Last Original M1s Retire From Active Duty

• We know our speed, shock effect, and stand-off capabilities can carry us through the direct fire fight. However, the advent of smart mortar and artillery rounds presents a real threat to our force. Consequently, counterbattery fires are needed to provide true force protection. Could it then be that a fire support element complete with FIREFINDER Radar and a DS artillery battery is attached down to the company level?

• In (defensive or) offensive operations, the enemy’s numerical advantage and subsequent ability to mass fires is functionally dislocated by our battle command enhancements and STAFF round effective range. The enemy’s best way to counter this is to either seek out our technology for himself or tactically maneuver his current force to close direct fire distance faster. He also needs to consciously attack our ability to conduct information operations. If he cannot execute any of these options, a very temporary fix may be to seek more combat support fires. With no other options, might he use either weapons of mass destruction or directed energy weapons to meet his goals?

• Our CSS assets need the ability to cover more distance at a faster speed with larger quantities of CLASS III in order to support offensive operations. Based on this (and the earlier defensive theory), we should use less CLASS V than we do now. Conclusion I believe an M1A2 tank company can theoretically attack and destroy an enemy Advance Guard battalion (+), halting an MRR attack. Our ability to conduct offensive operations at greater than a 1:3 ratio in quantitatively increased battlespace is quite revolutionary. However, it calls into question many of our long held notions about battle command, organization, and doctrine. We must now proactively seek answers to these questions if we are to fully exploit digitization. I urge all soldiers to stress digital capabilities to their actual and theoretical limits. In so doing, we can make this warfighting leap a very long one. I would like to acknowledge appreciation for the critique and comments on this article by COL (Ret.) Joe Strickland and 1LT Pete Robertson. SMART AMMUNITION, Cont’d

ARMOR — Captain Mike Pryor was commissioned in Armor from New Mexico Military Institute’s Early Commissioning Program in 1984. He completed his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Texas. He is a graduate of AOBC (Cavalry), SC3, TC3, (M60A3 and M1), TLIC, NBC Defense, IMPC, the III Corps MOUT Trainer’s Course, AOAC, and CAS3. He has served as a cavalry platoon leader, troop XO, S3 (Air), adjutant, and troop commander with 1-124 Cavalry, TXARNG, and as an S3 (Air) and company commander with 1-156 Armor, LAARNG. He is currently the S3, 1-156 Armor, LAARNG. Last Original M1s Retired from Active Duty The last original model of the M1 tank has been retired from duty in the active Army, an event marked by a brief ceremony at the Burke Motor Pool, Fort Knox, on September 16. HHC, 2-81 Armor of the 1st Armor Training Brigade used this early model of the M1 to train National Guard and Reserve units. It was the last active duty unit to carry this model in its inventory. The original M1 revolutionized the Army’s combat capabilities and marked a turning point in U. S. tank development. Its most impressive feature was its special armor, a composite “sandwich” of steel and other materials capable of defeating HEAT rounds in addition to kinetic energy penetrators. The M1 was faster and more maneuverable than its predecessors in the M60 series, while offering a lower, smaller silhouette. It was constructed of flat armor sections welded together, rather than armor castings, the method used in earlier U. S tanks (see the Lima Army Tank Plant story on page 7, this issue). The earliest M1s were armed with the M60’s 105mm rifled cannon, a British design first adopted to the final versions of the old M48 series. Subsequent M1s were upgunned with the German Rheinmetall smoothbore cannon of 120mm. Another revolutionary feature of the first M1 tanks were their turbine engines, replacing the diesels that powered the M48 and M60 series tanks. The engine change, despite a penalty in fuel consumption, resulted in much quieter operation, so much so that soldiers encountering the tank in early maneuvers dubbed it “Whispering Death.” The Fort Knox armor unit’s 10 M1s being retired from active duty will be rebuilt as M1A2s. Meanwhile, the unit was to receive M1A2s as replacements.