Evolution of Tank Gunnery: Heavy Brigade Combat Team Gunnery

Since March 2006, the Doctrine Division, Directorate of Training, Doctrine, Combat Development and Experimentation (DTCDE) at Fort Knox has been revising U. S. Army Field Manual (FM) 3-20.21, Heavy Brigade Combat Team Gunnery, to create a “gunnery series” of manuals specifically directed toward a brigade’s composition. The intent is to provide commanders within a brigade gunnery references and resources in a single volume set (see Figure 1). The entire gunnery collection will eventually have four volumes with three individual brigade versions; the HBCT portion is expected to be released 2d Quarter, Fiscal Year 09. Volume Designs

In the small arms volume, all training and qualification requirements for individual and crew serve weapons (ground mount) are provided in detail. This volume will be a common reference used Armywide. It will detail all gunnery requirements for training soldiers’ individual weapons, discuss alignment procedures for any available optics and designators, and outline qualification requirements for those weapons. The crew serve weapons fired in a ground-mount role will also be described in detail.

This volume set consists of three versions specific to the maneuver unit’s brigade type such as the heavy brigade combat team (HBCT), Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT), or infantry brigade combat team (IBCT). These versions include the platform characteristics of the direct-fire weapons systems within each brigade, a general overview of ammunition available for training and combat, training devices associated with each weapons system, gunnery training plans, gunnery tables (GT), crew evaluation, and information specific to each platform. Each version will also include a detailed section or chapter on the collective GTs and combined arms live-fire exercises (CALFEX) specific to each type of brigade.

This volume, FM 4-01.46, Sustainment Unit Gunnery (TBP), contains the standardized gunnery information for the sustainment unit community based on standardized truck gunnery. This standardized truck gunnery will establish the gunnery training program, GTs, crew qualification and standards, crew evaluation, and collective gunnery events in one manual. This volume represents a movement across the Army to have a standardized means of evaluating all crew serve weapons in amounted role, either on a wheeled or tracked platform.

Volume 4 details all gunnery requirements, live-fire prerequisites and testing, and qualification standards for all indirect weapons systems, less mortar gunnery. The Doctrine Division is concentrating on FM 3-20.21 to identify how it will affect soldiers, master gunners, combined arms battalions, commanders, and staff within the HBCT. Heavy Brigade Combat Team Gunnery by Master Sergeant Stephen A. Krivitsky, U. S. Army, Retired Manual Name Focus / Content FM 3-20.10 Volume 1, Small Arms FM 3-20.21 Volume 2, Version 1, HBCT FM 3-20.22 Volume 2. Version 2, SBCT FM 3-20.23 Volume 2, Version 3, IBCT FM 4-01.46 Volume 3, Sustainment Unit Gunnery FM 3-09.8 Volume 4, Field Artillery Gunnery Figure 1. Gunnery Manual Volume Set — 7

Focusing the Manuals to Support HBCT Gunnery To best develop the set of manuals, each must promote certain key aspects. The success of the firing unit depends on the commander’s flexibility to develop his gunnery based on his mission-essential task list (METL), both core mission-essential task list (CMETL) and directed mission-essential task list (DMETL); possible deployment locations; subordinate unit task and purpose when deployed; and platoon configuration. Further, to adequately prepare crews and small units for the various missions they may face requires the merger and standardization of tank gunnery, Bradley gunnery, scout gunnery, and the sustainment unit crews within the HBCT into one manual. This merger is a challenge as the four variants of direct-fire gunnery are similar in some aspects, but quite different across the board. In these manuals, all aspects of the direct-fire engagement have been standardized, thereby creating a common foundation for an all-platform, direct-fire gunnery. The manuals read well and are laid out in logical order, permitting commanders, crews, staff, and master gunners to easily locate and understand information. They provide standardized engagement processes, such as crew search techniques, fire commands, and engagement techniques, which ultimately create a common gunnery language for all direct-fire weapons systems. The flow of the manuals moves from overview, through the target acquisition process, to engagement of targets, indirect fires, use of platoon fire commands, gunnery planning, and gunnery execution and evaluation. The numbered chapters are the “… FM 4-01.46, Sustainment Unit Gunnery (TBP), contains the standardized gunnery information for the sustainment unit community based on standardized truck gunnery. This standardized truck gunnery will establish the gunnery training program, GTs, crew qualification and standards, crew evaluation, and collective gunnery events in one manual.” “These manuals are not “tank-centric” or “Bradley-centric” references; they are the new standard baseline from which all direct-fire weapons systems begin — the evolution of Abrams, Bradley, scout, and sustainment unit gunnery. As evolutionary documents, the set of manuals purely maintains the foundation and principles of good gunnery and design a structure that can train, develop, and qualify competent, cohesive, and lethal crews, sections, and platoons — now and in the future.” 8 — desk reference and the appendices are specific to what the respective crews should have on their vehicles, reminiscent of the old FM 17-12-1-1/2, Tank Gunnery, series from 1993, where the -2 represented the desk reference and the -1 was used on a specific vehicle. The structure and commonality found within these manuals are designed to provide a baseline for developing the SBCT manual, including evaluation procedures, scoring, score sheet, GT modeling, fire commands, conduct of fire, or target acquisition. This will allow soldiers to transition easier to another type of brigade or vehicle crew assignment with a reduced learning curve when it comes to gunnery. Essentially, the predominant topics of the numbered chapters will be the standard way to do business across the Army, no matter what weapons system soldiers fire in ground combat — and that is a colossal change. To design a brigade reference manual and provide a usable document for crewmembers without just “shuffling gunnery manuals together,” each gunnery manual was reviewed and ultimately assimilated into one master copy. Each school of thinking (Abrams, Bradley, and scout) and the sustainment unit crews (who had limited mounted gunnery experience) had to compromise on the “way we’ve always done it.” Each school had a little give and take from what they have always known to what the next generation of soldier will use. Give and Take Each platform’s methods have changed slightly to find a common ground for all direct-fire weapons systems. Some changes are small and seemingly insignificant; some are a bit more complex and can generate bitter argument among a respective platform’s faithful following. These manuals are not “tank-centric” or “Bradley-centric” references; they are the new standard baseline from which all direct-fire weapons systems begin — the evolution of Abrams, Bradley, scout, and sustainment unit gunnery. As evolutionary documents, the set of manuals purely maintains the foundation and principles of good gunnery and design a structure that can train, develop, and qualify competent, cohesive, and lethal crews, sections, and platoons — now and in the future. These manuals intend to:

• Provide HBCT and combined arms battalion commanders the most flexibility to create gunnery programs that equal their deployable configurations.

• Standardize the gunnery methodology within the HBCT across all direct-fire platforms, to include Abrams, Bradley, and scout.

• Provide a standardized model for Abrams, Bradley, and scout gunnery — building the framework for the SBCT gunnery manual.

• Provide a common manual reference set for all brigade combat team (BCT) and combined arms battalion commanders that encompasses all direct-fire weapons systems’ gunnery-related items.

• Provide the user of the platforms a user-friendly reference, as well as a stand-alone, platform-specific appendix.

• Establish standardized fire commands across all direct-fire platforms.

• Establish a common scoring and evaluation model for direct-fire gunnery.

• Establish a common GT methodology that incorporates training devices, simulators, simulations, and live fire that progresses from individual training requirements through crew qualification, as well as collective training and qualification.

