Urban Operations in Chechnya: Lessons Learned and Implications for U.S. Urban Doctrine and Training

摘要

The threats of the 21st Century provide the Armed Services with unique challenges. Future enemies are predicted to utilize asymmetrical means and tactics to negate U.S. capabilities and overmatch technology. The rapidly growing global urbanization trend provides potential enemies with a complex environment that may counteract U.S. strengths, cause significant casualties and collateral damage, and prolong operations as they hide in plain sight or use the indigenous population as shields. Current assessments of the future threat predict that U.S. forces will fight in cities. This paper uses the recent Russian urban combat experiences in Chechnya as a vehicle to examine key doctrinal, training, and execution lessons and compare them with U.S. preparedness in these areas. The author determined that the joint community and individual services had indeed studied the Russian experience and incorporated several salient lessons into emerging doctrine. However, the author also found that preparedness is suspect at the operational staff level, higher and lower tactical unit level, and individual level due to limited joint combined arms urban training. The author concludes with several recommendations to improve urban combat training through a mixture of leadership, realistic training exercises, simulations, resources, unit reorganizations, and technology.