Achtung-Boxer! How to Employ Cavalry in the Mid-Twenty-First Century

Abstract

Despite the changing characteristics of conflict, cavalry maintains an enduring role, which consists of a trinity of purposes, balances a context dilemma of three competing factors, and has a series of enduring tactical concepts, which cavalry continually perform. Successful cavalry operations encompass a balanced application of the cavalry trinity with the cavalry context dilemma. Through theoretical analysis, this discourse will firstly redefine the role of cavalry, outlining the revised cavalry trinity of purposes, while also exploring the context for cavalry missing in Australian doctrine. This study exposes the competing factors of an economy of force nature and a desire for disproportionate effects, which are underpinned by the cavalry force's capabilities (technology and tactics). To frame cavalry's tactical and technological demands for the future, historical analysis through several case studies in the saddle and mechanised era are conducted to ensure that tactics and technological amendments meet fundamentally enduring tactical concepts, purposes, and contexts.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 31, 2020
Accession Number
AD1177694

Entities

People

  • Joshua E. Higgins

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Cyber
  • Electronic Warfare
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Anti-Tank Missiles
  • Artillery
  • Civil War
  • Combat Areas
  • Combat Forces
  • Combat Operations
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Information Operations
  • Light Armored Vehicles
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Second World War
  • Social Media
  • Surveillance
  • Tactical Training
  • Target Recognition
  • Unmanned Ground Systems
  • Unmanned Ground Vehicles
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies