IN - - - - - -.. _.- ~ Training Developments- COL DUDLEY M. ANDRES Armor Aviation COL GARY P. BERGERON Combat Developments COL ROBERT W. DeMONT UNITS The Lightning Brigade COL NEAL T. JACO 1ST AIT/OSUT Brigade (Armor) COL ROBERT L. PHILLlnEr3 'To disseminate knowledge of the military arts and sciences, 4th Training Brig: 3de with special attention to mobility in ground warfare, to promote RT professional improvement of the Armor Community, and to COL DONALD L. SMA preserve and foster the spirit, the traditions, and the solidarity of 194th Armored Brigade Armor in the Army of the United States." COL FRED W. GREENE, 111 - ...._.-.. ...- published bi-monthly by the U.S. Army DY iviajor Jonn n. neymans, Lanaaian rorces, ana Armor Center, 4401 Vine Grove Road, Fort Knox, Kentucky 40121. Unless Mr. Michael Green otherwise stated, material does not represent policy, thinking, or endorse- ment by any agency of the US. Army. Use of appropriated funds for printing of this publication was approved by the 31 Armor Conference '83-Looking Ahead Department of the Army, 22 July 1981. ARMOR is not a copyrighted publication but may contain some articles which have been copyrighted by individual authors. Material which is not under 40 Economy of Force-The Cavalry Connection copyright may be reprinted if credit is given to ARMOR and the author. by Major Thomas A. Dials Permission to reprint copyrighted material must be obtained from the author. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Individual sub- scriptions to ARMOR are available through the U.S. Armor Association. Post Office Box 607. Fort Knox, Kentucky 40121. Telephone (502) 942-8624. Domes- tic: $12.00 one year, $21.00 two years, $30.00 three years. Foreign: $18.00 one DEPARTMENTS year, $30.00 two years. Single copies, $2.00. 2 Letters 47 Professional Thoughts CORRESPONDENCE Address all cor- respondence to U.S. Army Armor Center, 5 Commander's Hatch 50 Recognition Quiz Answers ATTN: ATZK-MAG. Fort Knox, Kentucky, 40121. (Telephone: AUTOVON 464- 7 Driver's Seat 51 OPMSEPMS 2249/2610 or commercial (502) 8 Master Gunner's Corner 52 Books 624-224912610.) 9 Recognition Quiz 53 Steel on Target SECOND class postage paid at Fort Knox, Kentucky and additional mailing office. ARMOR may be forwarded to military personnel whose change of address is caused by official orders (except at APO COVER addresses) without payment of additional postage. The subscriber must notify the post master. Since 1970, in a little known example of allied training cooperation, USPS 467-970 Canada has hosted German and British armor units in maneuver and July-AuguSt 1983 VOI XCII, NO. 4 gunnery training exercises at Canadian Forces Bases Shilo and Suffield. uear air. Captain Houle cites the many close air tanks are not supposea IO operare inatvia- The 1983 Armor Conference was a good support assets available to ground forces ually. A logical solution is to park turret- one because it was a working conference in the recent Southeast Asia conflict. It is down, dismount, and observe. Sound, but on the present and future-not just a doubtful that Captain Houle is old enough not exactly my idea of a gunnery training rehash of past glories. to have served in that war, but I did three program, which is what we are supposed I have a suggestion that you may wish to tours. For that reason I think it behooves a to be doing in the first place. pursue. We talked about the future armor member of the ground force community to To further point out the fallacy of Major force as the Close Combat Force Heavy point out the reality of close air support to Blackburn’s concept, I draw attention to (CCFH); the heavy brigade the heavy the Captain. During this conflict Marine his claim that current main gun targets are force. I think heavy is the worst possible Air assets, trained and dedicated to close so far away that only luck, not skill, is adjective. Heavy connotes fat and expen- support of Army and Marine ground for- involved in hitting them. Yet the table in sive. Our naming armor forces heavy is ces, were placed under the command of figure 1 shows that all HEAT-TP-T like naming a boy Sue and not expecting the Air Force, subsequently being used for engagements are at 800-1.100 m. and him to have trouble. missions other than their primary one. I TPDS-T are no more than 2.000 m, with Our ARMOR Magazine is dedicated to don’t want to start a controversy or a feud most being even below 1,600 m. If an mounted combat-mounted forces in M7, with the Air Force, but the fact remains M60A7 crew cannot hit at those ranges M2,M3, attack helicopters, etc. The oppo- that Air Force close air