PPT Slide
Fires. TRADOC found that the medium force in thin armored bodies rolling on rubber tires was extremely vulnerable to enemy artillery. To survive, the medium force will rely heavily on joint close air support and artillery support (“bombardment”) before risking physical occupation of enemy held terrain. Force cannot fire & maneuver, only bombard and hope to occupy.
Sustainment. TRADOC found that the medium force used a tremendous amount of firepower particularly counter-battery fire to keep enemy fires away from its vulnerable vehicles. Such pre-emptive bombardment will kill friendly civilians and not be politically acceptable. This led to additional sustainment problems, which TRADOC is still addressing. The current concept of three-days worth of supply is the self-professed weak leg of the concept and makes the medium force highly dependent on joint assets.
Key findings. IBCT cannot go head-to-head with any enemy force that contains armor. It will need to rely on an aggressive reconnaissance and surveillance capability, constant movement, and a willingness to bypass hardened or armored enemy forces to avoid its own destruction. This will place significant burden on follow-on heavy forces in terms of mop-up operations.