The change in the geostrategic environment within the past two decades and the present and future challenges of the modern battlefield with various state and non-state actors poses great challenges to many armies, especially those in the Western world. Despite radical cuts in defense budgets in the past years, the build-up and expansion of effective military capacities in the Austrian armed forces must be the precondition for fulfilling future security-political tasks, forming the basis for an effective and credible foreign and security policy.
One of the ways Austria has approached its defense challenges has been to integrate the artillery and reconnaissance branches into one unit. The Austrian armed forces have done this since 2009. In combining command and control (C2), reconnaissance and effect into one system, the “reconnaissance and artillery battalion” is a substantial pillar of military-intelligence collection and of ranged fire support in combined-arms warfare. Some innovative approaches show possibilities to further develop the reconnaissance and artillery battalion with a view to the future and to the unit’s increased usefulness, despite decreasing resource levels.
First, some preliminary notes and basic information on terrestrial tactical reconnaissance and indirect ranged fire support are necessary.
The principles and fundamentals of military information-gathering and terrestrial tactical reconnaissance are:
In the current peacetime structure of reconnaissance and artillery battalions, military information-gathering is limited at the tactical level (brigade and below) to ground-based field human-intelligence (HUMINT) personnel.
We know from international operations that effective intelligence requires the integration and use of diverse means and sensors with evaluation devices for information-processing and distribution. At the tactical level, in particular, it is important to rely on diverse assets to gather information.
Every reconnaissance means is designed for a specific operational spectrum and has, therefore, its respective strengths and weaknesses. Only by way of a balanced mix of these means can a satisfying coverage be ensured. The interaction of technical reconnaissance means with personnel who contribute reconnaissance results based on interrogation or observation on-site is decisive. This aspect acquires a particular significance, especially in asymmetric conflict scenarios.
Information-gathering at the level of terrestrial tactical reconnaissance with the help of a sensor mix has established itself as the international standard, including at least the following means:
The possibilities to further develop terrestrial tactical reconnaissance in the reconnaissance and artillery battalion are:
The principles and fundamentals of ranged indirect-fire support are:
Although the reconnaissance and artillery battalions – by way of the self-propelled howitzer M109A5OE – have a state-of-the-art and internationally recognized cannon, and although the Combat Next Generation C2 and weapons system will soon replace the Electronic Artillery Fire-Control System – resulting in another clear enhancement of quality – the field of ammunition equipment is still marked by an urgent backlog. To be able to continue optimally supporting combat troops in future, modern and complex scenarios, the employment of semi-intelligent and intelligent ammunition types is absolutely necessary and, in the end, more cost-effective as well.
Employing semi-intelligent and intelligent ammunition as compared to conventional ammunition types means that for the same effect:
The possibilities to further develop indirect ranged fire support in the reconnaissance and artillery battalion are as follows. A change in the ammunition equipment toward precision artillery ammunition results in these advantages:
The multi-facetedness of the reconnaissance and artillery battalion is derived from its tasks:
In terms of the strategic basic orientation of the future armed-forces profile F2 “enhanced cooperation,” we can make a number of deductions regarding the reconnaissance and artillery battalion.
In general, the reconnaissance and artillery battalion is in a position to support nine of 18 military-strategic task settings of profile variant F2, including contributions to the picture of the situation and kinetic and non-kinetic combat support. This is shown by examining the support provided on behalf of a battalion-sized task force within the framework of a stabilization operation and a robust separation-of-parties operation within the framework of a European Union battle group (EUBG).
In the February 2012 issue of the Austrian Land Forces School’s journal Exempla Docent, a deputy battalion commander of a combat unit published an article dealing with experiences gained in a peace-support operation in northern Afghanistan, confirming the findings established in this article.
Stabilization operations and separation of parties to a conflict are among the most demanding international military operations to be conducted by an Austrian battalion-sized combat unit. What tasks a combat unit must fulfill and what requirements a reconnaissance and artillery unit has to meet in such a scenario is briefly described, following.
Stabilization operations. The tasks of a battalion-sized combat unit (infantry battalion) in a stabilization operation (area of responsibility: 40 x 50 kilometers, medium-threat spectrum) include:
Separation of parties to a conflict. The tasks of a battalion-sized combat unit (mechanized infantry battalion) in separating parties to a conflict (attack more than 20 kilometers, capture of an objective: 2x2 kilometers) include:
Reconnaissance and artillery unit. The requirements placed on a reconnaissance and artillery unit in support of a battalion-sized combat unit in a stabilization operation or to separate parties to a conflict are:
The modern battlefield is extremely varied, demanding a comprehensive approach and multiple employments of civilian and military capacities. Especially in view of dwindling financial resources, the reconnaissance and artillery battalion is well suited to support the broad spectrum of future military operations in terms of reconnaissance, C2 and effect. Most of the development needed to enhance the unit’s performance can be implemented already now and at low costs.
There have been enhancements in evaluation and analysis capabilities, the implementation of field HUMINT platoons at the reconnaissance and artillery platoons, and the build-up of non-kinetic secondary-role capabilities (TPT, TCT, CIMIC) for organizational elements so far exclusively defined as kinetic.
Also, the change in ammunition equipment toward precision ammunition not only increases accuracy and effectiveness, but also the assertiveness vis-à-vis the parties to the conflict and the self-assurance of one’s own soldiers.
(Editor’s note: A version of this article was originally published in the Austrian military publication TRUPPENDIENST, March 2013 edition, published by the Ministry of Defense, Vienna, Austria. Republished with permission from TRUPPENDIENST.)