Marching Under Darkening Skies

Recent history provides evidence that U.S. participation in future urban military operations is inevitable; past events reflect that these operations are extraordinary in their demands on ground and air forces. This report draws on a review of relevant literature, service doctrine, training, and emerging technologies to assess U.S. military preparedness to undertake military operations on urbanized terrain (MOUT). Its concluding pages offer observations and preliminary recommendations addressing identified shortfalls. These recommendations include: (1) The four services should adopt Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-35.3 as the initial foundation for a more comprehensive doctrine on joint MOUT; (2) the U.S. Army Center for Lessons Learned should publish a MOUT lessons-learned bulletin; (3) include realistic consideration of operations in urban environments during service and joint exercises; (4) include MOUT considerations in the development of new technologies; (5) provide cadre at urban operations training sites; and (6) provide for complete instrumentation of selected Combat Training Center MOUT facilities.

Year

1999

Language

English

Publisher

RAND Corporation

Editions

1

Pages

44

ISBN

9780833026583

Data source: Wikidata