RHIB Light Infantry Tactics

Mongolian_dude · 2014-08-21, 11:21

Hey brothers,

If you know my PR playing style well, you'll know that I love to get good with the least used and most obscure weapons and assets in PR, things that get rejected by most players. The ATGM Gazelle, the A-4 Skyhawk, The MV-22 Osprey, the SMAW, the M72LAW, Mk.19 grenade launchers, Shotguns, Claymores etc.

The latest fetish I've had in PR has been dedicated RHIB squads. They are assets no one takes seriously, and most often serve as disposable transports at round start on amphibious assault maps. I think they are much more valuable!

The RHIB

RHIB stands for Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat.
They count as a light asset.
They move very quickly across water. RHIBs can be beached, but generally will slowly slide back into the water in their own time.
RHIBs are typically armed with 7.62 medium machine guns, occasionally with heavier weapons.
This weapons system has a 360' rotation and a healthy vertical traverse - you are unable to harm your crew and passengers by turning this weapon on them while they are embarked.
They appear on almost every amphibious assault map, generally on the BLUFOR side, if not on both sides.
A single RHIB can carry 8 people. A driver, a gunner, and 6 passengers who can utilise their personal weapons and equipment while embarked.
As a light asset, RHIBs can be repaired with the combat engineer's wrench.
Like some of Realitymod's lighter vehicles, using the 'shift' key activates a slight forward boost in the RHIB's speed. It is both expended and replenished within seconds.
For some reason, RHIBs move unbelievably quick when they use their boost in the most shallow of water. It is unknown why this happens.

RHIB Advantages

RHIBs are highly mobile assets that move quickly across deep and shallow waters. Compared to insertion by APC/IFV or helicopter, RHIBs are comparatively quiet vehicles, making them discreet and a rarely considered threat.
RHIBs are cheap and have short spawn times. Costing no tickets whatsoever, a daring raid in a RHIB is notably cheaper than that in an armoured vehicle or a helicopter.
Usually, the RHIB is armed with 7.62 MGs (M240, M60, Pecheneg etc). On some maps, you will find RHIBs capable of taking out lightly armoured vehicles, equipped with either the 50.cal M2 Browning or the Mk.19 automatic grenade launcher, making them formidable weapons platforms. In formations, RHIBs can commit thunderous suppression, and with heavier weapons, withering firepower.
They are rarely used, meaning that they are readily available and that the enemy rarely prepares to defend their waterways from RHIB insertions. At times, you will find airborne threats too preoccupied with searching for in-land targets to notice you.

RHIB Disadvantages

RHIBs are highly vulnerable vehicles. The RHIB offers little protection to passengers, who are bunched on an open deck. Similarly, the boat's hull is susceptible to small arms fire and requires little attention from heavy weapons to sink it completely.
Most AAS map resign RHIB units to light infantry and special tactics, leaving the heavy fighting and the majority of flag capping to the rest of the team.
When left alone for a while, RHIBs have the habit of self-destructing. This is a double-edged sword, as those RHIBs left in the field will return to the main like a boomerang without need for retrieval, but it also means you wouldn't want to stray from your rubbery, buoyant friend for too long.

RHIB Tactics

Both Vadso and Saaremaa have proved excellent maps for RHIB squads.
Light Infantry Tactics revolve around disruption of enemy logistics and installations. This usually translates in PR as lightening assaults on enemy FBs, mortars and bridges, and occasionally on enemy transports/logistics vehicles and flags themselves.
Tactics will vary hugely on how many RHIBs are available to your force and what weapons they have. It will define an aggressive or passive style of play:

Passive typically involves avoiding confrontation all together, using all boats to land troops who will either walk a short-medium distance onto target. Occasionally, they will land onto target. They will engage when the fight is in their favour and retreat if it is not. They will only reviving the wounded when the objective is complete, and may leave men behind.

