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    In Order To Win, Learn How To Fight: The US Army In Urban Operations
    In Order To Win, Learn How To Fight: The US Army In Urban Operations
    In Order To Win, Learn How To Fight: The US Army In Urban Operations
    Ebook146 pages2 hours

    In Order To Win, Learn How To Fight: The US Army In Urban Operations

    By Major Christopher S. Forbes

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    About this ebook

    The urgent requirement for US Army preparedness in conducting urban operations (UO) is very real. As global urbanization continues to increase, the contemporary threat environment makes operations in cities impossible to avoid. The past decade has demonstrated through the American experiences in Mogadishu and Russian experiences in Grozny, less capable forces will attempt to use urban terrain asymmetrically to even the balance of power against technologically superior military forces.

    While we have always had a serious requirement to conduct urban operations, the very nature of the cold war, which was successful by its deterrence, prevented us from ever having to face the reality of fighting such urban engagements. In the post-cold war era, the U.S. Army is forced to face the realities of fighting in the urban environment. It is not enough to speak of preparing for “future urban operations”; the future is here today and the Army must be prepared to engage in urban operations even as it moves towards the objective force. Being prepared means having solid doctrine, realistic training programs and facilities, and appropriate equipment to ensure success on the urban battlefield when the time comes to fight there.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTannenberg Publishing
    Release dateNov 6, 2015
    ISBN9781786252777
    In Order To Win, Learn How To Fight: The US Army In Urban Operations

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      Book preview

      In Order To Win, Learn How To Fight - Major Christopher S. Forbes

      This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING—www.picklepartnerspublishing.com

      To join our mailing list for new titles or for issues with our books – [email protected]

      Or on Facebook

      Text originally published in 2002 under the same title.

      © Pickle Partners Publishing 2015, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

      Publisher’s Note

      Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

      We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

      IN ORDER TO WIN, LEARN HOW TO FIGHT: THE US ARMY IN URBAN OPERATIONS

      By

      MAJOR Christopher S. Forbes, US Army

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      Contents

      TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

      ABSTRACT 4

      LIST OF TABLES 5

      LIST OF FIGURES 6

      ACRONYMS 7

      CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION 9

      Statement of the Problem, Background and Significance 9

      Research Questions 9

      Scope 10

      Definition of Key Terms 10

      Methodology 10

      CHAPTER 2—THE CONTEMPORARY AND FUTURE URBAN ENVIRONMENT 12

      Background 12

      Urban Trends 12

      Urban Operational Spectrum 14

      Summary 16

      CHAPTER 3—CONTEMPORARY URBAN LESSONS: MOGADISHU AND GROZNY I 17

      Introduction 17

      Mogadishu, Somalia 17

      Background 17

      Lessons Learned 19

      Grozny I, Chechnya 21

      Background 21

      Lessons Learned 24

      Summary 25

      CHAPTER 4—URBAN OPERATIONS DOCTRINE 27

      Introduction 27

      UO Doctrine Shortfalls 27

      Joint UO Doctrine 28

      Army UO Doctrine 29

      Emerging Doctrinal Concepts 30

      Joint Doctrine 30

      Army UO Doctrine 32

      Summary 35

      CHAPTER 5—URBAN OPERATIONS TRAINING 37

      Introduction 37

      Joint UO Training 37

      Combined Arms UO Training 38

      Full Spectrum Operations 40

      Command Emphasis on UO Training 42

      Operational Level UO Training 42

      Summary 42

      CHAPTER 6—RESOURCING THE FORCE FOR URBAN OPERATIONS 44

      Introduction 44

      Training Facilities 44

      UO Equipment 49

      Summary 52

      CHAPTER 7—CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 54

      Doctrine 54

      UO Training 54

      UO Resourcing 55

      Summary 57

      REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 57

      APPENDIX A—CAMTF URBAN TRAINING FACILITIES 59

      APPENDIX B—FUTURE URBAN OPERATIONS TRAINING VENUES 63

      APPENDIX C—PLATOON URBAN OPERATIONS KIT 64

      Breaching Items: 64

      Signaling and Marking Items: 64

      Other Items: 65

      Urban-specific sand table kit 65

      I-2. INDIVIDUAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT 66

      BIBLIOGRAPHY 67

      Books 67

      Articles and Periodicals 68

      Government Documents 70

      Monographs, Reports, Theses, and Unpublished Works 72

      ABSTRACT

      The urgent requirement for US Army preparedness in conducting urban operations (UO) is very real. As global urbanization continues to increase, the contemporary threat environment makes operations in cities impossible to avoid. The past decade has demonstrated through the American experiences in Mogadishu and Russian experiences in Grozny, less capable forces will attempt to use urban terrain asymmetrically to even the balance of power against technologically superior military forces.

