Existing comment:
AirLand Battle: A True Combined Arms Fight:
In the 1980s, the Army adopted a new doctrine designed to defeat a Warsaw Pact invasion of Central Europe by waves of attacking forces. In the past, the Army had intended to defend against each wave in succession. However, the magnitude of the likely Soviet attack force made it uncertain whether such a defensive posture would succeed. Therefore, the Army developed a concept for defeating each attacking echelon at once. Known as AirLand Battle, this doctrine relied on the integrated operation of conventional ground forces, helicopters, and aircraft. It also exploited the capabilities of several new weapons systems, known as the "Big Five," which included the Abrams main battle tank, the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the Blackhawk utility helicopter, the Apache attack helicopter, and the Patriot air defense system.
Training also continued to improve, especially once the National Training Center (NTC) opened in 1982. At the NTC, mock battles were fought against a permanent opposition force (OPFOR) modeled on Soviet combat organizations. All these measures endured that the US force buildup of the 1980s resulted in better trained, better equipped, and more effective Soldiers [sic] poised to defeat a Soviet invasion. Their presence helped to end the Cold War. |