The main feature, and until lately sounds like something from cover story, of this issue science fiction. Used invarious primitiveways of ARMOR celebrates the in the past, robots are time-saving and effort- 150th anniversary of the saving devices that heavy industry has already oldest continuously serv- adopted. Many of them may have life-saving ing regiment of the United implicationsfor our soldiers on the next battle- States Army: the 2d field. I commend the feature to you both for Armored Cavalry Regi- thought and as a view of the future. ment. Major Christopher The need for mobility on the battlefield Thompson and Sergeant First Class Kenneth brought about the need for the tank in great E. Morrison provide a detailed and enjoyable part. Retaining that mobility in the face of history of "The Second Dragoons." obstacles is a requirement for success on the Most of us realize that "blitzkrieg" came to battlefield. First Lieutenant Randall Grant's the forefront in the early days of World War II, feature, "Minerollers: Mobility for the Armor but few of us have studied the training and Task Force," provides us with useful historical testing ground for that conflict: the Spanish and technical views of this way that armor Civil War. In "The Role of Italian Armor in the forces use to maintain mobility. Spanish Civil War," we are able to view the In several issues of ARMOR over the past first "modern" use of tanks. This story, writ- year, you have read briefly about the Excel- ten by Pierangelo Caiti and Alberto Pirella. lence-in-Armor Program and the Tank Com- shows us mechanized warfare in transition mander's Certification Test. These two pro- from the purely infantry support role of WWI to grams will have a major impact on training, the mobile "lightning" battles of WWII. The promotions, and selection for key leadership feature was translated for ARMOR by Captain positions in armor units. In "Pursuit of Excel- Edward De Lia. lence in Armor," the Office of the Chief of Smoke operations change the battlefield. Armor has capsulized this program to describe Anyone who has fought at the NTC or Hohen- how it works. fels FRG knows that. In "Countering Soviet Another feature I recommend to you is Smoke," Captain Mark Reardon provides "Taking Charge," by Captain Ro Tyson. This useful information on howthe potential threat story, part of the how-would-you-do-it series, uses smoke andwhat we can do to counter it. I puts a young officer in the position of assum- commend the article to you; it is "on target." ing leadership of his first platoon under com- Since the first tanks appeared on the battle- bat conditions. The feature is well-written, fields of WWI, a constant debate has raged challenging, and to the point. over whether the tank should be heavily ar- As I mentioned at the beginning of this mored and gun armed or lightly armored and column, May marks the 150th anniversary of perhaps armed with missiles. Craig Koerner the oldest continuously serving regiment of and Michael O'Connor believe that "The our our Army. I and the staff of ARMOR Heavily-Armored, Gun-Armed Main Battle congratulate the 2d ACR for their long and Tank Is Not Optimized For Mechanized War- distinguished service. fare." They offer some interesting strategic Their history stretches and tactical arguments for a lower silhouette, from the fighting in the lighter weight, greater acceleration, and su- swamps of the Seminole personic missiles in the tank of the future. Wars to today when they This issue of ARMOR also contains a story stand as one of the first on a technology that is rapidly coming to the units to meet any poten- foreground in a military sense. "Military Ap- tial Warsaw Pact aggres- plications of Robotics" by Captains Ricky sor in Europe. Happy Birth- Lynch and Michael Nugent describes what day Dragoons! - GPR ~~ Magazine Staff FEATURES Editor-in-Chief MAJOR G. PATRICK RllTER 9 The Heavily Armored Gun-Armed MBT Managing Editor Is Not Optimized for Mechanized Warfare JON T. CLEMENS by Craig Koerner and Michael O'Connor Assistant Editor ROBERT E. ROGGE 17 Pursuit of Excellence in Armor Production Assistant VIVIAN THOMPSON 20 How Would You Do It?Taking Charge Contributing Artist by Leadership Branch, C&S Dept., USAARMS SFC ROBERT TORSRUD 22 The Second Dragoons Mark Their 150th Anniversary of Continuous Service United States Army Armor School by Major Christopher P. Thompson and Sergeant First Commandant Class Kenneth Morrison MG FREDERIC J. BROWN E. Assistant Commandant 30 Minerollers: Mobility for the Armor Task Force BG PAUL E. FUNK by First Lieutenant (P)Randall L. Grant Deputy Assistant commandant COL CLAUDE L. CLARK 36 Countering Soviet Smoke Chief of Staff by Captain Mark J. Reardon COL RALPH R. WOLFE The Role of Italian Armor in the