General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, USA (Ret.)

The U.S. Army is facing a changing threat with varied degrees of sophistication as it enters the 21st century. Given this uncertain threat, the engineer and mine warfare (EMW) mission area continues to play a key role as a critical member of the combined arms team. Recent military operations have demonstrated the critical need for a robust EMW mission area, which is vital to the combined arms team and combat service support elements being able to fulfill their future military role.

The EMW mission area consists of the five major battlefield functions of mobility, countermobility, survivability, sustainment engineering, and topographic engineering. Each function is critical to conducting successful operations throughout the operational continuum, whether fighting a major regional conflict or providing military assistance in operations other than war. Applying technological advancements to modernize these functions enhances the combined arms commander’s ability to conduct opposed entry, sustained land combat, and OOTW to achieve a decisive victory. This section focuses on funded EMW S&T programs that provide systems and system upgrades in support of combat maneuver modernization. Only systems and system upgrades identified in the Combat Maneuver annex to the AMP, of which EMW is a part, and advanced concepts with planned 6.3 technology demonstrations of potential future systems are addressed in this section.

Table III–29 shows the relationship between the EMW S/SUs and each of the TRADOC battlefield dynamics. It also details some of the operational capabilities provided by these S/SUs.

The Combat Maneuver annex to the AMP provides the blueprint for equipping engineer forces into the next century. It embraces the Army’s modernization vision—land force dominance—by contributing to the five Army modernization objectives.

The EMW modernization strategy relies on continuous modernization as a key concept. The acquisition approach emphasizes investment in S&T programs leading to ATDs, targets of opportunity, battle laboratory experiments, AWEs, and the Joint CM ACTD. Technological advances will be incorporated more often into systems via upgrades versus entirely new systems.

Of the EMW battlefield mission areas, mobility and survivability are currently receiving a new focus in S&T due to the ever–increasing mine threat. Effective and responsible mine warfare obstructs the mobility and survivability of opposing forces and creates conditions favorable to the mine employer without inflicting needless casualties on noncombatants. Mine warfare constitutes a significant element in armed conflict at all levels of intensity and is critical to early entry forces who may be overmatched. The intelligent minefield (IMF) ATD will enhance the antiarmor lethality of the early entry force, cue fires beyond line–of–sight, and provide the potential to revolutionize maneuver. IMF can not only be turned off to provide one–way obstacles, but should be able to augment friendly maneuver forces by performing screen and guard missions autonomously. Mines are cheap, lethal, psychologically disruptive, and readily available, and they will be encountered on all future battlefields. The result is that relatively cheap mines employed quickly and in quantity can immobilize a powerful force.

Inexpensive, land mines can destroy multimillion dollar weapon systems. The future outlook is even more ominous, with the evolution of new smart mines. Microelectronics will soon take mines to new levels of lethality. The countermine shortfall is particularly worrisome because it strikes at the heart of Army’s doctrine of rapid movement and surprise to win quick decisive victories.

Table III–30 presents a summary of the S/SU/ACs, TDs, ATDs, and ACTDs found on the EMW roadmap shown in Figure III–19.

Figure III-19. Roadmap - Engineer and Mine Warfare
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Engineers enhance friendly freedom of maneuver by detecting, bypassing, breaching, marking, and reporting mines and other obstacles, crossing gaps, providing combat roads and trails, and performing forward aviation combat engineering (FACE) operations. S&T programs focus on integrating countermine capabilities through live and simulated experiments, maintaining Army and Marine Corps enhanced mobility, survivability, situational awareness, and agility to the force commander as a result of integrating countermine technology with C⁴I. The technologies include sensors, IR, microwave, multispectral, seismic and acoustic decoys, explosive neutralization, information processing, robotics, and other emerging technologies.

Joint Countermine (CM) ACTD (1995–00). This ACTD will demonstrate a seamless amphibious and land warfare countermine operational capability from sea to land by coordinating Army, Navy, and Marine Corps technology demonstrators, prototypes, and fielded military equipment.

Demonstration I, successfully executed in 4QFY97, focused on near–shore capabilities of assault, reconnaissance, breaching, and clearing with emphasis on in–stride detection and neutralization of mines and obstacles. The Army was the lead for Demonstration I. It included joint Army–Marine Corps technology demonstrations in mine detection technology for the Army’s future close–in man–portable mine detector, with the capability to detect both metallic and nonmetallic mines (handheld standoff mine detection system). It also included countermeasures to side–attack mines (off–route smart mine clearance) in support of road–clearing operations. These technologies are applicable to other military uses such as unexploded ordnance and range clearing, duds on the battlefield, and demining.

Demonstration II, planned for 3QFY98, will emphasize technologies of clandestine surveillance and reconnaissance as described in the FY94 Navy Mine Warfare Plan and will demonstrate the elements of seamless transition of countermine operations from sea to land. The Navy is lead for Demonstration II.

Mobility and Survivability (Battle Command) TD (1995–98). This program will demonstrate decision support applications for mobility, countermobility, and survivability force level information that supports multiple battlefield operating systems. Physics–based algorithms, applicable to all climatic regions, that automate the engineer’s efforts to filter, assess, and manipulate data into relevant information for the maneuver commander and staff will be incorporated into obstacle planning software and simplified survivability assessments that will be demonstrated during Task Force XXI AWE and Division XXI exercises. The software suite to be demonstrated will also provide the engineer commander with the ability to execute engineer domain force level command and control. Supports: Battle Command Decision Support System (BCDSS) (Phoenix) and Maneuver Control System (MCS).