      While we have always had a serious requirement to conduct urban operations, the very nature of the cold war, which was successful by its deterrence, prevented us from ever having to face the reality of fighting such urban engagements. In the post-cold war era, the U.S. Army is forced to face the realities of fighting in the urban environment. It is not enough to speak of preparing for future urban operations; the future is here today and the Army must be prepared to engage in urban operations even as it moves towards the objective force. Being prepared means having solid doctrine, realistic training programs and facilities, and appropriate equipment to ensure success on the urban battlefield when the time comes to fight there.

      This paper asks the question: Is the US Army adequately preparing for contemporary and future urban operations? To determine the answer to this question, the monograph 1) examines the urban threat, 2) analyzes the Army’s current and evolving urban operations doctrine, 3) analyzes its urban training and training infrastructure, and 4) determines how effectively equipped the force is for operations in the urban environment.

      This monograph determines that while there has been a significant improvement in the Army’s urban operations doctrine, the Army still remains under-prepared for urban operations, because it is still not training UO as a joint and combined arms team across the full spectrum of operations. This is in large part due to continued shortfalls in training infrastructure and a lack of UO specific equipment in units. While there are existing plans and funds to correct some of these deficiencies over the next decade, the Army cannot afford to wait. Thus the monograph concludes that in the near term, the Army must maximize UO training at every level capable in order to validate doctrine, learn how to fight, and develop needed equipment for urban operations.

      LIST OF TABLES

      1. Global Urban Population Trends

      2. Existing Army Urban Training Facilities

      LIST OF FIGURES

      1. Emerging Joint Urban Operations Concepts

      2. Urban Operations Offensive Framework

      3. Urban Operations Defensive Framework

      ACRONYMS

      APC—Armored Personnel Carrier

      APOD—Aerial Port of Debarkation

      BCTP—Battle Command Training Program

      BF—Breach Facility

      CACTF—Combined Arms Collective Training Facility

      CAMTF—Combined Arms MOUT Task Force

      CMTC—Combat Maneuver Training Center

      COE—Contemporary Operating Environment

      CONUS—Continental United States

      CTC—Combat Training Center

      DOD—Department of Defense

      DOTMLF—Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership, People, Facilities

      DTLOMS—Doctrine, Training, Leader, Organization, Material, and Soldiers

      HMMWV—Highly Mobile Multi-Wheeled Vehicle

      IFV—Infantry Fighting Vehicle

      JFCOM—Joint Forces Command

      JRTC—Joint Readiness Training Center

      MOUT—Military Operations on Urban Terrain

      NTC—National Training Center

      OneSAF—One Semi-automated Force

      ROE—Rules of Engagement

      RPG—Rocket Propelled Grenade

      RPV—Remotely Piloted Vehicle

      SH—Shoot House

      SNA—Somali National Alliance

      SPOD—Sea Port of Debarkation

      TFR—Task Force Ranger

      TTP—Technique, Tactics, and Procedures

      UAC—Urban Assault Course

      UO—Urban Operations

      CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION

      Statement of the Problem, Background and Significance

      Recent UN forecasts predict that 85 percent of the world’s population will reside in urban areas by the year 2025. {1} As the world trend towards urbanization increases, the military significance of cities is likely to increase proportionally. Urbanized areas, themselves, may become significant sources of future conflict. This dramatic shift of the world’s population will only serve to increase the need to create military capabilities adequate to successfully execute urban operations across the full spectrum.

      While the cold war doctrine emphasized city avoidance, the contemporary and future threat environment may make operations in cities impossible to avoid. Learning from the demonstration of America’s technological superiority on the open field of battle during Operation Desert Storm, contemporary and future enemies hope to use the complexity of urban terrain as a means to counter US advantages. American experiences in Mogadishu and Russian experiences in Grozny serve as an example of less capable forces using urban terrain asymmetrically to even the balance of power

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