U.S. Army Field Artillery Relevance on the Modern Battlefield

摘要

Military operations in support of the Global War on Terror, and particularly those in Iraq, provide valuable insight into the relevance of the U.S. Army field artillery's relevance on the modern battlefield and its required capabilities. Discussion: As the US Military embarked upon the Global War on Terror, the US Army Field Artillery found itself bombarded by questions of its continued relevance. Artillery was noticeably absent from Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense cancelled the Crusader Howitzer Program, and pundits questioned whether the artillery was still relevant. As the dust settled from these events, the Army was deeply involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The force structure in Iraq was almost half as small as that for Operation Desert Storm and the Army's artillery to maneuver force ratios were the smallest since the late 19th Century. The service was trading mass for speed and agility. While an important contributor to the Army's success in the major combat phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the artillery was not without its shortcomings. Conclusions: The artillery must take a hard look at these trends and shape the future artillery force into one that is agile in its deployability and mobility while complementing the effects of other joint fires assets. It is impossible to predict with absolute certainty the artillery's relevance in future conflicts. However, operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have proven that the key to success on the modern battlefield is not any one means of fire support but the successful integration of the full spectrum of lethal and non- lethal joint fires. While the future remains to be seen, US Army Field Artillery can best posture itself for relevance by consistently improving its contribution to the joint fire support team in support of combined arms operations.