…ghillie blankets…”

    I’m assuming this is a self-made mylar / heat-sig-blocking outfit that also has nylon grid and local veg on it?

    I’ve seen thermal footage from USBP in AZ & TX where Mex coyotes and others drop under a cheapo “space blanket”, and their signature disappears. I don’t know how long that works, or if they can keep movement up (“…displace often…”).

    Max Velocity used to sell such a thing, but that fell apart. I don’t know if it was because no one was buying, or if because he got pooh-poohed by all the geniuses on the Innawebz.

    Your thoughts are very much appreciated.

    • NC Scout August 5, 2020 at 13:08

      Yes.

      That product failed because it was grossly overpriced.

      You can make a better one with a $20 GI Casualty blanket, krylon and shoe goo. I use it in class and the students observe it through a set of high end thermals that I own.

      He failed because he was too busy poo-pooing everyone else. And that’s the last thing that will ever be said of him.

      • Michael August 5, 2020 at 16:09

        Searching for the GI Casualty blanket. Understand Krylon paint camo paint job, not sure I understand the shoe goo reference. Could you please explain? Any input as to brand of GI casualty blanket? Amazon has many of them, Rothco perhaps?

        Seems useful to cover your bivvy bag also.

        Thanks, thermal is a problem.

        • NC Scout August 5, 2020 at 16:21

          Shoe goo is a type of heavy duty glue. Use it to attach your netting, which in turn you tie the jute twine to (just like how ghillie suits are made out of BDU tops).

          I use this one

          • Walt August 5, 2020 at 17:23

            I would love to see how to make one of those… any links?

          • NC Scout August 5, 2020 at 17:54

            I’ll put something together for y’all.

          • Coop Willis May 14, 2021 at 21:13

            NC SCOUT, I know you are busy and I am asking anyway. The GI Aluminized Casualty Blanket you have in the link here where you said: I use this one, is now $41.40 and sold by Marie Homes on Amazon. Do you know of a good $20 GI version elsewhere? Thanks. Have a good weekend.

          • NC Scout May 14, 2021 at 22:49

            I dunno, search around. Arcturus makes one that’s fairly inexpensive.

  3. DryCreek1976 August 5, 2020 at 20:30

    Yes please….. that would make for a great how to article…. I’m also very interested
    Thanks ?

  4. Anonymous August 6, 2020 at 14:45

    4.5

  5. Johnny Paratrooper August 6, 2020 at 15:10

    During my time as OPFOR hunting “The Robin Sage” guys and the Scout Sniper Units at Bragg. We used a small, but durable piece of plexiglass cut into a Ping-Pong Paddle Shape. Large enough to cover your face (Cut Into any shape but a square or circle) This would be used to peer around a corner and stick your head up and check for enemy forces without drawing a mountain of return fire immediately.

    Just remember to NOT keep this thing in your pocket, or packed into the part of your pack that touches your back or if you hold onto it too long, it will heat up. Assuming its “Ambient Temp” is nominal to the surroundings, It should just look like any other piece of tree or rock. Although, perhaps moving a little bit. Good news though, It’s better than your white hot glowing face getting blown off.

    Of course, That was ten years ago, using old but serviceable Thermal gear. Perhaps things have improved greatly.

    I no longer have access to a pair of $30,000 MG Thermals but I remember them not being able to see through glass, or plexiglass.

    Delete this comment if I am wrong, and post. “JP COMMENT DELETED” So I don’t get anyone murdered by my own stupidity.

    I honestly haven’t operated in ten years. I switched to Construction during the week, Bouncer, and PSD work on the Weekends.

    I believe my Firefighter friends and my SWAT buddies have access to “better than” military gear. I will ask them to take notes next time.

    For now, This link should work fine.

    https://www.flir.com/discover/cores-components/can-thermal-imaging-see-through-walls

    • NC Scout August 6, 2020 at 15:44

      Good ol PAS-13. It’s evolved a lot since then. I run a FLIR PTS-332, which runs circles around the old stuff.

      • Historian August 7, 2020 at 02:28

        Typo? Perhaps you mean the PTS 233? All of the FLIR Pro systems were discontinued, weren’t they?
        Are there any equivalents still available to the public?

        • NC Scout August 7, 2020 at 06:32

          That’s the one.

          They are still building them, but it’s .gov only.

    • Matt August 6, 2020 at 21:44

      JP,

      I’ve been out for quite a while, but at that point even the cutting edge FLIR technology couldn’t see through either plexiglas or regular glass (which acted like a mirror). These were very sensitive airborne one costing in the seven digit range. I honestly don’t see how they would be able to penetrate them.

      Your caveat of keep them at ambient is an important one.

      Matt

      • Johnny Paratrooper August 6, 2020 at 21:53

        EMF and EMF detectors(Signals Intel Stuff) cannot violate the laws of Physics. Despite what they say on TV and Hollywood.

        It stands to reason Thermals are as good as their gonna get. Just better resolution or energy efficiency every few years. Similar to Radios. Sure, DMR is cool, and has lots of neat Digital Functions. But it’s still a damn radio.

  6. Annon-E -Mouse August 7, 2020 at 02:03

    Remember a how to article along with a vid on U-tube several years back, that was about masking your thermal image along with a list of components. In between the space blanket and the ghillie suit was a layer of that poly batting for an air gap to help keep the outside from heating up after extended wear. I printed out the thing, but damned if I know were I put it.

    • brunop August 9, 2020 at 12:33

      I definitely remember seeing that, too. Depending on what it was, it was the most expensive “component” in the sandwich.

  7. Badlands Rifleman August 13, 2020 at 23:39

    One thing to keep in mind is the “emissivity” of the object you are using. In my experience shiny objects are more emissive, so just make sure they aren’t shiny and you should be good.

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