• Enable the incorporation of spinoff technologies from the future combat system (FCS) development seamlessly. The manuals’ primary themes are commonality and standardization, which have the largest impact on the engagement process, GTs, and evaluation procedures. Standard Engagement Process: Detect, Identify, Decide, Engage, and Assess (DIDEA) The engagement process. The engagement process for all direct-fire platforms is, and has been, generally the same, although each element is termed or expressed differently, depending on the platform. The new set of manuals standardizes the entire process across all platforms, resulting in a common gunnery language that spans all direct-fire platforms and, to a larger extent, each brigade type. The engagement process is an update to the Abrams’ engagement process, crew search, detection, location, identification, classification, and confirmation (CDLICC). Although the names or phrases have changed, the fundamental process remains unchanged. The revision to the CDLICC process was constructed to standardize procedures across all possible platforms Armywide, not just within the HBCT. The DIDEA process. The DIDEA process is the foundation of the direct-fire engagement. In its five steps or processes below, the evolutionary change is described in relation to current Abrams gunnery: Detect. The means of threat target detection and target acquisition. This includes the crew search, detection, and location processes from CDLICC. Identify. Clearly identifying the potential threat, classification of that threat, and confirmation of the threat as hostile. This step in the DIDEA process encapsulates the identification, classification, and confirmation processes from CDLICC. Decide. This step in the DIDEA process determines the means of target destruction. The vehicle commander must decide the form of engagement he will employ to destroy the threat — direct or indirect fires. The decision process that includes using other forms of engagement enables the vehicle commander to develop the situation and defeat the threat with all the tools available to him on the battlefield. Engage. This step not only includes the process of conducting the direct-fire engagement (or conduct of fire), but also includes the crew actions required to conduct a call for fire indirect engagement. The direct-fire engagement fire commands have been standardized across all platforms. The updates to the fire commands are evolutionary, but verge on revolutionary. The revisions to conduct of fire have extraordinary impacts on the crew, evaluators, simulations, and simulator instructor/operators. Assess. These procedures confirm the threat has been neutralized or destroyed using engagement techniques employed by the crew or external direct- or indirect-fire resources. The majority of change from CDLICC to DIDEA is found in the engage procedure, most specifically within the fire commands. Elements of Fire Command There are several fundamental changes in the new manuals that differ from how armor crewmen conducted business in the past. Standardizing fire commands for all direct-fire systems posed a great problem — defining precision gunnery vice degraded gunnery. If the definition of “precision” requires a fire- — 9 control system with full ballistic solution, automatic lead, laser-range finder, and thermal optics, obviously a scout high-mobility, multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV) will always be degraded — never having the opportunity to be “precise.” For the most part, this is true from an armor crewman’s perspective. The end result is the omission of “precision” and “degraded” terms, generally speaking, and relying on the firing weapons system’s capabilities. We have established seven standard elements of a fire command (up from six) that define the standard fire command (see Figure 2). A reduced fire command is the elements of the fire command, which must be issued by the crew and is not specifically provided by the fire-control system. These changes are based on a simple equation: what your fire-control system provides, plus elements issued by the crew (reduced fire command), equals all seven elements of a fire command. If your fire-control system normally provides an accurate range to target, then you do not have to announce the range. However, if your laser range finder is inoperable, then you must announce the range. This formula removes the necessity for “precision” and “degraded,” as it is based on the seven elements of the standard fire command, not your fire-control system. You can still be “degraded” from what you normally get, but that’s only relevant to the standard fire command. All fire commands will have the seven elements, period. Elevation in a fire command. The new manuals add elevation to the range element of the fire command. The two are not interchangeable, but provide vehicle commanders the capability to announce the relative elevation of the target. This will be useful in restricted