Spanish Civil-War Command Sergeant Major 40 CSM JOHN M. STEPHENS Translated by Captain Edward De Lia Maintenance (Reprinted from Rivista ltaliana Difesa) COL G. L. THOMAS 45 Military Applications of Robotics Command and Staff COL ROBERT D. HURLEY The USAARMS Approach by Captain Ricky Lynch and Captain Michael F. Nugent Weapons COL DAVID V. HARBACH 53 Armor's Heritage: The Father of the Armored Force ~ Training Group LTC JAMES L. KLUENDER DEPARTM E NTS NCO Academy/ Drill Sergeant School CSM JAMES M. GREENWELL 2 Letters 51 Regimental Review 5 Commander's Hatch 51 The Bustle Rack/ Evaluation and Standardization MR. CLAYTON E. SHANNON 8 Driver's Seat Armor Branch Notes 49 ProfessionalThoughts 52 Books Training and Doctrine 50 Driver's Seat COL CLAUDE W. ABATE ~ Combat Developments ARMOR magazine (ISSN 0004-2420) is CORRESPONDENCE: Address all COL ROBERT W. DeMONT published bi-monthly by the U.S. Army Armor correspondence to U.S. Army Armor Center, Center, 4401 Vine Grove Road, Fort Knox. ATTN: ATSB-MAG, Fort Knox. Kentucky, 401 21. Units Kentucky 40121. Unless otherwise stated, (Telephone: AUTOVON 464-2249/2610 or material does not represent policy, thinking, or commercial (502)624-2249/2610.) 2d Armor Training Brigade endorsement by any agency of the US. Army. SECOND class postage paid at Fort Knox, COL DOMINIC W. RUGGERIO Use of appropriated funds for printing of this Kentucky and additional mailing office. 1 st Armor Training Brigade publication was approved by the Department of COL ROBERT B. FRANKLIN, JR. the Army 6 January 1984. ARMOR is not a copyrighted publication but 4th Training Brigade may contain some articles which have been COL JOHN N. SLOAN copyrighted by individual authors. Material SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Individual which is not under copyright may be reprinted if subscriptions to ARMOR are available through 194th Armored Brigade credit is given to ARMOR and the author. the US. Armor Association, Post Office Box COL SAMUEL D. WILDER, JR. Permission to reprint copyrighted materi- 607, Fort Knox. Kentucky 401 21. Telephone al must be obtained from the author. (502)942-8624. Directorate of Domestic: $16.00 one year; $27.75 two years; ARMOR may be forwarded to military personnel $39.50 three years. Foreign: $23.50 one year; Reserve Component Support whose change of address is caused by official $36.75 two years. Single copies, $2.50. orders (except at APO addresses) without Director payment of additional postage. The subscriber COL JAMES E. DlERlCKX must notify the postmaster. May-June 1986 Vol XCV No. 3 USPS 467-970 Merkava Debate Merkava. if it is used strictly as a tank. would contribute nothing to its primary Dear Sir, Perhaps for their needs it is adequate in role of engaging the enemy with its main I read with extreme interest the article the role of a tank. However, for the rest of armament, except for increasing the num- by Richard Ogorkiewicz, "Israel's Mer- us who must be prepared to fight in a ber of potential casualties. kava Mark 2 Battle Tank," in the Novem- greater range of contingencies under the A tank-cum-infantry carrier hybrid is ber-December issue of ARMOR. This de- doctrineof combined arms, the Merkava is not, therefore, the way to implement the sign is clearly the most innovative in the first truly integrated combined arms doctrine of combined arms. What that recent armoredfightingvehicle(AFV) his- fighting vehicle. Who knows, maybe we requires is a close combination of opti- tory. can persuade the powers-that-be to mized battle tanks with separate, properly I was fascinated not only by the incor- stretch an M1A1 a coupleof feet in length, designed armored infantry carriers. poration of the various features but also several inches in height, move the drive by the realization that the Israelis had train to the front, add some armored bulk- RICHARD M. OGORKIEWICZ adopted a radically new concept in their heads, modify the rear to accommodate London, England approach to designing this new AFV. The troops, and add a 60-mm mortar. As a international trend since Wll in tank tanker who believes in the necessity of design has been simple - more fire- combined arms, I want onel I want the "Unacceptable Cover" power, more speed, and more protection. infantry with me all the time, I want my Each new tank has basically been an own indirect fire support all the time, I Dear Sir, improvement on its predecessors. Even want my own airdefenseall thetime, and I I find the cover of your January-Febru- our M1, quantum leap that it is, still fits want all of my team together for training ary 1986 issue fundamentally and per- this characterization. The Merkava is also -all the time1 sonally offensive. a quantum leap forward but on a new The United States Army stands for path.