Armor Magazine Counterinsurgency Selected Works - US Army

specific targets, and time on station. Snipers were very effective
in destroying RPG gunners along the walls of the mosque or in
the minarets.
Use every combat system available. During the Dukes’ fiveweek
fight in Najaf/Kufa, the task force employed AC-130 gunships,
Kiowa Warriors with Hellfire missiles, and Copperhead,
as well as variable time (VT) and time fuse delayed (TFD) 155mm
and 120mm. Each had a specific purpose built into the plan.
AC-130 fires were deadly for clearing bunkers, destroying RPG
gunners in the palm groves, and in canalizing the enemy. After
the first few engagements, the enemy decided it was not wise to
stay outside while the sound of the AC-130 circled overhead. We
used this advantage in either driving the enemy back inside to
allow us closer maneuver, or keeping him off station while an
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) located a strongpoint, passed
grid location, then called in the AC-130 to destroy his strongpoint.
The Kiowa Warrior has a fantastic weapons platform. When resourced
with Hellfire, a commander can engage those hard-toreach
targets. Additionally, an armed UAV becomes the weapon
of choice when engaging an enemy moving around urban terrain.
During one of the task force’s last battles, an enemy mortar
man, using a pickup truck with a 82mm mortar in the back,
was conducting attacks on FOB Golf. The UAV was brought in;
it identified, followed, and when conditions were right, destroyed
the mortar, mortar man, and truck, with absolutely no collateral
damage.
Paladin fires were critical to our success. We fired all types of
munitions. Later in the campaign, the enemy developed his own
methods to counter traditional ‘fire for effect’ high explosive
rounds. The enemy would remain inside buildings or along the
roofs of sensitive targets. On occasion, we would engage enemy
on rooftops or engage an enemy mortar man near a built-up area
with VT. In one instance, there were enemy RPG gunners and
riflemen across the river inside a second-story building preventing
a troop from maneuvering into a support-by-fire (SBF) position.
Six TFD rounds later, the troop established the SBF and
the mission continued with the enemy destroyed.
Early in the campaign we used Copperhead with OH-58D to
destroy bunkers along narrow streets and in palm groves. The
system works, with practice, and allows the maneuver commander
freedom of movement along lateral routes. The task
force also had an opportunity to employ an Iraqi counterterrorism
force, which was impressive. The enemy believed the coalition
would not enter mosques because their information operations
campaign had convinced them of such. The enemy’s information
was correct! The coalition did not enter the mosque
— the Iraqi counterterrorism force did, destroying five enemy
riflemen and locating and confiscating a cache of mortars, RPGs,
AK47s, and hand grenades.
The impact of nonlethal fires is integral to any campaign. The
task force was well armed with a tactical psychological team
(TPT), two civil affairs (CA) teams, two attack/bomb dog teams,
PROPHET, engineers, and several media sources. For example,
the task force would target neighborhoods identified by
electronic warfare assets that indica ted local people were undecided
on coalition sup port. We would move in and project a positive
message with the TPT, followed by CA teams, who developed
projects on the ground. We also sent in the TPT and CA
teams during the ‘mitigation phase’ of operations to assess
public sentiment and collect information on collateral damage.
The bomb/attack dog teams were used on every operation involving
suspected arms caches or mortar firing positions, and
the engineers were critical in building force protection around
FOBs, Iraqi police stations, and other highly sensitive targets.
The task force also used the engineers to recover jersey barriers
employed by the enemy along trench lines and to fill in enemy
trench lines and fighting positions.
The media should be treated like family because they target the
international community and keep higher echelons of command
happy. The information provided before and immediately following
the operation determined how successful the story got
out. Normally, the task force commander briefly described the
operation, concept and target, and placed the reporters in a vehicle
(M1114 or M113), which trailed one of the companies.
After the fight, a quick recap of what happened, maybe an interview
for clarification, and the story
is done. In some instances, commanders
need to ‘go live’ during a
fight, to ensure the press does not
make assumptions. In all cases, treating
the press with dignity and respect
paid huge dividends.
“The most precise weapons system in
the task force was the M1A1 main battle
tank. The coaxial-mounted M240 machine
gun is precision at its best. Outrange
the enemy RPG gunner and you
can conduct precision recon-by-fire in
urban terrain while minimizing collateral
damage. The tank also has the most
accurate and deadly system available
— the 120mm main gun. Tank commanders
learned early on that firing a
multipurpose antitank (MPAT) round, a
high-explosive antitank (HEAT) round,
or an obstacle-reducing (OR) round
immediately silenced enemy massed
formations due to tremendous psychological
effects.”
22 — September-October 2008