environments such as Korea and urban terrain. For example, a vehicle commander may announce “third floor, second window from left,” to describe a target in a building. In restricted terrain, a vehicle commander may announce terrain elevations as “alpha,” “bravo,” or “charlie,” to indicate valley floor, side slope or middle section, or crest/hilltop, respectively. This series of terms will be determined by the unit’s standing operating procedures (SOP) for clarification. Fire command terms. The new manuals have defined (not added) seven classifications of terms that will help the crew acquire, identify, and engage faster. These terms have always been used by crews to reduce confusion within the turret, or command the crew to perform a specific function. To streamline the process, the following terms were classified and defined in the engagement process: Crew response. These terms are verbal confirma-tions of the vehicle commander’s fire command. They are stated to ensure clarity of the initial or subsequent fire command. The loader announcing “up,” is a crew response; the gunner announcing “identified,” followed by the determined range to target is another example. Crew action. These terms require the crew to perform a given function to direct fires onto the target. They are stated on completion of the implied task as directed by the fire command. For example, the loader loading and arming the main gun after receiving a fire command is a crew action for the implied task to load the main gun. Sensing. All rounds or bursts fired from a weapons system require the crew to sense or identify the strike of the round in relation to the target. They provide an indicator to the vehicle commander so he can issue another initial fire command for additional targets on the battlefield. In the event that the rounds do not have the desired effect on the target, sensings are used as the alert element for subsequent fire commands. Engagement technique. The vehicle commander can direct a specific engagement technique to the gunner to facilitate the target’s destruction or effective suppression. For example, the vehicle commander announces “suppress” or “zee” after the gunner fires the coax to continue firing at the target using a specific fire pattern. Modifier. A description modifier is used to enhance the target description to clearly identify a specific target to engage when operating in a target rich environment. Typical modifiers are “left,” “right,” “near,” or “far.” In urban environments, the vehicle commander can announce a variety of modifiers to narrow the search for the gunner onto the intended target. Clarification. Clarification is a request by a crewmember to either repeat or correct an element of the fire command. Driver action. This term is used to move the firing vehicle into a position that best supports the engagement. Driver actions are also used to seek alternate positions, return to defilade position, or move through battlefield obscurants during an engagement. In the HBCT gunnery manual series, the biggest change is in the development and methodology of the GTs. In coordination with Fort Benning, Fort Lee, Fort Leonard Wood, and Fort Sill, the Fort Knox Doctrine Division developed a standard crawl-walk-run maturing set of GTs for direct-fire weapons systems. These tables are grouped into two classes: stabilized and unstabilized platforms. Stabilized GTs are for the Abrams, Bradley, and Guardian (armored security vehicle future variants); Fire Control System Capabilities + Reduced Fire Command Standard Fire Command (All seven elements) Figure 3. Fire Command Formula Element Remarks Alert Alerts the entire crew that someone in the crew will be firing an engagement using the primary weapon, main gun, or coax. Vehicle with only one primary firer may omit this element. It must be used when an alternate firer is directed to engage (such as loader, or rear bank.) Ammunition or Weapon Identifies the ammunition to fire, requiring the gunner to ensure the ammunition is properly indexed, and the loader what ammunition to load after the initial round is fired. Vehicles mounting single weapons (caliber.50, M240B, or MK19 only) may omit this element. Description A clear and concise target description for the firer to identify. Vehicle commanders must use modifiers when multiple targets are presented. Direction This is required when the vehicle commander cannot lay the firing weapon for direction (e.g., the VC does not have the capability to move the turret to the target’s general location using an override.) Range or Elevation This is required when the firing platform’s fire control system does not provide the accurate range to target. Execution The vehicle commander is the only crewmember authorized to issue the command of execution. This cannot be delegated to the gunner. Termination Any member of the crew can terminate an engagement for any reason. Every fire command must be terminated. Figure 2. Standard Elements of a Fire Command 10 —

MPL are the required attributes for every GT (see Figure 5). The commander, staff, and master gunner develop the GT scenarios using MPL to ensure all primary skill sets are trained and tested during GTs. The MPL outline:

• Specific GT requirements that scenarios must contain.

• A common set of requirements for all direct-fire weapons crews to train during gunnery density.

• The “rules” that must be adhered to when developing gunnery scenarios.

• The critical skills that must be trained and evaluated.

• How to facilitate the commander’s flexibility. The list of gunnery MPL provides critical skill sets for the firing crews during each table to reduce possible skill atrophy. It also provides a baseline set of requirements, coupled with resourced ammunition and targetry, which remain constant Armywide. The MPL list may be applied to any engagement the commander selects on any given table. For example, Gunnery Table Title and Purpose Crew I Crew Critical Skills1 II Crew Proficiency Course1

Basic Machine Gun Course IV Basic Main Gun Course V Basic Crew Practice VI Basic Crew Qualification2 Collective

Section Practice IX Section Qualification3 X Platoon Proficiency XI Platoon Practice

Platoon Qualification4 1 - Prerequisite for live fire 2 - Prerequisite qualification to continue on to intermediate section gunnery 3 - Prerequisite qualification to continue on to advanced platoon gunnery 4 - Prerequisite qualification for combined arms live fire exercises (CALFEX) Figure 4. Gunnery Table Naming Conventions — 11 an Abrams engagement with two targets can have one main gun target >2,000m and one main gun target <800m in a chemical environment, at night, on the offense — all of these attributes are specifically selected by the commander. Figure 6, which shows the MPL best suited for specific engagements, should be used as a tool when designing the scenarios (for stabilized gunnery). There are certain engagements that cannot be applied to certain MPL, which are indicated in Figure 6 by blocks marked “NO GO.” For example, a commander cannot fire simultaneous engagements on the offense because the Abrams platform does not have a stabilized loader’s station. On such an engagement, there are no main gun rounds fired, so there is no MPL that governs main gun targetry. The “caution” block in Figure 6 indicates there are certain aspects that must be considered prior to selecting the MPL for a specific engagement type. For example, when selecting degradation type, the commander has three basic options: gunner’s auxiliary sight (GAS) using power controls; GAS using manual controls (vehicle commanders using GAS for Bradley crews); and gunner’s primary sight (GPS)/thermal imaging system (TIS) using manual controls. It is not a good idea to fire through the GAS at night without mortar or field artillery (FA) illumination coordination — always consider this fact when developing the scenario. Also, if manual controls are used for degraded engagements, it is not wise to conduct that task on the offense and perhaps the short halt. The GTs have been redesigned from previous versions of both Abrams and Bradley gunnery. The intent is to provide the commander the ability to cross-attach Abrams and Bradley crews prior to the start of gunnery. This capability also enables the commander to fire Abrams and Bradley crews using the same scenario with little or no modification. A snapshot of the crew tables shows anew task numbering system, six standard engagement types with three alternate types, and a clearer training methodology that follows the crawl-walk-run training management ideal.

As shown in Figure 7, the following are the six standard engagement types:

• Vehicle commander.

• Machine gun pure.

• Main gun pure.

• Change of weapons system.

• Degraded.

• Simultaneous. Each of these engagement types has been given a number or series of task numbers. Task “0,” for example, will always be a vehicle commander engagement when the gunner’s power-control handles are inoperative (Abrams and Bradley). To determine the engagement number, the first digit is the GT number, Figure 6. Minimum Proficiency Level Application Guide 12 — followed by the task number, such as in Table V, task 0 is engagement 50; Table III, task 9 is engagement 39. This allows the master gunner to easily track crew progression by task, through gunnery density.

As the tables increase, the level of difficulty for each task increases through Table V, crew practice. During crew qualification, Table VI, the task will be as difficult, or slightly easier, than previously trained, in most cases.

The targetry shown in Figure 7 is one method. As discussed earlier, the commander may choose to simultaneously shoot Abrams and Bradley crews on the same table, as across-attached company training jointly. Therefore, the targetry he selects for each task on the tables meets the ammunition requirements and capabilities of the Bradley. An Abrams crew can use the same type of ammunition, such as kinetic energy (KE) or chemical energy (CE), listed by target and have the capability to adequately engage and defeat each target. If a table is built for an Abrams, the Bradley will not have the capability to destroy the targets in all scenarios; for example, a Bradley will not engage a T-90 frontal with KE. Figure 7 shows targetry options that meet both tank and Bradley ammunition capabilities, thereby maintaining a common scenario for the combined arms battalion.

All scenarios are evaluated based on the threat’s ability to destroy the friendly vehicle. This assumes that the threat target has the ability to engage and destroy with either:

• T-90 main battle tank (MBT).

• BMP (personnel carrier).

• Antitank-guided missile (ATGM) system.

• Rocket-propelled grenade (RPG)-29. Targets, such as troops or technical trucks, are included to replicate the possibility of an ATGM or RPG threat, and also maintain the ability to kill friendly vehicles. The threat-based scenario is based on four pillars:

• Own/friendly vehicle type. Since these tables are multiplat-form capable, the armor protection of the own/friendly vehicle is taken into consideration. Figure 7. Bradley and Abrams Compatible Gunnery Tables — 13

• Threat target type. For example, a T-90 can destroy a Bradley faster than a technical truck.

