The Weaponry Revolution,
Abstract
"... During the Yom Kippur War, it appeared in a man-portable form. Arab soldiers with what looked like suitcases dispersed themselves across the battlefield, opened the cases, and proceeded to launch small but destructive missiles at Israeli tanks with great effect... Weighing only 11 kilograms at launch, Sagger had a range of 3,000 meters and a 120-mm diameter shaped charge which was highly effective..." Wars come upon us periodically, while technological change is constant. In hundreds of examples throughout military history, soldiers have been surprised and often stymied by weapons they were never trained to encounter, the tank itself being but one example. Their armies may have known a new weapon was in development, but until they encountered the weapon on the battlefield, gauged its potential, and suffered its effects, the power of surprise to shock and stun has frozen soldiers into ineffectiveness. Recent articles in ARMOR suggest that just such a series of changes is brewing, changes that will affect us as much as our potential enemies. As armies adopt these weapons, they will force revisions in doctrine, tactics, and training. The key new technologies include: top attack, fire and forget man portable missiles, terminal homing projectiles, increased standoff range, and defensive suites.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA323230
Entities
People
- Jon Clemens