Obscure Army Unit Could Be Key to Future Operations
Fri, 08/06/2021 - 06:50
A little-known Army detachment could hold the fate of future warfare in its hands, according to a new Landpower Essay published by the Association of the U.S. Army.
Created in the 1980s, the Battlefield Coordination Detachment was established to work on AirLand Battle, the post-Vietnam operating concept that sought to take advantage of rapid developments in technology to develop a combination of deep-strike capabilities with modern ways of maneuver to surprise the enemy with highly mobile forces.
Interdicting and disrupting opponents and striking deep into enemy territory would be carried out with simple directions that gave flexibility to commanders to seize initiative, when they could, to weaken the enemy without waiting to hear from higher commands.
In the new paper for AUSA, Lt. Col. Matthew Arrol, a Command and General Staff College graduate and contributing member to NATO’s Integrated Capabilities Group on indirect fire, writes the 39-member Battlefield Coordination Detachment that successfully assisted with AirLand Battle doctrine isn’t structured to work on the multidomain operations now viewed as the future of Army and joint force warfighting. But the group could evolve into the right organization.
https://www.ausa.org/news/obscure-army-unit-could-be-key-future-operations
