Vietnam Studies: Tactical and Materiel Innovations

摘要

For the U.S. Army, the war in Vietnam presented a new type of battle fought with new weapons and new tactics against a very different enemy. In many respects, the area war without front lines together with the guerrilla tactics were out of our nation's beginnings, while the sophisticated hardware presaged the future automated battlefield management systems. This monograph discusses some of the more important tactical and materiel innovations in Vietnam from the viewpoint of the infantry division commander. A few well-documented battles illustrate new concepts and hardware, most of which were developed over an extended period of time in a variety of operations. However, the basic tactical doctrine has not changed; it has merely been expanded by new capabilities or altered to the Vietnam situation.