• Threat vehicle range. Each threat target type’s level of danger to the crew lessens with range. When a typically dangerous target is at 300m, and a most dangerous target is 1800m and moving, the true most dangerous target is the 300m set.

• Own/friendly vehicle posture. The crew in the defense is protected from hostile direct fires until it is exposed. In the offense, the entire vehicle is exposed to direct fire, although consideration is made for the inability of threat systems to engage moving targets rapidly. These pillars define how threat matrices are developed and employed in the gunnery training model. The Armor Center has used various methods over the past 50 years, including a variant of this method, as the dynamics of combat and the proliferation of high-tech, shoulder-fired weapons occur.

When the master gunner takes the commander’s guidance and formally develops the scenario, he has the ability to fire Abrams and Bradley crews on the same range, on the same day, using the same targetry. Figure 7 shows targetry that is multiplatform capable and facilitates cross-attachment prior to the start of gunnery. Although this is not a requirement, the tables have been developed to provide this capability to commanders, enabling them to train early as a combined arms team and build a cohesive unit prior to entering collective gunnery. Figure 8. Mixed Section and Platoon Possibilities 14 — Ammunition Type Rounds Per Target Remarks Small Arms 50 rounds Caliber.50 no longer receives 75 rounds per target. 25mm 8 rounds Master gunners must ensure a minimum of 24 rounds AP and HE are used to facilitate loading the M242. 40mm 8 rounds The range must be 40mm TP capable. 120mm 1.5 rounds Only.5 canister rounds per crew are authorized for collective gunnery. Only one tank for every two have the opportunity to train with canister during collective gunnery phase. Figure 9. Targetry Based on Ammunition Availability Rule of Thumb

“The GTs have been redesigned from previous versions of both Abrams and Bradley gunnery. The intent is to provide the commander the ability to cross-attach Abrams and Bradley crews prior to the start of gunnery. This capability also enables the commander to fire Abrams and Bradley crews using the same scenario with little or no modification.” Once crew gunnery is complete, the commander must:

• Determine his platoon structure prior to the start of section gunnery.

• Ensure his ability (based on adequate range support) to fire tank and Bradley crews during all phases of gunnery on the same range, using the same scenarios, during crew gunnery.

• Understand that once crew gunnery is complete, the section gunnery is mandatory.

• Understand all sections may have any composition of tank, Bradley, or truck platforms to support the endstate platoon configuration. Each section composition limits the final platoon compositions and must be managed accordingly. Figure 8 is an example of the various section and platoon configurations. To retain the ability to fire mixed sections and platoons with wheeled and tracked vehicles, targetry is developed based on the capabilities of the vehicle composition. A minimum number of rounds and targets are described in collective gunnery for each vehicle type; however, additional targetry may be added based on the section and platoon’s specific vehicle and ammunition availability above resourced requirements. The rule of thumb for selecting targetry based on available ammunition resources is shown in Figure 9.

The commander maintains the maximum flexibility during collective tables. Much like crew tables, target selection, range to target, section and platoon composition, number of targets based on available resourcing (above authorized), the MPL allows commanders to achieve training goals focused on future missions. The evolution of gunnery has taken another step forward and it will assuredly take some time to completely understand and use these changes and additions to their fullest potential. As with any change in gunnery doctrine, this will require more than just one gunnery to master. It will take time to educate the force, but the learning curve can be greatly reduced via user feedback. Considering the large volume of change encapsulated in this manual, it will have imperfections. Only through use, feedback, and updating will the best gunnery doctrine be written. That said, this is a solid manual series expressly developed for the users, crews, staffs, and commanders. Master Sergeant (Retired) Stephen A. Krivitsky is currently assigned to the Army Training Support Command, Fort Knox, KY. He received an A. A. from Pennsylvania State University. His military education includes Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course and M1A1 Master Gunner Course. During his active duty career, he served in various positions, to include chief, Gunnery Branch, Doctrine Division, Directorate of Training, Doctrine, Combat Development and Experimentation, Fort Knox, KY; first sergeant, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, KS, and Iraq; armor master gunner, 7th Army Training Command, U. S. Army Europe, Grafenwohr, Germany; senior military science instructor, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA; and platoon sergeant, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO. — 15