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A Concept for Antiarmor Operations
INTRODUCTION
Given the proliferation of modern weapons systems and their export throughout the world, naval expeditionary forces can expect to confront adversaries equipped with armored vehicles, whether main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, or armored personnel carriers. This concept describes how the Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) will counter hostile armored forces. It identifies the relevant operational capabilities required by a seabased amphibious force and constitutes the first step in the combat development process that will provide the doctrine, organization, training and education, equipment, and support structure necessary to conduct effective operations in the presence of an armored threat. This antiarmor concept applies to the full range of MAGTF operations envisioned in the Marine Corps capstone warfighting concept Operational Maneuver From the Sea.
THE BATTLEFIELD
The end of armor as a dominant force on the battlefield has been proclaimed many times, yet armored vehicles continue to play a major role in traditional armed conflict. For the foreseeable future, adversaries will have access to a wide variety of tanks and armored vehicles. By the year 2015, a number of countries will have armor of a quality roughly equal to today's state-of-the-art equipment. Second tier countries will possess less-capable vehicles, which will still serve to intimidate their neighbors and provide local superiority. Overall, more than 100,000 main battle tanks and 200,000 other armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) are expected to be in service worldwide. Some of these may prove exceedingly difficult to destroy. Modern design trends for tanks and AFVs emphasize stealth, jammers, self-screening obscurants, and improved self-protection, to include reactive armor and munition countermeasures that defeat explosive antiarmor systems. Armored vehicle designers are also seeking greater mobility and weapon accuracy, combined with improved "shooton-the-move" capabilities.
Hostile armor may appear in any type of conflict. While Marines must be prepared to deal with enemies who possess large inventories of advanced weapons, it is just as likely they will encounter armored systems in the hands of local insurgents or urban rioters during other expeditionary operations in which local government has broken down and lost control of military equipment.
As the world's population continues to shift to the littorals, more and more conflict will inevitably occur there. Antiarmor operations conducted by the MAGTF will...