The US Army’s Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) will provide the “key” to future operations, the International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) conference has heard today.
Addressing delegates at the event in London, Lt.Gen. Michael Williamson, principal military deputy assistant secretary of the US Army and director for acquisition career management, said the army had learned a considerable amount over the past 13 years of sustained conflict. Describing adaptation of the army units to the demands of counter-insurgency (COIN) operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Williamson explained how armoured vehicles had proven “indispensable” to operations.
Specifically, he outlined the capability of army units to upgrade from HMMWVs to heavier armoured vehicles like the STRYKER and BRADLEY platforms as combat escalated in the battle for Sadr City in Baghdad, during 2008. Once completed, he said the units then had the versatility to downscale back to peacekeeping operations in lighter vehicles, like the HMMWV.
“It is harder to take lightly armoured and trained forces to try to equip it for a tougher conflict. That’s why we are so committed to our armoured formations in the US Army. Our armoured forces are the key to the future fight and next to our light and medium forces, BCTs equipped with Abrams and Bradley vehicles possess the protection, mobility and firepower required. All BCTs have versatility to scale down for irregular and other campaigns, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, peacekeeping and training missions with foreign militaries,” he explained.
On the back of recent operations, Williamson said the past 13 years of conflict was allowing the army to formulate plans for the optimal mixture of capabilities, training, equipment and doctrine in order to best provide a globally responsive and theatre specific force, he continued.
US Army procurement will centre around mobility, force protection and precision firepower, Williamson explained.
“Mobility is extremely powerful. Tracked vehicles allow us independence on roads while wheeled vehicles provide increased speed and mobility and gives commanders a lot of options on how to conduct the fight,” he said while describing how such tactical mobility was crucial to counter-ambush, route security, quick reaction and cordon search operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Force protection and survivability is key to allow us to survive attack from a wide range of weapons including rockets, guided missiles, mines and IEDs.”
Finally, he expressed the importance of precision power on board ABRAMS and BRADLEY vehicles with the former carrying seven different types of precision munitions allowing it to execute targets at ranges of 2mi and beyond. Looking ahead to modernisation moves being undertaken by the army, Williamson described how the fleet of M113s and MRAPs would be divested, although the service will retain 8,500 M-ATVs, MAXX PRO DASH and MAXX PRO Long Wheel Bases vehicles out of its 21,000 strong fleet of MRAPs.
The STRYKER fleet will continue to be reset and sustained while modernisation efforts will be undertaken for ABRAMS, BRADLEY, STRYKER, and PIM fleets in order to maximise lethality, mobility, survivability and enable network integration. Elsewhere, the AMPV programme will continue to be develop and fielded, concentrating on mobile protected firepower and light infantry combat vehicles, Williamson added. “The AMPV remains our highest priority in the armoured vehicle programme to fulfil critical needs in survivability and mobility,” he said.
Finally, S&T investments will target “future fighting vehicle technology initiatives” including vehicle power, data architecture, surveillance, automotive sub-system prototypes and lethality/target acquisition. “We will develop combat vehicle systems in concern with army operating concept direction and concepts and modify existing systems to meet near term capability gaps for lethality, mobility and survivability,” he urged.
Finally, Williamson stressed the importance of the ongoing JLTV programme, designed to fill the gap between HMMWV and MRAP fleets as well as efforts in the Ultra Lightweight Combat Vehicle and Lightweight Reconnaissance Vehicle to “surprise and strike [enemy forces] from unexpected directions.”
The former comprises a 4,500lb vehicle capable of carrying a nine-strong squad, which can be transported on board a UH-60 BLACK HAWK helicopter. The latter, comprising 12,000lbs and able to carry six personnel, must be transported inside a CH-64 or airdropped from C-130 HERCULES.
Looking to the future, Williamson concluded: “If we’re not building it today; if plans are not in place; and if industry is not engaged in design and development today, you’re not going to have it tomorrow. It is very important that you have intellectual engagement and wherewithal to start developing those systems today, whether you want [the vehicles] in 2024 or 2025.”
