Hunter-Killer Operations

Iii Hunter-Killer Operations by Captaln Karl S. Flynn and Flrst Lleutenant Joseph Miller DATERIME

170545 October 1991, NTC Rotation 92-1.

LOCATION

National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California. SITUATION 1st Platoon, Fox Troop, 2d Squadron, 3d Annored Cavalry Regiment occupies a screen line vicinity Brigade Hill, Hill 910, and Debnam Pass.

Two Bndleys and one tank silently sit, observing and waiting for any enemy activity in their sector. Red Two, a Cavalry Fighting Vehicle, identifies a T-72 tank and a BMP slowly entering his sector, and initiates a radio transmission bringing his element into action: “White One, this is Red Two. I have two enemy vehicles entering our sector. Come up on my lejit flank, and you’llfind a T-72 at IO o’clock and a BMP at 12 o’clock.”

“This is White One. Roger, executing!”

Withii 20 seconds, White One, an MlAl tank, quietly passes to the left of Red Two, and three seconds later, he opens fire on the T-72 as Red Two simultaneously engages the BMP with his 25-mm chain gun. As the T-72 and BMP bum, White One fades back to his alternate hide position. The enemy has lost two vehicles and still doesn’t know what he faces, but you do. This is your introduction to Hunter-Killer (HK) operations. This formation is the logical combination and integration of scouts and tanlcs. At the National Training Center in 1989, Captain Chuck Noll, commander, F Troop, 2d Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, organized a formation combining the reconnaissance assets of scouts with the destructiveness of tanks to better fight and win on today’s fluid and lethal battlefield.

F Troop continued to train HK formations in prepmtion for its rem to the NTC in a year, but HK formations and F Troop faced a different challenge with deployment of the regiment to Saudi Arabia for Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT

STORM.

During DESERT SHIELD, the troop refined the HK formation and the ability to change from HK to other formations. This training proved invaluable as the troop went into combat during DESERT STORM.

The troop used the HK formation and several standard troop formations during the 100-hour war, with missions including a moving flank screen, zone reconnaissance, stationary screen, and hasty attack. Fox Troop used the HK formation during the zone reconnaissance and stationary screen missions, illustrating the additional formation flexibility and diversity that the HK formation gives the armored cavalry troop.

When the 3d ACR returned from Iraq, many in the armor community wondered about the effectiveness of HK operations. Six months after returning from the Gulf War, the regiment deployed to the NTC to fight another war. It was the first DESERT STORM unit to face the Nn: OPFOR. During several battles, the OPFOR repeatedly lost its reconnaissance assets in the Fox Troop area of operation, proving that HK operations are as effective in the desert of California as in the Gulf War. Flgure 1. The Hunter-Killer Team General The primary purpose of Hunter-Killer operations is enhancement of scout reconnaissance/countemonnaissance abilities while increasing their survivability and lethality by integrating tanks into their formations. Two Bradleys and one tank comprise the integrated team, with the senior scout in charge (Figure 1). The two Bradleys work as a normal scout section, and the tank follows at the center of the section, 50 to 500 meters to the rear. The distance the tank follows depends on METI’-T, with the tank responsible for providing continual overwatch for both scout tracks. When the scouts encounter the enemy, they radio the tank, which can immediately respond to the enemy threat.

There are two ways to task organize a HK platoon. The platoon can operate with either six Bradleys and two tanks or five Bradleys and two tanks, both operate with two HK teams and a control (HQ) element (Figure 2).

The HK platoon performs the same missions as a normal cavalry scout platoon.

The HK troop has two HK platoons and one tank platoon with four or five tanks. This formation, although a sig-Flaure 2. The Hunter-Klller Platoon nificant change from the normal four platoon cavalry troop, is flexible and effective.

To give a troop the ability to rapidly change from four platoons to the three platoons of the HK formation and back again requires intense training. The bottom line is that the unit’s success relies on the teamwork between the scout and tank crews.

Reconnalssance

During reconnaissance missions (zone, area, or route) the HK troop usually deploys in the Troop V formation, with the HK platoons on line and the tank platoon maneuvering in the center and slightly to the rear. When a HK platoon makes contact with an enemy force too large to destroy, the platoon immediately fixes the enemy. The tank platoon then maneuvers to destroy the enemy from the flank, while the other HK platoon maintains forward and flank security. When the maneuver comdor doesn’t support two HK platoons abreast, the HK troop uses the HK Troop Column formation with the HK platoons following each other and the tank platoon bringing up the rear. The HK formation is ideal for the 3d ACR’s Hot Troop concept. Under this concept, the squadron designates one troop to operate well fmard of the squadron’s main body as an advanced guard. The troop can organize in either the Troop V or Troop Column formation. The T m p Column is preferable as it increases the troop’s flexibility and reconnaissance depth, although it limits the frontage the troop covers. When the lead scouts encounter an enemy outpost, their tank sup port rapidly engages the enemy. This scout and tank combination increases the scouts lethality and survivability. The Hot Troop concept and the HK security formation closely resemble the OPFOR’s forward security element and combat reconnaissance patrol formation.