Aggressive RHIB tactics generally involve boats in direct fighting, providing fire support for assaulting boats. The assaulting boats almost always land directly on-target. Support boats will move steady and parallel to the shore to suppress the enemy from mid-long distances, making use of the heaviest weapons (Mk.19, M2).
Assaulting boats will typically be evasive, moving to the shore to deploy infantry to engage the enemy at close range. The objective will typically be to eliminate all enemy in the area, reviving as they go, then complete the objective and retreat.

RHIB Squad Loadout Chart

1x Boat Passive (4man):
(1)
SL, Medic, AutoRifle, Breacher/Engineer

2x Boat Passive (6man):
(1)
SL, Engineer, Rifleman

(2)x
Medic, AutoRifle, LAT Alt

3x Boat Aggressive (8man):
(1, Mk.19)
SL, Medic

(2, M2.50cal)
RifleAT. Alt, Rifleman

(3, Assault)
Grenadier, Medic, AutoRifle, Engineer

When employing an aggressive stance against ashore contacts, I find employing the evasive manoeuvres that Rudd has outlined to either be lifesaving or damning and it is something of an art to know when and when not to do it. For a passive stance, evasive manoeuvres are generally preferred.

Assaulting Manoeuvres

For the assaulting craft, the primary objective is to deliver as many combat-ready marines/commandos/'swimmer canoeists' to shore as fast as possible, who then go on to employ infantry tactics to overcome threats and achieve the primary objective. Depending on both the intelligence on enemy activity and the level of your unit's experience available to you, the quickest method to achieve this is to make a straight and direct dash for the shore line to close the gap as quick as possible, reducing the water-borne exposure time to potential incoming fire. This would only be recommended in circumstances where it is likely that the enemy presence is null or sparse - remember, even a single Automatic Rifleman, or Heavy Anti-Tank, or TOW/SPG emplacement has the capacity to wipe out the occupants of an assaulting craft.

In the presence of a larger enemy threat, assaulting craft are advised to employ evasive manoeuvres with the aim of reducing the risk to both the craft and its occupants. As exposure time is a factor, assaulting craft should employ less erratic movements at greater distances from the target (see this post). As the gap is closed, more erratic movements are needed, such as a serpentine motion.

While maximising volume of fire is important in suppressing defenders, indeed is reloading personal weapon systems before disembarking, several passengers are able to deploy smoke grenades to the shore immediately before reaching the target area. Creating a smoke screen, this can prove useful for target zones that offer little in the way of cover or concealment. Passenger grenadiers may wish to target enemy positions with smoke munitions, blinding them to the assaulting element's movements.

It is unadvisable in almost every circumstance to assault enemy fortifications that have been deployed as costal defences. It is advisable for passive craft to deploy troops further up or down the shore line without detection, mounting a land-based assault.
However, it is more common for enemy defences that are deployed on or near the shore line to be prepared to fight in-land threats, with their MG nests facing parallel along the shore-line or away from it altogether, making them poor deterrents (and prime targets) for amphibious assaults, providing obvious targets for supportive elements and suppressive action from assaulting units.

Supportive Manoeuvres

Unfortunately, viable supportive boats (M2.50cal, Mk.19 AGL) are few in Realitymod, while viable assaulting craft (M60, Pecheneg, FN MAG) are relatively common. This presents the unit commander with a dilemma between risking all assets to ensure the success of assaulting elements (at the loss of supportive elements to enemy fire) and the preservation of supportive craft to maintain the aggressive stance as a tactical option.

Since the priority of a supportive element is the suppression and destruction of enemy forces, combat manoeuvres differ greatly from that of assaulting craft. Depending on the angle from which the RHIB force approaches the shore, supportive craft will act differently. Especially for those baring a Mk.19 AGL, pilots must be highly conscious of their decisions, as the movement of the craft creates inertia that must be calculated and overcome by the gunner to hit his mark. With that said, straight and steady allows the gunner to do his best in this effort.
If the force is direct in it's approach to the shore (90', directly at the shore from the water), a supportive element should remain 40-70m at the rear flank of the assaulting element, following its general approach. When a comfortable distance from the shore is reached, the support craft will proceed to maintain a holding pattern parallel to the shore line; pacing back and forth along the same route, or extending out form a box in either clockwise or counter-clockwise movement.

