Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine and answer the following questions; "Which emerging technologies will fundamentally alter current US amphibious doctrine?" and "How will current amphibious doctrine need to subsequently evolve?" Encountering a coastal defensive system that utilizes currently available, and (reasonably predicted, yet not currently under development) improved rocket deployable munitions, will so greatly interdict standard Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) amphibious operations that doctrinal alterations will be required in order to ensure continued successful opposed beach landings. Amphibious doctrine must change to include the mandate of specific, timely, accurate intelligence regarding location of rocket launchers, and complete arial dominance. Doctrine will also require the addition of the next generation of improved Tactical Cruise Missiles (TCM)s. Considerations for this paper For the purposes of this paper, all measures will be listed in the format from which it is cited, it will then be converted to meters (or kilometers) or miles depending on discussions of ranges or speeds. For the purposes of this paper, types of munitions will be discussed in accordance with their capabilities, actual nomenclatures of current U.S. rounds or equipment will be listed only as examples of proof of theory only. Actual capabilities and limitations will vary based on country of origin and manufacturer. For the purposes of this paper, it will be assumed that amphibious forces (AF) are attempting to conduct the assault based on Major General Donald M. Weller's "worst case combat environment". The environment includes; 1. The objective area is defended by a first-class military power with modern weaponry. 2... ... middle of paper ... ...clude the absolute necessity of intelligence regarding the location of enemy rocket firing positions and ASPs/AHAs. Changes to doctrine should also include a requirement of gaining and maintaining complete air dominance on the part of AF. This is necessary in order to open airspace for the unopposed use of manned aircraft such as fighter-bombers, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and TCMs. Once airspace is freed of opposition, air assets will aid in location and destruction of launchers (or ASPs/AHAs in the case of current TCMs). The purchase of the next generation of TCMs is suggested, in order to utilize realtime satellite imagery in conjunction with TCM capabilities, for the purposes of locating launchers, and overcoming their inherent mobile capabilities. Employment of these changes should provide a means of circumventing mobile rocket coastal defense batteries. fig 1.
...D.INFO. (1993, June 1). US Army Manuals (Field/Training Manuals). Retrieved March 25, 2012, from http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-100-5-operations.shtml
The Marine Corps today has developed itself into an elite fighting force based on strong naval traditions. The basic Marine is amphibious, which means that the warrior is capable of fighting on land and sea. The idea of an amphibious landing was developed through the training of the Marine Raider Battalions, which was tested and perfected in combat. Although there were two Raider Commanders with very different views on how to prepare their marines, Evans Carlson and Merritt Edson were responsible for training lightly armed Marines for amphibious assaults.
In Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Iraqi forces fired 93 Scud missiles at coalition forces in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. (Rostker) Air Defense Artillery (ADA) played an immensely significant role in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm with units from 11th Brigade Air Defense Artillery and the 32d Air Defense Command rapidly deploying into theater. The effectiveness of the units and their roles in fighting this war proved that Air Defense Artillery was critical to the success of the campaign. Although Patriot Batteries placed strategically throughout Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel played a tremendous tactical role in these wars, High-Medium Air Defense (HIMAD) was not the only type of surface to air missile system in place to protect ground forces and valuable military assets. Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) units also deployed with the air defense units. These weapon systems, integrated with ground forces, provided air defense to dominate against aircraft and Tactical Ballistic Missiles (TBM) on the front lines.
The 1944 Allied landing at Normandy met a strong, networked German defense that initially disrupted the timing of the invasion, slowed down the Allied advance, and inflicted extensive casualties. The German shore defenses were a result of extensive preparations that began when the German High Command appointed Field Marshal Rommel to defend the western European coast. Rommel believed the best strategy against an Allied inv...
This book contains a powerful dramatization of current Marine Corps doctrine, but it also holds a hidden vision for many Generals. There are lessons in training methodology, leadership, and ethics as well. Because of this, it has made Card’s book, an often read title for many years; Ender’s Game has been a stalwart item on the Marine Corps Reading List since its inception. Then Captain John Schmitt, author of Warfighting (a foundational book on Marine maneuver warfare doctrine) used it to teach. Schmitt said, "Winning wars depends on the quality of the people you put into battle. Start with smart people, train them in imaginative and challenging ways, and ensure you force decisionmaking authority down to the person with a superior awareness of the tactical situation." Ender’s Game was published at the same time Marines started reading The Maneuver Warfare Handbook. We have since institutionalized maneuver warfare into the Marine Corps. The challenge to every generation of Marines is to continue to live up to what Maneuver Warfare philosophy demands of
In this paper, I will provide a Battle Analysis and outline the events leading up to and surrounding the Battle of 73 Eastings (refers to a north-south grid line). In addition, I will describe how the United States Army’s (USA) 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment (ACR) defeated forces from the Iraqi Republican Guard (IRG) using speed, technology and superior combat power. Although some consider the Battle of 73 Eastings extremely successful, some consider it a failure due to the large amount of Iraqi forces that retreated towards Bagdad. Lastly, I will analyze how each side used their intelligence assets and what they could have used to change the outcome.
