Fieldcraft comprises the techniques and methods involved in living, traveling, or making military or scientific observations in the field.[1] The term "fieldcraft" is used in a broad range of industries including military, oil and gas, wildlife and food and agriculture.[2][3]
In the anti-terrorism field, field craft is "the art of evading monitoring by police and the security services." Terror groups such as the one tracked by Operation Guava were caught "despite their own well developed field craft."[4]
The term has been used since at least World War II. For example, Diana Rowden, a war hero, was described at the time as "very good in field craft and excellent with guns”.[5]
Field skills include camouflage, land and water navigation, understanding the difference between concealment from view and cover from small arms fire, using the terrain and its features to mask ground movement, obstacle crossing, selecting good firing positions, lying-up positions, camping positions, effective observation, camouflage penetration, countersurveillance, detecting enemy-fire directionality and range, survival, evasion, and escape techniques. [6]
Good fieldcraft is especially important for the effectiveness and survival of infantry soldiers, snipers, special forces, reconnaissance and sabotage teams. Efficient fieldcraft is only possible by spending time, effort, and attention to memorizing battlefield details, infiltration and escape routes, construction and employment of hiding positions, enemy force doctrines and equipment.
- ^ "Definition of fieldcraft in English". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
- ^ Andy Richardson (28 August 2017). "Ray Mears: The world is full of too much conflict". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
"It's a big job to research these shows. But the most important thing is the field craft on the ground."
- ^ "Johnny Kingdom's funeral held in Devon". BBC. 23 September 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
His field-craft skills were really second to none... When it got to sitting there waiting for that wildlife
- ^ Townsend, Mark; Iqbal, Nosheen (30 November 2019). "'We don't understand how Usman Khan ended up like this'". The Observer.
- ^ Singh, Anita (29 April 2017). "The awful fate of betrayed volunteer who operated behind enemy lines in France". The Telegraph.
- ^ "How to Start a Fire Quickly? Fire Starting for Survival". April 2021.