In The Middle Of The Fight

"This monograph presents a qualitative assessment of the performance of medium-armored forces in 13 past conflicts that span the range of military operations. The accompanying analysis is designed to help inform U.S. Army decisions about fielding medium-armored forces in the future. The case histories yielded three major insights. First, medium-armored forces fare poorly against competent, heavily armored opponents. This finding will prove relevant to the U.S. Army's medium-armored forces if their survivability and lethality do not live up to expectations or cannot be fully realized in battlefield conditions. Second, doctrinal and organizational steps can, in certain circumstances, mitigate medium armor's liabilities.