For a supporting boat, a passive, up/down shore deployment does not necessarily exclude the involvement of supporting fire. A supporting craft may wish to remain just out of view of the combat area, either utilising the fog of war (beyond view distance), cover (container ships or docklands), or natural terrain (rocks and hills). Upon the assaulting element making contact, supportive craft may consider waiting a short while after the engagement to enter the fight, ensuring the enemy's attention is fixed on the assaulting element, engaging the enemy at the extremities of the weapon system's range to suppress the enemy and sew confusion.

Encountering enemy craft

Surprisingly, a frequent and formidable threat to RHIB operations comes from other RHIBs. At long ranges with a good distance of water between the craft, simply disengaging and executing an evasive exit is most worthwhile. At closer ranges, I personally find the best procedure is to stop the craft as quick as possible to give your gunner superior accuracy over your opponent, targeting the enemy's gunner first. These RHIB-to-RHIB contacts are especially dangerous in riverine environments, where contact can be made within mere meters and last only seconds. Make sure to appease your chosen deity on a regular basis to maximises your chances in this scenario.

Feel free to add ideas and criticisms!

Pronck · 2014-08-21, 12:48

On both Saarema and Vadso the RHIBs equipped with either a .50 or a Mk. 19 are ideal weapons to ambush (low)-flying helicopters. Although you are often operating in a grey zone regarding the rules of the server you can often deny helicopters the shortest route towards the combat zone. Forcing helicopters to take another route. A semi-competent pilot will often use different routes, but the rookie pilots will fly into the trap time after time.

ElshanF · 2014-08-25, 18:58

Would love to see new modelled RHIBs, the ones in PR are really old

Brisk187 · 2014-08-25, 19:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by [R-MOD]Mongolian_dude

RHIBs are cheap and have short spawn times. Costing few tickets, a daring raid in a RHIB is notably cheaper than that in an armoured vehicle or a helicopter.

I'll have to confirm this, but I believe they cost 0 tickets, making them cheap as dirt.

Mongolian_dude · 2014-08-25, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brisk187

I'll have to confirm this, but I believe they cost 0 tickets, making them cheap as dirt.

That might make sense, considering they have what is perhaps the quickest self-destruct time of any vehicle in PR.

Rudd · 2014-08-25, 23:21

On some maps the RHIB formation is fantastic, but it has to support a landing movement or it becomes impotent and sooner or later the enemy will get you as the RHIBs cannot take much punishment - particularly if facing an enemy with TOW/HAT capability (although at longer range you have a reasonable chance of evading these weapons)

On the RHIB, the best way to survive is to approach your LZ from an angle which you fluctuate slightly as you approach - so that it appears from the shore that you are changing speed. Your crew needs to suppress the crap out of the land as you approach, just spray and pray if you cannot see targets; better to arrive with half your ammo gone than not to arrive at all, very organised teams will have a setup like how Mongol proposes to cover your landing.

Portable.Cougar · 2014-08-26, 00:55

Often under used is their ability to be stable weapon platforms for the inf riding inside. A MG can be used in deployed mode allowing for great amounts of accurate fire. Also having a inf member using a 4x scope or binocular can provide you the intel you need to arrive alive to your landing zone.

Or you can pull my favorite troll move and have an Manpad on the boat to block trans and cad traffic.

Mongolian_dude · 2014-08-26, 10:49

UPDATE: Added more tactics to OP based on replies

Brisk187 · 2014-08-26, 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brisk187

I'll have to confirm this, but I believe they cost 0 tickets, making them cheap as dirt.

