Americas Defense Meltdown - IT Acquisition Advisory Council

William S. Lind • 105ME: What is the rest of it?LORD DORN: Rocket launchers – simple ones, like the Russian Grad, not like yourMultiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS ) – which are excellent suppression weapons.They are more terrifying than artillery, and in most cases what is needed is suppression,not pinpoint destruction. There are also mortars, small and large. It is not uncommonfor a Schwerpunkt battalion to have a whole mortar battalion supporting it. We alsohave automatic cannon companies with weapons up to 40 mm to provide direct firesupport to assaults. When a Schwerpunkt infantry battalion or brigade attacks, the firesupport is massive, I assure you. But it is oriented toward the kinds of small, mobiletargets the modern battlefield presents. A World War I artillery park is only usefulfor fighting World War I.ME: What comprises your aviation?LORD DORN: We have 16 composite aviation squadrons, with search-and-rescuehelicopters, light STOL (short take-off and landing) transports, and ground supportattack aircraft – what some U.S. Marines call “Jaeger Air.” Our total aircraft inventoryis 400 ground attack aircraft, 200 transports and 20 helicopters.ME: Why so few helicopters?LORD DORN: Two reasons. First, helicopters are extremely maintenance intensive.They need about 10 times as many maintenance hours per flight hour as fixed-wingaircraft. We don’t want to put that much manpower into aviation maintenance. Second,they are extremely vulnerable to ground fire. They are big piñatas and everybodyshoots at them. Why not? It’s fun and it’s easy.ME: So you don’t have a vertical envelopment option?LORD DORN: No, and neither does anyone else. How often do you see someone actuallytry a vertical envelopment in combat? They know the losses would be prohibitive.When the U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apaches attempted a mass assault early in the secondGulf war, they got creamed. Even in exercises, people may talk about a vertical envelopmentoption, but no one ever chooses it.ME: What about moving troops and emergency consumables like ammunition aroundthe battlefield?