A new article in Infantry magazine penned by Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe and Col. Ryan Morgan make the case for the Army's often maligned Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) as well as for the continued relevancy of maneuver warfare in 21st Century combat.
The ISV has been panned in the press and by critics for its lack of armor plating, but the vehicle is designed to carry an agile light infantry force into a future battlefield, not slowly hobble up Main Supply Routes (MSRs) leading into Baghdad while begging for an IED strike. That factoid at times seems lost on those locked into a case of path dependency after fighting twenty years of frustrating counter-insurgency campaigns in the Middle East.
Donahoe and Morgan do not mince their words in Infantry magazine, the ISV and the accompanying strategy and doctrine around it are designed for a direct confrontation with Chinese and Russian forces on a future battlefield. "The ground maneuver team, as the leading edge of the joint force, is and will continue to be the defeat mechanism for enemy ground forces into the foreseeable future," they write.
The key point they make is that modern infantry forces must be fast, agile, able to keep up with armor elements, and prepared to traverse long distances over uneven terrain.
The idea is to offer division commanders the option of executing a "turning movement" which could be considered the strategic equivalent to battle drill 1A: Squad Attack in which an eight-man infantry squad flanks around and attacks the enemy from the side.
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The article offers the example of MacAuthor's famous Inchon landing operation during the Korea War, in which American forces inserted behind enemy lines and attacked from an unexpected avenue of approach. Such strategies inject uncertainty and confusion into the enemy's decision-making process.
The authors make the case for this strategy in future conflicts and point out that while robotics, advanced sensors, and other technologies have been introduced into the battlefield that the last mile of combat will not chance, and will depend on riflemen closing with, and destroying the enemy.
"There is still a desire, even coming out of a conflict where we have been challenged in the sand and complex terrain, to look for a method of warfare that is antiseptic," the authors write. "This being reminiscent of the days of the Revolution in Military Affairs and the false promises of knowing all and being able to vanquish foes by precision-guided munitions against easily spotted and classified enemies."
"Only by seizing terrain and controlling populations can we achieve sustainable outcomes consistent with our national interests," they conclude.
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Reach Jack Murphy: jack@connectingvets.com or @JackMurphyRGR.