MCRP 12-10B.1, page 327

Appendix H MOUT Under Limited-Visibility Conditions To be successful, leaders must use limited-visibility conditions to their advantage. 1. Advantages. When fighting in built-up areas during night or periods of limited visibility, attacking or defending forces have several advantages. a. In many cases, Marines may have a technological advantage in thermal imagery and light intensification over their opponents. This enables Marines to identify, engage, and destroy enemy targets before being detected by the enemy. b. Possessing the capability to conduct operations as well at night or during periods of reduced visibility as during daylight gives Marines a tremendous advantage over an enemy with reduced capability. It also aids the generation of tempo and allows Marines to gain or retain the initiative. c. Generally, ranges of direct-fire engagements are greatly reduced in the MOUT environment. During periods of limited visibility, effective unaided target acquisition ranges are further reduced. This enables attacking forces to close to shorter ranges, thus increasing the lethality and accuracy of weapons. Attacking forces can also take advantage of the enemy’s reduced ability to see and can more effectively engage the enemy before being detected with thermal imagery or light intensification devices. d. Helicopterborne assaults are best conducted during periods of limited visibility because the enemy’s air defenses are degraded. e. Attacking during periods of limited visibility gives the attacker a greater chance of achieving surprise. 2. Disadvantages. When fighting in built-up areas during periods of limited visibility, attacking and defending forces also face some disadvantages. a. Command and control is difficult in any operation in a built-up area; periods of limited visibility increase this difficulty. b. Marines have an instinctive tendency to move close together during periods of limited visibility. Constant attention must be given to prevent Marines from “bunching up.” c. Marines may become disoriented easily because of the combined effects of low visibility and the characteristics of built-up areas.