support leaves with anything other than luck. then there is site of heavy is light. The opposite of much to be desired. something terribly wrong with someone’s mounted is dismounted. Enemy machines Captain Houle doesn’t have to sell us. gunnery program, and the commander have become the principle target of we are already believers: what he should had better look at getting back to basics mounted forces because their machines be doing is educating his Air Force col- like Tables I thru VI, and not worry about give them power and strength which must leagues and the Air Force generals on the challenging his crews. be destroyed or neutralized. value of good and timely close air support. Don’t get me wrong, now. Table Vlll is I remember my days in the Combat Over the years, if the Air Force had really not perfect. More realistic targets are fine. Developments Armor agency discussing been serious about close air support the The idea of moving targets towards the heavy and light combat. It was a hopeless attack helicopter might not have been firer is a great idea (not untried, in fact), pit. Yet, we are designated heavy forces. developed. but let’s not get so wrapped up in tactics I feel that with all the resources of the that we forget what we are trying to train Armor Association and the Armor Center MARTIN L. STEITZ for. Table IX is for tactics. Table Vlll is for and School we can come up with a better P.O. Box 612 gunnery. descriptive title of what we go to Congress Sneads Ferry, NC We can train tactics anytime. Gunnery for funds with than heavy. on the other hand is expensive, both in I watch other arms and services in my manpower and resources. Let’s set our DOD job pick their forces and equipment Disagrees With Changes priorities and learn to put steel on target, names and titles very carefully. There are to Table Vlll then worry about tactics. After all, a pla- a lot of attack things-no other heavy but toon of tanks maneuvering is just like a ours. Dear Sir: platoon of M88s, except that the M88’s Thanks again for a great Armor Confer- I most strongly disagree with Major make less noise when firing their weapons. ence and hope I have provided some food Blackburn’s argument for changing Table But our taxpayers (myself included) have for thought. VIII. He has missed the trees for the forest. paid a heck of a lot for some pretty nifty Table Vlll is a part of an overall gunnery fire control equipment in order to differen- DALE K. BRUDVIG program. Each table, I thru IX, is a pro- tiate an MBT from a 50-ton ram. In my Colonel, Armor gressive step, a building block, to be mas- opinion, we should learn to use that Office of the tered before going on to the next step. No equipment. Undersecretary of Defense one ever claimed that Table Vlll judged Washington, DC “Battlefield Proficiency.” Table Vlll is a CHESTER A. KOJRO standardized measure of a tank crew’s Captain, Armor ability to shoot quickly and accurately. Ft. Knox, KY Close Air Support Having met the standard, a crew is then ready for the next challenge: Table IX, Pla- Dear Sir: toon Battle Run. Add-on Armor Comments “Fight Early: an A-70 Pilot‘s Perspec- What Major Blackburn’s article proposes tive,” by Captain Edward H. Houle, USAF is basically an individual tank crew’s Table Dear Sir: was an excellent article. I agree with his lX. Each crew would go out, seek out pos- In reference to the recent article on concepts, however, ground forces would sible targets, identify them as friend or foe, Israeli add-on armor (See “The Puzzle of have been served better had this article engage accordingly, occupy defensive Israeli Add-on Armor” January-February been published in Air Force Magazine. and offensive firing positions, etc. A very 1983 ARMOR Magazine, Ed.), some inter- Ground force commanders have always ambitious program indeed, especially if esting theories were certainly presented. recognized the value of close air support, the crew might or might not be able to hit However, it would seem to me that the and have been willing to use it. Doubts the broad side of a barn while inside it. simplest solution-ordinary steel “boxes”- over the value of air power by ground for- I also question the scoring and realism is the most obvious, particularly when ces have centered around the ability of of such a senario. If a tank commander close examination of one of the Centur- strategic bombing and or interdiction uses terrain properly and can’t be engaged ions pictured reveals a definitely hollow 2 ARMOR july-august 1983 fixed, rigid A-frame affixed to the front of that promotion boards be utilized as reen- model of the M1970 orT-70 before 1967.