CLOSE COMBAT

The Close Combat mission area relates to weapons and equipment which are used to bring direct, line-of-sight fire upon the enemy. The soldiers who fill this role are often referred to as "frontline troops" and their job is to close with and destroy the enemy. To do so, they must be well led, well trained, and provided with the equipment that will give them an edge over their adversaries. The next several paragraphs will describe those close combat equipment systems for which we are requesting funds in the FY87 budget.

The main offensive and defensive ground weapon of both the US and Soviet ground armies is the tank. In a combined arms role, tanks can dominate the battlefield, spearheading the offensive, killing other tanks, devastating "soft" targets, and driving through defensive positions with massive momentum. Equally adept on the defensive, the tank provides a ground commander with unequalled capability to counter enemy offensive ground weapon systems. The tank is essential to success on the modern battlefield. The Army's main battle tank, the Abrams, is the most powerful, mobile, and survivable combat vehicle we have ever fielded, and we believe that it can outperform any other tank on the battlefield.

Frontline troops require close combat systems

The M1 AbramsMain power of the battlefield

Agility

Accuracy

The agility of a tank is a major element in determining its effectiveness and survivability on the battlefield. A 1500-horsepower turbine engine supplies the Abrams with double the power of its diesel-powered predecessor, the M60. Coupled with an improved suspension system, its agility is unsurpassed by any tank in the world today. Its stabilized sighting system ensures that speed is combined with accurate firepower.

Tankers are able to routinely hit 5-foot targets over a mile away while moving rapidly cross-country. This kind of shoot-on-the-move accuracy is made possible by design features of the fire control and improved suspension systems. The gunner puts his sight on the target and finds the range using a laser rangefinder; a computer automatically determines the ballistic data and adjusts the lay of the main gun; the gunner need only squeeze the trigger to hit the target.

Survivability

The future battlefield will be thick with antitank weapons. Therefore, the Abrams is protected by advanced armor. This, plus its low silhouette and agility, increases its survivability on the battlefield. If the tank is penetrated, a number of revolutionary safety features greatly enhance the survivability of the crew and the vehicle. These include an automatic fire detection and

extinguishing system and armored compartments that separate the fuel tanks and main gun ammunition from the crew. The Abrams' passive thermal imaging system allows location of targets at night and through dust, haze, fog, and smoke without disclosing the tank's position. Initial delivery of the product improved M1 the M1A1s began in August 1985. The M1A1 incorporates the German-designed, US-manufactured 120mm smoothbore gun, improved NBC protection system and improved armor. The addition of the 120mm gun will insure that US tanks can keep pace with improvements in Soviet armor expected in the late 1980's and beyond. The major advantages of the 120mm gun system are greater kill capability and growth potential to meet advanced armor threats.

The soldiers' appraisal of the M1 can be summed up in one word-winner! They found the M1 Abrams easier to maintain than the M60 tank and able to shoot more accurately while moving cross-country at high speed. The Army has fielded 32 battalion equivalents. A North Carolina National Guard Armored Battalion (a 2d Armored Division round-out battalion) has received its tanks underscoring our commitment to modernize the reserve components. The FY87 budget provides for 840 M1A1 Abrams Tanks. We have produced 3,056 Abrams tanks as of 31 December 1985.

The M60A3, a product improved M60 tank, is still a formidable tank. It is a quality tank that will continue to see service into the 1990's because we cannot afford to replace our entire fleet of M60 series tanks with the Abrams. The M60A3 model incorporates a laser rangefinder and a ballistic computer for accurate ranging and improved fire control solutions, and a thermal sight that gives the crew an improved capability to detect targets in darkness and on an obscured battlefield. In FY87 upgrade of the M60A3 will continue with the incorporation of applique armor and an automatic fire supression system to improve survivability.

M60A3-Still a capable tank

The history of modern warfare has vividly demonstrated that tanks are. critical to success on the battle-field. Operating independently, however, they are vulnerable to antitank fires from enemy infantry. Therefore, mechanized The Bradley Fighting infantry must be combined with tanks to assure a blend of maneuver forces Vehicles

that will provide the flexibility necessary to defeat any threat. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is an ideal partner for the Abrams. This vehicle has two configurations, the Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and the Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (CFV).

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle provides vastly improved cross-country mobility, firepower, and armored protection to the mechanized infantry squad. In intense combat situations, the tank-infantry force must be supported on the move by continuousand accurate fire. The primary weapon of the IFV is a stabilized, dual-fed 25mm automatic cannon. The commander

or gunner can instantly select either high-explosive or armor-piercing rounds. The high-explosive round can destroy unarmored ground targets out to 2500 meters, while the armor-piercing rounds are capable of penetrating and defeating the Soviet BMP. The two-man turret also has a two-tube TOW missile launcher and a 7.62mm coaxial machinegun. The TOW gives each squad the capability to engage enemy tanks at long range from overwatch (protected) positions.

The IFV has vision blocks, through which members of the squad it transports can view the battlefield and direct fire from their modified M-16 rifles through individual firing ports. This permits continuous observation of, and contact with, the enemy while on the move. Once outside the vehicle, troops can move toward the objective supported by a high volume of firepower from the vehicle's other weapons.

The CFV is identical to the IFV except for minor modifications for crew size and equipment. The CFV carries a five-man scout squad and provides the cross-country mobility and mounted firepower necessary for armored cavalry and battalion scout squads to carry out reconnaissance, security, and economy-of-force operations.

Both the IFV and CFV have an inherent swimming capability and are air transportable in either the C-141 or C-5A aircraft. These fighting vehicles match the highway and cross-country mobility of the Abrams tank. Furthermore, they provide soldiers significant protection from enemy small caliber weapons, heavy machine guns, artillery airbursts and antipersonnel mines. A thermal night sight insures that this potent weapon system maintains its capability during night operations. No fighting vehicle available in the world today matches the all-around capabilities provided by the Bradley.

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