(site) In many ways the Allied Navy’s execution Movement and Maneuver provides a model of join function inconsistency during Operation Husky. First, Task Force 88 a Joint amphibious task force designed to conduct amphibious operations to outflank the German defensive positions provides an excellent foreshadow of modern joint doctrine and proved useful to Patton’s drive to Messina. (site) Stands in contrast with perhaps the greatest joint failure of the campaign. True to the nature of Husky, the Navy refused to operate in the restricted waters of the Strait of Messina. This greatly aided the Axis retreat form
A majority of weapons used in World War II were improved weapons from World War II. Most guns increased in power and abilities. In World War II people thought that pistols were useless but this was proved wrong due to the fact that the U.S. Mi...
On November 10, 1775 the Second Continental Congress established what was to become one of America’s greatest traditions. This signing ignited the founding of the continental Marines; the two battalions with which it was to be made of was led by Captain Samuel Nicholas. On land, sea, and air; the Marine Corps has always been an unstoppable force. The only purpose the Marines had during the early existence of it was to mount ships. They were the one jumping from ship to ship like pirates, disabling enemy naval forces. However, Marines became specialized in amphibious assaults during both World War I and World W...
... of Staff, Joint Operations, Joint Publication 3-0 (Washington, DC: U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 11 August 2011),III-10
Warfare was in a state of transition. Older commanders and generals in the French and British militaries were very cavalry and infantry focused. These commanders believed that cavalry, infantry, and artillery would assure victory in any circumstance, against any foe. They clung to the static tactics of the bygone World War I era. World War I had been fought primarily on French soil, and the military as well as the government never wanted that to happen again, therefore they wanted to reinforce their main border against any future German. Little did they know that only twenty two years later they would be bested by German forces in a way that would shock the world. This research will be analyzing many important assumptions, oversights,...
During the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865, over 620,000 accounted soldiers were killed. Known as the "the first modern war", historians generally agree that the reason for this was because this was a time of transition for the military. Armies and Navies were still using tactics where they would gather large forces of firepower to bear on the enemy. At the same time, weapons were being developed which were accurate and lethal well beyond any arms of the earlier conflicts. As a result of these two conditions many more casualties were sustained. Add to that the lack of medical knowledge of disease and infection and the numbers truly began to grow. This paper is an overview of the types of weaponry that was used during this time.
These kinds of weapons were impractical for military use, but attracted many people to the arms race for weapons that could sweep the battlefield. “They had limitations in practice, among them slow re...
In today’s operational environments, the U.S. Army is facing a range of problems and mission sets that are arguably more complex than previously encountered. Forces face an array of demands that encompass geo-political, social, cultural, and military factors that interact in unpredictable ways. The inherent complexity of today’s operations has underscored the need for the Army to expand beyond its traditional approach to operational planning. In March 2010 in FM 5-0: The Operations
There are many agencies that have the ability to perform Signals Intelligence, electronic reconnaissance and most of all signals intelligence from all available sources inducive to the environment. The United States Army uses the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) as its main entity for signals collection. The Joint STARS platform was designed to provide a highly effective, real-time, collection tool to the ground task force commanders during battlefield engagements, but for the past ten years, the sensor has been used for peacekeeping missions. Army analysts can predict the enemy’s behavior by identifying choke points, potential avenues of approach and operating patterns such as supply routes and logistical points. The analysis gives the ground commander a more complete view of the enemy’s weaknesses. The United States Air Force employs the Joint STARS in a different mission than the Army. The Air Force uses Joint STARS as a battlefield management tool versus a collection tool as used for by the Army. The Air Force uses the platform to provide immediate and direct support to the Air Component Commander and continue to observe the enemy’s movement from a far distance in the sky. Providing essential data to commanders such as size, direction, and speed of the adversaries, with minimum casualties while under battlefield conditions, makes the Joint STARS an extremely effective tool. The Air Force also employs the Predator vehicles, which are unmanned aerial vehicles that are used for reconnaissance.