United States Army Field Artillery and the Hybrid Threat: Is it Time to Get Smart.

摘要

Is the United States Army Field Artillery still capable of successfully countering the Hybrid Threat, and what role would precision smart munitions play in developing such a capability. Precision smart munitions were, at one time, considered a necessary capability, but as time progressed and new threats developed, the need for such a capability dwindled. Previous research examines whether current capabilities can doctrinally employ field artillery, but there is little research examining whether or not doctrinally employed field artillery is capable of addressing the Hybrid Threat described in current Army doctrine, specifically the threat of conventional enemy forces. In this thesis I examine U.S. Army Field Artillery doctrine, organization, and materiel and determine that capability gaps do exist against the conventional forces of the Hybrid Threat. While smart munitions are not the only solution to these gaps, this thesis argues that they do offer a solution and provides recommendations as to how they can better prepare the U.S. Army Field Artillery for future adversaries.