Armor: February 9, 2001

Archives

: The US Army's Armor Branch has laid out a strategy to reach the future: 

1. Upgrade the Bradley to the M2A3 and the Abrams to the SEP variant in the III Corps.

2. Fully digitize the III Corps (1st Cavalry Division, 3rd Mechanized Division, 4th Mechanized Division, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment).

3. Develop a 120mm tank round that can destroy targets at 12km instead of today's 4km.

4. Rebuild tanks as M1A1D and Bradley M2A2s as the Operation Desert Storm variant for use by the Containment Force (everything in the Active Army except the III Corps) and the Reinforcing Forces of the reserve component.

5. Fill the Prepositioned Stocks with equipment for the early entry forces.

6. Ensure readiness by investing in equipment for institutional training, home station training, and combat training center training.

7. Buy Grizzly obstacle reduction vehicles and Wolverine bridge launchers for the III Corps.

8. Buy Crusader artillery systems to provide long-range indirect fire. 

9. Buy a reconnaissance platform for the III Corps with a networked target acquisition capability.

10. Invest in systems to reduce operational and support costs such as a common engine and built-in diagnostics.

11. Provide XVIII Corps with an appropriate recon, security, and surveillance capability in the form of a rebuilt 2nd Light Armored Cavalry Regiment.

12. Buy more Hercules tank recovery vehicles for the III Corps.Stephen V Cole