TRADOC Imagery - Intelligence Architecture.
Abstract
The modern battlefield has greatly changed in a few short years. Intensity and lethality have taken quantum leaps. Weapons systems exceed what any WWII commander could have ever conceived. WWII tanks guns could penetrate 4.8 inches of armor; - today's tank guns penetrate 9.5 inches of armor at ranges that have doubled. Artillery, which caused more than half of the casualties of WWII, was employed by the Soviets in 1945 with 250 guns per KM at Vistula-Oder. Today the WWII range of such massive firepower has increased to 18 KM while the lethality of the shell has grown five times and the area of coverage has leaped from 7500 square meters to 25,000 square meters. In 1945 the-Soviets had about 85 air defense weapons per division; today there are more than 140 with an increase in effectiveness from about 12,000 meters in WWII to 40,000 meters today. An Infantry squad can cover 30 KM on foot in five hours; in an APC, the same distance can be covered in 2 hours, and if airmobile, in 15 minutes. At that rate the squad could be moved 120 KM by air in one hour. In 1945, a Soviet division's initial objective was at a depth of 3-5 KM with the final days objective at 18-24 KM. Today the point of that division's initial objective is 15-20 KM with the day's objective at 35-40 KM. The point of the foregoing comparisons is that the tactical commander on the modern battlefield will be pressed by time space and highly sophisticated weapons/troops. The dynamics of the future battlefield requires the tactical commander to 'see' to greater depths and receive information and intelligence in a more timely manner than ever before.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 02, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA322216
Entities
People
- Paul O'keefe
Organizations
- United States Army Training and Doctrine Command