Conclusion

We have reached the following conclusions, which differ slightly from the original study:

• The LAVIII weighs more than the M113, is not in production, and costs more than the M113.
• The LAVIII provides no marked advantage over the M113 in mobility, lethality, or protection.
• The LAVIII barely - if at all - meets C-130 air transport requirements, while the M113 is well within the C-130's capability.
• The US Army has many M113s available to equip the IBCT.
• The M113 is widely used throughout the world, potentially making service support easier.
• It seems simpler to begin production of the M8 - a vehicle already type classified by the Army - then to develop and produce new vehicles.
• A brigade composed of M113A3 variants and the M8 Armored Gun System is deployable with fewer aircraft in the same amount of time than a brigade equipped with LAVIII variants.
• There is a deplorable and nearly criminal shortage of strategic airlift.
• The IBCT can be sustained by air for up to 14 days, until sea lift and surface transport can arrive.
• The superior cruise range of the M113/M8 offsets the greater fuel requirement of the tracked IBCT when compared to the LAVIII version.
• A skillfully conducted operation with either brigade can succeed against an enemy equipped with Main Battle Tanks and BMP-2's, however; the lack of protection and poor choice of weapons puts the wheeled brigade at serious risk of destruction.
• Because the M2 machine gun and the Mk-19 Automatic Grenade Launcher are not generally capable of penetrating even the BTR-80, a brigade based on these weapons places a disproportionate on the valor of individual soldiers.

Recommendations

• Field the IBCT with the M113A3 and the M8 Armored Gun System, if for no other reason than to reduce the cost to the US taxpayer.
• Form one brigade with the M113/M8 and have it compete directly with the LAVIII brigade in terms of deployability, sustainability, and operational effect.
• Arm the brigade with a 25mm automatic cannon in a low profile, remote controlled turret in place of the M2 or MK19.
• Equip C-130's with air to air refueling capability to extend its range and to offset the weight requirements for assault operations.
• Procure an additional 120 C-17 cargo aircraft and/or.
• Modify and test the Boeing 747-400 freighter to determine if it can be modified to accept 4 to 6 M113s. If so, modify and lease sufficient numbers to move the IBCT in one lift, augmented with C-17/C-5s as necessary.

About the Author

Mike Robel is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, with 16 years of active duty as an Armor Officer. He served in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as a tank and cavalry platoon leader and a cavalry troop executive officer patrolling the very edge of the Free World along the border between East and West Germany. His other service was in the 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) {The Big Red One} in Fort Riley, Stuttgart, Germany, and the Persian Gulf, where he commanded companies in all three brigades of the division and served as a battalion maintenance officer, battalion supply officer, battalion assistant operations officer, division armor training officer, division assistant operations officer, and as a brigade supply officer.

After leaving active duty, he worked for Logicon Advanced Technology as a database manager for the 87th Exercise Division in Birmingham, AL and managed the 2nd ACR's simulation center in Fort Polk, LA, where he used the Army's Corps Battle Simulation, Battalion-Brigade Battle Simulation, and JANUS. He is now a Knowledge Acquisition and System Test Engineer working on WARSIM 2000, which is the Army's next generation battle simulation. He has been published in a variety of commercial and profession journals including Command, Army Times, Armor, Infantry, Military Review, and Computer Games Magazine.

Endnotes

Return to Introduction