I've confirmed it. These boats do not cost any tickets.

2014-08-21, 11:21	#1
Mongolian_dude Retired Moderator Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 6,072 Europe Location: London upon Europe	RHIB Light Infantry Tactics Hey brothers, If you know my PR playing style well, you'll know that I love to get good with the least used and most obscure weapons and assets in PR, things that get rejected by most players. The ATGM Gazelle, the A-4 Skyhawk, The MV-22 Osprey, the SMAW, the M72LAW, Mk.19 grenade launchers, Shotguns, Claymores etc. The latest fetish I've had in PR has been dedicated RHIB squads. They are assets no one takes seriously, and most often serve as disposable transports at round start on amphibious assault maps. I think they are much more valuable! The RHIB RHIB stands for Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat. They count as a light asset. They move very quickly across water. RHIBs can be beached, but generally will slowly slide back into the water in their own time. RHIBs are typically armed with 7.62 medium machine guns, occasionally with heavier weapons. This weapons system has a 360' rotation and a healthy vertical traverse - you are unable to harm your crew and passengers by turning this weapon on them while they are embarked. They appear on almost every amphibious assault map, generally on the BLUFOR side, if not on both sides. A single RHIB can carry 8 people. A driver, a gunner, and 6 passengers who can utilise their personal weapons and equipment while embarked. As a light asset, RHIBs can be repaired with the combat engineer's wrench. Like some of Realitymod's lighter vehicles, using the 'shift' key activates a slight forward boost in the RHIB's speed. It is both expended and replenished within seconds. For some reason, RHIBs move unbelievably quick when they use their boost in the most shallow of water. It is unknown why this happens. RHIB Advantages RHIBs are highly mobile assets that move quickly across deep and shallow waters. Compared to insertion by APC/IFV or helicopter, RHIBs are comparatively quiet vehicles, making them discreet and a rarely considered threat. RHIBs are cheap and have short spawn times. Costing no tickets whatsoever, a daring raid in a RHIB is notably cheaper than that in an armoured vehicle or a helicopter. Usually, the RHIB is armed with 7.62 MGs (M240, M60, Pecheneg etc). On some maps, you will find RHIBs capable of taking out lightly armoured vehicles, equipped with either the 50.cal M2 Browning or the Mk.19 automatic grenade launcher, making them formidable weapons platforms. In formations, RHIBs can commit thunderous suppression, and with heavier weapons, withering firepower. They are rarely used, meaning that they are readily available and that the enemy rarely prepares to defend their waterways from RHIB insertions. At times, you will find airborne threats too preoccupied with searching for in-land targets to notice you. RHIB Disadvantages RHIBs are highly vulnerable vehicles. The RHIB offers little protection to passengers, who are bunched on an open deck. Similarly, the boat's hull is susceptible to small arms fire and requires little attention from heavy weapons to sink it completely. Most AAS map resign RHIB units to light infantry and special tactics, leaving the heavy fighting and the majority of flag capping to the rest of the team. When left alone for a while, RHIBs have the habit of self-destructing. This is a double-edged sword, as those RHIBs left in the field will return to the main like a boomerang without need for retrieval, but it also means you wouldn't want to stray from your rubbery, buoyant friend for too long. RHIB Tactics Both Vadso and Saaremaa have proved excellent maps for RHIB squads. Light Infantry Tactics revolve around disruption of enemy logistics and installations. This usually translates in PR as lightening assaults on enemy FBs, mortars and bridges, and occasionally on enemy transports/logistics vehicles and flags themselves. Tactics will vary hugely on how many RHIBs are available to your force and what weapons they have. It will define an aggressive or passive style of play: Passive typically involves avoiding confrontation all together, using all boats to land troops who will either walk a short-medium distance onto target. Occasionally, they will land onto target. They will engage when the fight is in their favour and retreat if it is not. They will only reviving the wounded when the objective is complete, and may leave men behind. Aggressive RHIB tactics generally involve boats in direct fighting, providing fire support for assaulting boats. The assaulting boats almost always land directly on-target. Support boats will move steady and parallel to the shore to suppress the enemy from mid-long distances, making use of the heaviest weapons (Mk.19, M2). Assaulting boats will typically be evasive, moving to the shore to deploy infantry to engage the enemy at close range. The objective will typically be to eliminate all enemy in the area, reviving as they go, then complete the objective and retreat. RHIB Squad Loadout Chart 1x Boat Passive (4man): (1) SL, Medic, AutoRifle, Breacher/Engineer 2x Boat Passive (6man): (1) SL, Engineer, Rifleman (2)x Medic, AutoRifle, LAT Alt 3x Boat Aggressive (8man): (1, Mk.19) SL, Medic (2, M2.50cal) RifleAT. Alt, Rifleman (3, Assault) Grenadier, Medic, AutoRifle, Engineer When employing an aggressive stance against ashore contacts, I find employing the evasive manoeuvres that Rudd has outlined to either