

Conditions that make a target appear to be nearer are. The vehicle commander must be aware that light, weather, and terrain conditions can make a target look nearer or farther than it is. The driver and gunner can also use this method to determine ranges to close-in targets. The vehicle commander counts 100-meter increments, estimating the number of football fields that could fit between him and the target.

A technique for accomplishing this is the football field method. This is particularly useful in close-in, immediate engagement situations where no time is available for using sights, binoculars, or maps. The vehicle commander, with practice, can estimate distances out to about 1,000 meters. Primary Range Determination Methods NAKED EYE METHOD He can determine range using the naked eye, binoculars with mil-relation formula (the assisted method), a map, or one of the other methods of range determination these methods can be used separately or combined. He uses his knowledge of the terrain, the tactical situation, and the friendly control measures on his map and on the ground, and his experience to determine range. The vehicle commander is responsible for navigation and command and control. Range errors that cause the first round to go over the target are particularly serious because the round travels over the target, and the strike of the round is obscured by the target, making subsequent adjustments extremely difficult.

Errors in range determination will cause more first-round misses than errors in deflection. Range determination significantly affects target engagement accuracy.
