Wow. Hard to believe but earlier this month I did a blog post about Tanks and the USMC. While my premise was that ...
Just a few intense facts...The big brains at Headquarters Marine Corps have obviously decided that Tanks are going to continue to be organic to the Marine Corps.
1. Marine Corps tanks haven't deployed to Afghanistan.
2. Distributed Operations (at least as I've read it) doesn't account for tanks in its doctrine.
3. The Marine Corps is attempting to become more expeditionary. Tanks don't allow for that luxury and even in the best case scenario would be relegated to Division or higher.
4. Tanks are a tremendous burden to the MEU.
5. The MEU could deploy more AAVs/EFVs/JLTVs, howitzers, MTVRs etc...if it didn't have the burden of having a tank platoon attached.
But is this really the case?
Are we perhaps seeing --- right before our eyes --- an experiment in logistics for Distributed Operations?
This from the ARES blog... Paul Mcleary is the author and has spent as much time with ground units as the other authors have with air forces quotes Jason Fritz (I never heard of him)...
You know what scares the hell out of dismounted insurgents? 70 tons of badassery that will make them dead if they mess with it…If the problem in Helmand is a highly-active insurgency that requires a firepower solution, then the M1A1 is what you want to bring to the fight….The bottom line is that the Abrams provides a highly mobile, well armored platform for long distance, highly accurate fire. To question that is to not understand tanks at all. It seems that the Marines need long distance, highly accurate firepower or they wouldn't be asking for it.The all-weather fire support for these beasts has never been in doubt.
The ability to keep insurgent heads down has never been in doubt.
The idea that tanks or other ground based fire support is more responsive to the needs of the Ground Combat Element has never been in doubt.
What has been in doubt is the logistics train to keep these beasts in the field.
What will matter is this.
1. How will they operate?
a. Will they operate as Platoons?
b. Will they be shopped out to individual companies as mobile pillboxes?
c. Will they assemble and sortie out from the direction of the MEF?
2. What will this do to our already strained logistics train?
3. Are our rules of engagement going to allow them to be used for anything but shows of force?
4. Does it make sense to use them as convoy escorts?
5. What happens and do we have the system in place to recover them if one is battle damaged?
There are many more issues I'm sure. I hope this experiment is successful but I do wonder if this has been properly war gamed at 29 Palms....
More reading at...
Think Defense (European perspective in the article...but in the comments section they're beating chests saying I told ya so)
Ares (generally anti-Marine in the comments but McLeary has a nicely balanced article)
As I understand it, a traditional company of 14 tanks will be deployed, which would mean platoon ops, and generally speaking a tank platoon is the smallest unit of action.
ReplyDeleteWith the standard 3x pltns (of four each) one could be on (scheduled) escort duty, one pltn as RRF and one platoon as reserve/maint pool, with the two HQ tanks attached as required.
As the breacher is already in theatre, there should be enough HETs, spares and recovery assets available for a sustained deployment.
Not only that, but the relatively recent Iraqi deployments carry their own "Lessons Learned" regarding CSS (cbt svc spt).
However, the Abrams *is* a voracious gas guzzler, even when just standing still - one of the reasons some in the USMC call for it to be removed from inventory. Fuel supplies will remain an issue, especially with the AfPak border convoys under constant attack.
Still, the precision firepower, protection and sheer "badassery" make the M-1 worth the trouble.
i get where you're going with your thinking that it will be platoon ops but that would limit there effectiveness.
ReplyDeletei generally believe you'll see two tank sections. that way you could maximize the number of tanks across a regiment....heck that way 14 tanks would be enough to support the entire MEF (Forward)....
the only problem with that would be resupply. but it would be extremely doable if the KAMAX UAV were in theater.