be lifesaving or damning and it is something of an art to know when and when not to do it. For a passive stance, evasive manoeuvres are generally preferred. Assaulting Manoeuvres For the assaulting craft, the primary objective is to deliver as many combat-ready marines/commandos/'swimmer canoeists' to shore as fast as possible, who then go on to employ infantry tactics to overcome threats and achieve the primary objective. Depending on both the intelligence on enemy activity and the level of your unit's experience available to you, the quickest method to achieve this is to make a straight and direct dash for the shore line to close the gap as quick as possible, reducing the water-borne exposure time to potential incoming fire. This would only be recommended in circumstances where it is likely that the enemy presence is null or sparse - remember, even a single Automatic Rifleman, or Heavy Anti-Tank, or TOW/SPG emplacement has the capacity to wipe out the occupants of an assaulting craft. In the presence of a larger enemy threat, assaulting craft are advised to employ evasive manoeuvres with the aim of reducing the risk to both the craft and its occupants. As exposure time is a factor, assaulting craft should employ less erratic movements at greater distances from the target (see this post). As the gap is closed, more erratic movements are needed, such as a serpentine motion. While maximising volume of fire is important in suppressing defenders, indeed is reloading personal weapon systems before disembarking, several passengers are able to deploy smoke grenades to the shore immediately before reaching the target area. Creating a smoke screen, this can prove useful for target zones that offer little in the way of cover or concealment. Passenger grenadiers may wish to target enemy positions with smoke munitions, blinding them to the assaulting element's movements. It is unadvisable in almost every circumstance to assault enemy fortifications that have been deployed as costal defences. It is advisable for passive craft to deploy troops further up or down the shore line without detection, mounting a land-based assault. However, it is more common for enemy defences that are deployed on or near the shore line to be prepared to fight in-land threats, with their MG nests facing parallel along the shore-line or away from it altogether, making them poor deterrents (and prime targets) for amphibious assaults, providing obvious targets for supportive elements and suppressive action from assaulting units. Supportive Manoeuvres Unfortunately, viable supportive boats (M2.50cal, Mk.19 AGL) are few in Realitymod, while viable assaulting craft (M60, Pecheneg, FN MAG) are relatively common. This presents the unit commander with a dilemma between risking all assets to ensure the success of assaulting elements (at the loss of supportive elements to enemy fire) and the preservation of supportive craft to maintain the aggressive stance as a tactical option. Since the priority of a supportive element is the suppression and destruction of enemy forces, combat manoeuvres differ greatly from that of assaulting craft. Depending on the angle from which the RHIB force approaches the shore, supportive craft will act differently. Especially for those baring a Mk.19 AGL, pilots must be highly conscious of their decisions, as the movement of the craft creates inertia that must be calculated and overcome by the gunner to hit his mark. With that said, straight and steady allows the gunner to do his best in this effort. If the force is direct in it's approach to the shore (90', directly at the shore from the water), a supportive element should remain 40-70m at the rear flank of the assaulting element, following its general approach. When a comfortable distance from the shore is reached, the support craft will proceed to maintain a holding pattern parallel to the shore line; pacing back and forth along the same route, or extending out form a *box* in either clockwise or counter-clockwise movement. For a supporting boat, a passive, up/down shore deployment does not necessarily exclude the involvement of supporting fire. A supporting craft may wish to remain just out of view of the combat area, either utilising the fog of war (beyond view distance), cover (container ships or docklands), or natural terrain (rocks and hills). Upon the assaulting element making contact, supportive craft may consider waiting a short while after the engagement to enter the fight, ensuring the enemy's attention is fixed on the assaulting element, engaging the enemy at the extremities of the weapon system's range to suppress the enemy and sew confusion. Encountering enemy craft Surprisingly, a frequent and formidable threat to RHIB operations comes from other RHIBs. At long ranges with a good distance of water between the craft, simply disengaging and executing an evasive exit is most worthwhile. At closer ranges, I personally find the best procedure is to stop the craft as quick as possible to give your gunner superior accuracy over your opponent, targeting the enemy's gunner first. These RHIB-to-RHIB contacts are especially dangerous in riverine environments, where contact can be made within mere meters and last only seconds. Make sure to appease your chosen deity on a regular basis to maximises your chances in this scenario. *Feel free to add ideas and criticisms!*
	Military lawyers engaged in fierce legal action.
	Last edited by [R-MOD]Mongolian_dude; 2014-08-27 at 08:19.. Reason: Additional information

