This issue of Red Diamond features two recently
published Threat Tactics Reports—one on North Korea
and the other on China. These reports demonstrate how
these two actors would fight on a tactical level, and
provide a clear connection between these real-world
forces and established opposing force doctrine.
The article covering the recent MCTP Warfighter Exercise
provides details on this corps- and division-level exercise,
which was one of five occurring during the most recent
fiscal year. The purpose of this 10-day exercises is to
create a competitive and multi-echelon, component,
joint training environment in order to provide
commanders the opportunity to execute mission
command in unified land operations. It is based on the
principles and conditions in the Army Training Circular 7-
100 series of publications and the Decisive Action
Training Environment (DATE).
The tactical vignette featured in this month’s Red
Diamond newsletter is the fourth article in this tactical
vignette series. Focusing on reconnaissance and
counterreconnaissance as economy of force actions, the
screen mission incorporates both tasks as integral to
providing early warning and a degree of protection to the
force main body. Other offensive tasks anticipated in a
screen can include actions of an ambush and/or raid in
order to accomplish the intent of the mission.
TRADOC G-2 ACE Threats Integration has been hosting
the Threat Tactics Course twice a year, and the most
recent class took place last month. Thirty –two students
attended and received quality instruction from analyst
who are the source of the TC -100 series and the DATE,
on which the course is based. Photos and more
information is available on pages 33 and 34 of this issue.
This month’s WEG article features the VBL, which will be
new to the 2015 WEG. The French Panhard Armored
Carrier (known as the Véhicule Blindé Léger (light
armored vehicle), abbreviated as VBL, is primarily a
reconnaissance vehicle. It is a versatile, small, 4-wheel
drive vehicle used in a variety of battlefield roles. The
article on page 35 describes 19 variants. The VBL’s WEG
sheet is on pages 38–39.