Combined Arms Role of Armored Infantry

This thesis is an analysis to determine the proper tactical role of infantry equipped with the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (BIFV). That role is shaped by the demands of the modern battlefield including the expected Soviet-type threat, the natural setting for battle created by terrain and weather, and the effects of weapons which significantly alter that natural setting. The role is also affected by the practical requirements to fight as combined arms. The history of combined arms warfare from World War I to the present reveals the complementary and supplementary effects that each principal ground arm - infantry, tanks, and artillery - contributes to the combined arms battle. This study concludes that there is a requirement for three kinds of infantry: light infantry which fights in close, difficult terrain; regular infantry which fights the manpower-intensive, dismounted battles such as positional defenses and attacks of fortified positions, supported by tanks and other heavy weapons; and armored infantry, equipped with the BIFV, which fights in close cooperation with main battle tanks in offensive and mobile defensive combat. This study also concludes that the U.S. Army should seriously consider retention of M113-equipped, regular infantry forces to fight the manpower-intensive, dismounted battles for which both the new light and armored infantry are ill-designed. Heavy divisions, even brigades, should contain a mix of tank, BIFV-equipped infantry, and M113-equipped infantry battalions to meet the demands of the modern battlefields and combined arms warfare.