Parallel terminology for urban combat. The operational vocabulary is almost entirely English (MOUT, stack, breach, slicing the pie) even in non-NATO formations; national equivalents exist in manuals but are not spoken on net or in platoon briefings.
Urban combat
| EN | IT | PT-BR | FR |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOUT (military ops urban terrain) | Operazioni militari in ambito urbano (MOUT) | Operações militares em terreno urbano (MOUT) | Combat en zone urbaine (MOUT) |
| FIBUA (fighting in built-up areas) | Combattimento in aree edificate (FIBUA) | Combate em áreas edificadas (FIBUA) | Combat en zone bâtie (FIBUA) |
| Stack | Stack / colonna d'ingresso | Stack / coluna de entrada | Colonne d'assaut / stack |
| Breach | Apertura / breccia | Brecha / arrombamento | Brèche / effraction |
| Hard entry | Ingresso forzato | Entrada forçada | Entrée dure / par effraction |
| Soft entry | Ingresso discreto | Entrada discreta | Entrée douce |
| Ladder entry | Ingresso a scala | Entrada por escada | Entrée par échelle |
| Clear (a room) | Bonificare (un locale) | Limpar (um cômodo) | Nettoyer (une pièce) |
| Hold | Tenere / consolidare | Manter / consolidar | Tenir / consolider |
| Threshold | Soglia (di porta) | Soleira / umbral | Seuil de porte |
| Fatal funnel | Imbuto fatale (porta) | Funil fatal | Entonnoir fatal |
| Slicing the pie | Affettare la torta / pie | Fatiar a pizza | Découper le gâteau |
| Four-corner / four corners | Quattro angoli (locale) | Quatro cantos | Quatre coins |
| T-intersection | Incrocio a T | Cruzamento em T | Carrefour en T |
| Room dynamics / point of dominance | Dinamiche del locale / punti di dominio | Dinâmica de cômodo / pontos de dominância | Dynamique de pièce / points de domination |
| Deconfliction | Deconflittualizzazione / deconfliction | Desconflito | Déconfliction |
| Friendly point / blue position | Posizione amica | Posição amiga | Position amie |
| Hostile presence | Presenza ostile | Presença hostil | Présence hostile |
| Hostile structure | Struttura ostile | Estrutura hostil | Structure hostile |
| Hardened structure | Struttura indurita / fortificata | Estrutura endurecida | Structure durcie |
| Sandbag emplacement | Postazione con sacchi di sabbia | Posição com sacos de areia | Emplacement à sacs de sable |
| High-angle threat | Minaccia ad alto angolo | Ameaça em alto ângulo | Menace en plongée |
| Defilade (urban) | Defilamento (urbano) | Defilada urbana | Défilement (urbain) |
| Rooftop overwatch | Sorveglianza dai tetti | Sobrevigia em telhado | Surveillance depuis les toits |
| Loophole | Feritoia improvvisata | Seteira improvisada | Meurtrière improvisée |
| Mouse-holing | Apertura di passaggio fra muri (mouse-hole) | Mouse-hole / passagem entre paredes | Mouse-holing / passage inter-murs |
| Cordon | Cordone / cintura | Cordão de isolamento | Bouclage / cordon |
| Strongpoint | Punto forte | Ponto-forte | Point d'appui |
| Block / sector | Isolato / settore | Quadra / setor | Pâté / secteur |
| Rubble / debris field | Macerie / campo di detriti | Escombros / campo de detritos | Décombres / champ de gravats |
| Subterranean / sub-T | Sotterraneo / sub-T | Subterrâneo / sub-T | Souterrain / sub-T |
| Civilian on objective (COB) | Civili sull'obiettivo (COB) | Civis no objetivo (COB) | Civils sur l'objectif (COB) |
| No-shoot / non-combatant | Non-bersaglio / non combattente | Não-alvo / não-combatente | Non-cible / non-combattant |
Usage notes
- MOUT is the US term; FIBUA is the British and Commonwealth term; NATO manuals use both but MOUT prevails in practice
- 'Clear' only indicates that the room has been cleared at that moment; it does not imply permanent control, which is 'hold'
- The 'fatal funnel' is the doorway threshold and the area immediately behind it; the zone of maximum vulnerability is crossed quickly and in a defined sequence
- 'Slicing the pie' describes the arc-step movement around a corner to progressively expose sectors of a room before entering
- 'High-angle threat' in urban context is not just mortar threat but also a sniper on a higher floor; the tactical reaction is different