When equipped with MlAl mine plows, the troop can quickly breach enemy obstacles without the arduous dismounted wire cutting and pop-and-drop emplacement. Even without mine plows, the tank provides both near- and far-side security for the breaching force, either scout or engineer. The time required for this critical task decreases when HK tanks an quickly accessible.

Counterreconnaissance

In the counterreconnaissance battle, the HK concept proves exceptionally lethal. There are numerous writings, including NTC AARs, derailing the 49 importam of a successful counterreconnaissance fight. A screen line that is able to defeat the enemy forwad of the main battle area is a success. Defeating the enemy’s reconnaissance forces allows defending units to ppare defensive positions undetected and provides useful intelligence.

On the screen line, the HK platoons deploy to occupy several observation posts while the tank platoon prepares defensive positions as the base of the troop defense. The HK tanks remain slightly behind the Bradleys in hide positions. At night, the HK tanks move closer to the scouts, but remain in concealed positions. This provides depth on the screen line, which helps prevent the enemy from penetrating the sector.

When the enemy penetrates the screen line, the troop sends a HK section to dispose of the threat. The HK team maneuvers to engage and destroy the enemy while all other HK teams maintain the screen line. The scouts are the hunters and the tank the killer.

Disadvantages One disadvantage to the HK formation is the cavalry troop’s difficulty in massing all nine tanks to destroy an enemy force or provide the punch necessary to breach the enemy’s defenses. The commander must consider the need to mas all nine tanks before selecting the HK formation as the method of maneuver. When the mission requites massing nine tanks, HK is not the appropriate formation. The addition of two tanks to the normal scout platoon places additional responsibility on the platoon leader. He must possess the leadership skills necessary to handle the increase in personnel and equipment. Our experience shows that the scout platoon leader is ready for the additional responsibility of HK operations. The suppart necessary for a multi-type vehicle platoon requires consideration and careful planning. The Bradley can operate effectively for three days, if necessary, without refueling. The tank, however, must resupply once or twice a day. This forces the logistics section of the troop to resupply the screen line daily, which is extremely difficult during certain missions. The maintenance section must also push tank maintenance operations further forward to widely dispersed vehicles. A well trained HQ platoon will quickly adapt to these changes.

Advantages

We quickly pointed out the difficulty a troop experiences massing all nine of its tanks. We, however, must highlight that a troop operating in the HK formation can mas six or seven tanks much quicker than a troop in the normal platoon formation. Two tanks am already at the point of enemy contact, and the hpop can flex the tank platoon, rapidly massing six or seven tanks. The troop can keep the other HK platoon intact to secure the troop’s flank or continue the mission. Cavalry doctrine teaches that a good scout must remain undetected and only engage with direct fire when absolutely necessary. HK operations provide the scouts additional protection, allowing the tanks to kill, not the scouts. A scout f ~ n g a TOW missile in self-defense at a range of 2000 meters needs approximately 20 seconds engagement time while the tank completes the engagement in three to five seconds.

As mentioned earlier, a tank with a mine plow can execute an obstacle breach before dismounted scouts have time to start a mechanical one. This incre;lses the maneuverability and speed of an attacking force while keeping the scouts active in hunting, rather than mechanical breaching. The unit, as it trains HK operations, will find many additional advantages as their proficiency increases. It is up to you to accept the HK formation and fully realize its potential.

Conclusion

Hunter-KiIler Operations, as the logical combination of scouts and tanks, vastly increases the lethality and survivability of scouts in reconnaissance and counterreconnaissance missions. During the past four years, Fox Troop, 2d Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, proved that Hunter-Killer works! Hopefully more units will use this formation, continue its refmement, and eventually pariici-pate in Hunter-Killer’s adoption into cavalry doctrine.

Captain Karl S. Flynn is a graduate of California State University Sacramento. He has attended AOB, Airborne, NBC, AOAC, and CLC. He sewed as tank platoon leader, scout platoon leader and tank company XO in 1/64th Armor, Kttingen, Germany; as the 2/3 ACR adjutant; and as commander, Fox Troop, 2/3 ACR. He is currently the 3d ACR training officer.

First Lieutenant Joseph Miller is a graduate of the University of Arkansas Liile Rock. He has attended AOB, JOMC,

SPLC,

Airborne, IMPOC, and NBC schools.

He served as tank and scout platoon leader in Fox Troop, 2/3 ACR. He is currently the assistant S3,2/3 ACR.