Addressing delegates at the event in London, Lt.Gen. Michael Williamson, principal military deputy assistant secretary of the US Army and director for acquisition career management, said the army had learned a considerable amount over the past 13 years of sustained conflict. Describing adaptation of the army units to the demands of counter-insurgency (COIN) operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Williamson explained how armoured vehicles had proven “indispensable” to operations.
Specifically, he outlined the capability of army units to upgrade from HMMWVs to heavier armoured vehicles like the STRYKER and BRADLEY platforms as combat escalated in the battle for Sadr City in Baghdad, during 2008. Once completed, he said the units then had the versatility to downscale back to peacekeeping operations in lighter vehicles, like the HMMWV.
“It is harder to take lightly armoured and trained forces to try to equip it for a tougher conflict. That’s why we are so committed to our armoured formations in the US Army. Our armoured forces are the key to the future fight and next to our light and medium forces, BCTs equipped with Abrams and Bradley vehicles possess the protection, mobility and firepower required. All BCTs have versatility to scale down for irregular and other campaigns, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, peacekeeping and training missions with foreign militaries,” he explained.
On the back of recent operations, Williamson said the past 13 years of conflict was allowing the army to formulate plans for the optimal mixture of capabilities, training, equipment and doctrine in order to best provide a globally responsive and theatre specific force, he continued.
US Army procurement will centre around mobility, force protection and precision firepower, Williamson explained.
“Mobility is extremely powerful. Tracked vehicles allow us independence on roads while wheeled vehicles provide increased speed and mobility and gives commanders a lot of options on how to conduct the fight,” he said while describing how such tactical mobility was crucial to counter-ambush, route security, quick reaction and cordon search operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Force protection and survivability is key to allow us to survive attack from a wide range of weapons including rockets, guided missiles, mines and IEDs.”
Finally, he expressed the importance of precision power on board ABRAMS and BRADLEY vehicles with the former carrying seven different types of precision munitions allowing it to execute targets at ranges of 2mi and beyond. Looking ahead to modernisation moves being undertaken by the army, Williamson described how the fleet of M113s and MRAPs would be divested, although the service will retain 8,500 M-ATVs, MAXX PRO DASH and MAXX PRO Long Wheel Bases vehicles out of its 21,000 strong fleet of MRAPs.
The STRYKER fleet will continue to be reset and sustained while modernisation efforts will be undertaken for ABRAMS, BRADLEY, STRYKER, and PIM fleets in order to maximise lethality, mobility, survivability and enable network integration. Elsewhere, the AMPV programme will continue to be develop and fielded, concentrating on mobile protected firepower and light infantry combat vehicles, Williamson added. “The AMPV remains our highest priority in the armoured vehicle programme to fulfil critical needs in survivability and mobility,” he said.
Finally, S&T investments will target “future fighting vehicle technology initiatives” including vehicle power, data architecture, surveillance, automotive sub-system prototypes and lethality/target acquisition. “We will develop combat vehicle systems in concern with army operating concept direction and concepts and modify existing systems to meet near term capability gaps for lethality, mobility and survivability,” he urged.
Finally, Williamson stressed the importance of the ongoing JLTV programme, designed to fill the gap between HMMWV and MRAP fleets as well as efforts in the Ultra Lightweight Combat Vehicle and Lightweight Reconnaissance Vehicle to “surprise and strike [enemy forces] from unexpected directions.”
The former comprises a 4,500lb vehicle capable of carrying a nine-strong squad, which can be transported on board a UH-60 BLACK HAWK helicopter. The latter, comprising 12,000lbs and able to carry six personnel, must be transported inside a CH-64 or airdropped from C-130 HERCULES.
Looking to the future, Williamson concluded: “If we’re not building it today; if plans are not in place; and if industry is not engaged in design and development today, you’re not going to have it tomorrow. It is very important that you have intellectual engagement and wherewithal to start developing those systems today, whether you want [the vehicles] in 2024 or 2025.”
Andrew White
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