APP-6A is the NATO standard for military map marking symbols. The original version, APP-6 is from 1986, and APP-6A was adopted in 2001. The NATO standardization agreement that describes APP-6A is STANAG 2019 (currently edition 4), and in the United States, it is known as MIL-STD-2525B. The graphics are not all inclusive, and other standards may apply. This standard is derived from US Military Standard (MIL-STD) -2525A, Common Warfighting Symbology
The APP-6A standard provides common operational symbology along with details on their display and plotting to ensure the compatibility, and to the greatest extent possible, the interoperability of NATO Land Component Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence (C4I) systems, development, operations, and training. This APP-6A publication addresses the efficient transmission of symbology information through the use of a standard methodology for symbol hierarchy, information taxonomy, and symbol identifiers.
These symbols are designed to enhance NATO’s joint interoperability by providing a standard set of common symbols. APP-6A constitutes a single system of joint military symbology for land based formations and units, which can be displayed for either automated map display systems or for manual map marking. It covers all of the joint services and can be used by them.
Tactical graphics
As well as symbols APP-6A provides tactical graphics to represent operational information that cannot be presented via icon based symbols alone. These graphics portray unit boundaries, special area designations, and other unique markings related to battlespace geometry and necessary for battlefield planning and management.
Icon-based symbols
An icon based symbol is composed of a frame (geometric border), fill, and may have an additional icon(s)and optional symbol modifiers. These are explained further below.
Symbol modifiers
A modifier is an optional text field or graphic indicator that provides additional information about the associated symbol or tactical graphic.
Symbol frames and fill
The frame is the geometric border of a symbol which, when displayed, provides an indication of the affiliation, battle dimension, and status of an operational object. The frame is the border of the symbol and does not include associated material inside or outside of the border. The frame serves as the base to which other symbol components and modifiers are added. Though sometimes optional, in most cases a frame surrounds an icon.
The fill is the interior area within a symbol. If the fill is assigned a color, it provides an enhanced presentation of information about the affiliation of the object. If colour is not used, the fill is transparent.
Affiliation
Affiliation refers to your relationship to the operational object being represented. The basic affiliation categories are unknown, friend, neutral, and hostile. A quatrefoil frame is used to denote unknown affiliation, a circle or rectangle frame to denote friend affiliation, a square frame to denote neutral affiliation, and a diamond frame to denote hostile affiliation.
| Unknown | Friend | Neutral | Hostile |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
Icons
The icon is the innermost part of a symbol which, when displayed, provides an abstract pictorial or alphanumeric representation of an operational object. The icon portrays the role or mission performed by the object. APP-6A distinguishes between icons that must be framed or unframed and icons where framing is optional.
In the examples which follow, the icon is typically used to show the type of the unit, but icons exist to represent equipment, roles of people, installations and indeed weather.
| Unit symbol | Unit type |
|---|---|
 |
Air defence |
 |
Anti-tank |
 |
Armour |
 |
Artillery |
 |
Aviation (rotary wing) |
 |
Aviation (fixed wing) |
 |
Engineer |
 |
Infantry (after the two bandoliers of Napoleon's infantry) (or maybe after the much earlier st. andrews' cross or borgonian cross of the Spanish Infantry "Tercios") |
 |
Maintenance |
 |
Medical |
 |
Reconnaissance (or cavalry; inspired by the cavalry's sabre strap) |
 |
Signals |
These unit type symbols can be combined, for example to represent armoured infantry units. There are also symbols that can be used to modify other unit symbols (they cannot appear by themselves):
| Modifier symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
 |
Air assault |
 |
Airborne |
 |
Amphibious |
 |
Motorised |
 |
Mountain |
 |
Supply |
Unit sizes
Above the unit symbol, a symbol representing the size of the unit can be displayed. Here are the different possibilities:
| Size symbol | Unit size |
|---|---|
| ø | Team, Fireteam (US) |
| • | Squad, Section (Commonwealth) |
| •• | Section (US) |
| ••• | Platoon, Troop (Commonwealth), Flight |
| I | Company, Battery, Squadron (Commonwealth), Troop (US) |
| II | Battalion, Regiment (Commonwealth), Squadron (US) |
| III | Regiment (non-Commonwealth) |
| X | Brigade |
| XX | Division |
| XXX | Corps |
| XXXX | Army |
| XXXXX | Army group |
| XXXXXX | Region |
Other information
On the lower left of the unit symbol, the name of the unit can be displayed; on the lower right, the name of the unit it is part of can be displayed (if applicable). So, for example, the symbol for the A company of the (friendly) 42nd armoured infantry battalion would look like this:
A hostile motorised anti-tank division (something that probably would not occur in real life, but presented here as an example) would look like this:
References
- UK Interim APP-6a Manual (zipped PDF file) *** Note this document is out of date and has been replaced with Issue 1.2: dated Dec 03 ***