TRAILERS

The best Armored Brigade (125th Guards tank Regiment--Armored Brigade at NTC) in the country spends 50% of its time in the field. They fight a 14 day war every month. They have the operational aspect of fielding a unit down to an exact science. Many of their M113s tow supply trailers on their way to war. All of the Army's tracked Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) could tow a trailer.

When ambushed, many light infantry Soldiers drop their rucks and fight as SOP. They recover their rucks when it is safe again. Tanks could have the same option with trailers. Tanks could be equipped with a trailer hitch that could be detached from inside the tank. This could be augmented by an emergency explosive charge built into the hitch. If the main disconnect switch failed, the charge could be set off by the TC. With this system tankers would not be forced to fight a battle while towing a trailer. The U.S. Army's Explosive Stand-off Minefield Breacher (ESMB) uses a M1 Abrams tank to tow a Mobil-Trac trailer with a rocket line charge that has a "jettison hitch". A ballistic protective armor wall surrounds the ESMB. Thus, it is possible for the turbine engine heat from the Abrams to be countered to tow a trailer.

This is the main problem that all tankers will bring up; the tremendous heat from the exhaust of the M-1. This presents a serious problem. I believe that a heat shield could be created that could protect most cargoes from this danger, like the ESMB tracked trailer does. This may or may turn out to be very expensive. Or we can do as Weapons Analyst Carlton Meyer suggests and put diesel engines in "M1A3"s that would be slated to act as infantry fire support tanks or not buy 4 F/A-18 Super Hornets at $73 million dollars each that are going to crash anyway and are useless in a city fight and buy 50 M8 Ridgway Armored Gun Systems for the 2d ACR. A shielded M1 Abrams or diesel powered infantry fire support M8/M1A3 tanks towing trailers. But look at it in perspective, the AF has no problem dumping $5,000 worth of fuel per plane, just so they can have an easier landing. The Navy spends one million per Phoenix missle, so their pilots can stay out of a dog fight. All military jets have one million dollar ejection seats. Certainly we can spend a few dollars to keep our infantry well supplied on the ground.

If it doesn't work out, and we're stuck with only personnel carrying AFV's towing trailers, "and that ain't bad" since there are 284 M113A3s and 254 M2s in a Heavy Division's TOE---that is still more than 2/3rds of our tracked vehicles. We just need to assign 42 11-ton M113A3s---a company's worth operated by one Battalion in each of the 3 Brigades in every LID instead of 22,000 pound trucks already in use to achieve the same effect.

The trailer supplies could be mobile-loaded with All-Terrain All-Purpose Carts (ATACs) so that the infantry can remove some of their supplies as needed then move them easily to many locations. One trailer could supply a platoon for a week. One platoon of tanks (four) could tow trailers that supply a company of infantry for that same period of time. In a company team (armor heavy or infantry heavy) the team could now be made up of one light platoon (All/Extreme-Terrain Bicycle), one mech platoon and one armor platoon.

With trailers the team would be self sustained, no BN trains to slow them down. Just think of what a BN task force could do. BN trains could become a thing of the past. I do understand that even a BN with trailers will eventually need re supply, but most modern battles will be over in under 100 hours---before that will be necessary. Even if they aren't, it is a better system than we have today. Motor transport comes forward and retrieves the trailers, fills them and shuttles them forward. Besides, BN trains always travel with BDE trains, so why shouldn't they just become part of them (but that is a different article).

EXTERNAL PODS

All U.S. tanks and AFVs should carry disposable external fuel tanks like the Russian tanks have. Or better yet rubber-bladder FLEX-CELLs. In addition to this, they could easily carry external cargo pods. These pods could carry just about anything. They could carry equipment for the light infantry or for the tankers. The pods should be connected so that the TC can "eject" them while he is safe inside the tank. They wouldn't be so cumbersome that an explosive backup system similar to the one for the trailer hitch would be necessary.

They pods could be designed small enough to have fat-tire All-Terrain wheels for low ground pressure and be moved by the infantry. The German Fallschirmjaegers in WWII used airdropped equipment containers with wheels on them. This would be an easy way to keep a TOW 2 ATGM with light infantry, without wearing the Soldiers out trying to manpack it. There are unlimited possibilities.

The recent "Thunder Run" of the 3rd ID into Baghdad highlights the need for trailers so units can carry their own resupply since unarmored resupply trucks were lost trying to get through.

Forge the Thunderbolt!

CPT Jeffrey Schram, Armor

About the author.....

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CPT Schram is a graduate of Liberty University with a degree in Elementary Education. He is a graduate of U.S. Army enlisted Basic, Armor AIT, OCS, Armor Officer's Basic Course, Chemical Officer's Reserve Course. He went to NTC as both Armored BlueFor and as Light infantry OPFOR. He jumped as the ATAC towed ATB component for the Operation Dark Claw parachute assault demonstration to SF Command. He is married to the former Taya Enos who is a professional consultant in the field of photo preservation.