Back to the Future: Using Attack Helicopters to Restore Shock to the Battlefield
Abstract
The introduction of attack helicopters to the battlefield opened a new dimension for ground combat forces. This monograph examines history to identify those characteristics that make an arm effective in the shock role and to assess the modem battlefield to determine if attack helicopters possess these characteristics in a manner which makes them the arm which can be best used in the shock role now and in the future. Beginning with a definition of terms as a point of departure, the monographs traces the historical development of shock arms, focusing on the evolution of cavalry, to glean the characteristics that make an arm effective in the shock role. The historical examination is divided into three eras--the era before the sixteenth century, the era from the beginning of the sixteenth century to World War I, and the ers from the World War I to the present. The discussion of the third era focuses primarily on the development of tanks as successor to cavalry in the shock role. Fron the historical analysis three characteristics and two conditions emerge to form the thread of continuity between one effective shock force and another.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 14, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA258394
Entities
People
- Vincent K. Brooks
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College