2014-08-21, 12:48	#2
Pronck Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,772 Netherlands Location: The Pub	Re: RHIB Light Infantry Tactics On both Saarema and Vadso the RHIBs equipped with either a .50 or a Mk. 19 are ideal weapons to ambush (low)-flying helicopters. Although you are often operating in a grey zone regarding the rules of the server you can often deny helicopters the shortest route towards the combat zone. Forcing helicopters to take another route. A semi-competent pilot will often use different routes, but the rookie pilots will fly into the trap time after time.
	*We are staying up!*

2014-08-25, 18:58	#3
ElshanF Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 353 United Kingdom Location: Scotland	Re: RHIB Light Infantry Tactics Would love to see new modelled RHIBs, the ones in PR are really old

2014-08-25, 23:21	#6
Rudd Retired PR Developer Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 21,157 United Kingdom Location: Brighton Blog Entries: 2	Re: RHIB Light Infantry Tactics On some maps the RHIB formation is fantastic, but it has to support a landing movement or it becomes impotent and sooner or later the enemy will get you as the RHIBs cannot take much punishment - particularly if facing an enemy with TOW/HAT capability (although at longer range you have a reasonable chance of evading these weapons) On the RHIB, the best way to survive is to approach your LZ from an angle which you fluctuate slightly as you approach - so that it appears from the shore that you are changing speed. Your crew needs to suppress the crap out of the land as you approach, just spray and pray if you cannot see targets; better to arrive with half your ammo gone than not to arrive at all, very organised teams will have a setup like how Mongol proposes to cover your landing.

2014-08-26, 10:49	#8
Mongolian_dude Retired Moderator Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 6,072 Europe Location: London upon Europe	Re: RHIB Light Infantry Tactics UPDATE: Added more tactics to OP based on replies
	Military lawyers engaged in fierce legal action.

2014-08-26, 00:55	#7
Portable.Cougar Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,185 United States of America Location: The Wild West, AZ	Often under used is their ability to be stable weapon platforms for the inf riding inside. A MG can be used in deployed mode allowing for great amounts of accurate fire. Also having a inf member using a 4x scope or binocular can provide you the intel you need to arrive alive to your landing zone. Or you can pull my favorite troll move and have an Manpad on the boat to block trans and cad traffic.