Mine Hunter/Killer (MH/K) ATD (1998–00). The MH/K program will allow the Army to investigate and clear routes and roads through terrain where conventional countermine tools are not desirable and do so at near tactical speeds. The purpose of the MH/K program is to develop an integrated standoff mine detection and neutralization system for installation on any tactical vehicle. The system is intended to neutralize surface laid and buried, metallic and nonmetallic, AT and large AP mines. The MH/K system will consist of a multimode sensor array including forward–looking radar, and FLIR systems with a robust sensor fusion architecture and advanced ATR algorithm suite, a target designation system, a set antimine weapon with computer fire control and articulation, and a stabilized tele–operations kit. The system will detect and destroy mines and unexploded ordnance in a wide path in front of the vehicle at moderate speeds without needing to pause or stop. Supports: MH/K and Ground Standoff Mine Detection System P³I.

Engineers impede the enemy’s freedom of maneuver by disrupting, turning, fixing, or blocking his movement through obstacle development and terrain enhancement. S&T programs are integrating microelectronics, signal processing, and advanced intelligence into a controlled network of mine warfare systems. The Intelligent Minefield S&T program ended in FY97, but continues to support technology developments through participation in the Rapid Force Projection ACTD. To use this future capability and other engineer assets optimally requires the development of software to assist in evaluating the whole picture (environment, intelligence data, assets, capabilities, etc.) to facilitate planning and execution of maneuver operations.

Area Denial Systems TD (1998–01). This program will demonstrate the capability of self–contained, semiautonomous, long–standoff munitions that can defend an area by defeating, disrupting, and delaying vehicles that enter into its battlespace. This system will enhance other weapon systems in a manner similar to that achieved by land mines today, but without the postwar civilian mine threat and the demining problem. Support: Unmanned Terrain Domination.

Engineers reduce friendly force vulnerability to enemy weapon effects through rapid fabrication of protective structures, terrain alteration, and concealment. S&T programs are focused on upgrades to the low–cost, low–observable (LCLO) camouflage systems. These systems provide means for detection and hit avoidance. The upgrades are designed to reduce or eliminate visual, UV, near IR, thermal IR, and radar waveband signatures of mobile and stationary assets. The goal is to counter the highly sensitive reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition (RISTA) threat sensors, and fused sensors in all parts of the EM spectrum. Signature control will be achieved through integration of passive, reactive, and active low–observable systems.

Field fortifications research is conducted by the Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station (WES) for all of DoD. The focus of these efforts is in design of protective structures to defeat advanced munitions (bunker busters) and unconventional munitions (car bombs), to capture commercial technology, and to identify high–payoff protection techniques.

Low–Cost, Low–Observable (LCLO) System Upgrade TD (1994–06). Demonstrations are scheduled during FY94–00 for upgrades to LCLO systems, including the multispectral camouflage system for mobile equipment, the ultra–lightweight camouflage net system—general–purpose (ULCANS–GP), and the reactive/active standardized camouflage paint pattern (SCAPP). Currently fielded LCLO systems do not counter threat thermal IR sensors. Supports: ULCANS–GP, Multispectral Camouflage System for Mobile Equipment, and SCAPP.

Engineers support force sustainment by maintaining, upgrading, or constructing lines of communication and facilities; providing construction support and materials; and performing area damage assessment. Sustainment in the form of infrastructure assessment, generation and allocation of engineer resources required, and visualization technologies will be among the technologies critical in wartime contingency and support and sustainment operations.

Topographic engineers provide timely, accurate knowledge of the battlefield and terrain visualization to operational commanders and staffs at all echelons throughout the operational continuum. Knowledge of the battlefield consists of information in narrative or graphic format describing the effects of terrain and climate on military operations. The ability of the commander to visualize the terrain in all climate conditions before the battle will help him to develop dynamic operational plans, as well as to locate, engage, and defeat the enemy with a more agile, synchronized force. Terrain information developed by Army engineers provide the basic terrain reference for land and air forces as well as other DoD and non–DoD agencies.

S&T programs focus on providing terrain database construction or update real–time positioning and navigation determination, realistic physics–based terrain capabilities, geospatial database management, database value–adding for modeling and simulation, and tactical terrain and environment decision aid support. Key to battlefield awareness and crisis response is the development of technologies to support the capability for the rapid production and dissemination of image–based topographic products. Advances in microelectronics, knowledge–based systems, and signal processing techniques make the topographic engineering sciences an extremely dynamic field.

Topographic engineers are working closely with TRADOC battle labs and the user community to demonstrate, evaluate, and refine technological developments and doctrinal topographic support concepts. The digital topographic support system—multispectral imagery systems (DTSS–MSIP) currently fielded to all active duty topographic units provides automated topographic support and imagery exploitation capabilities to the commander. The DTSS/Quick Response Multicolor Printer (QRMP), to begin fielding in FY98, will provide a tactical capability to support the commander further with the latest in topographic technology. The P³I program will provide periodic increases in functionality, maintaining topographic support at the technological leading edge in capability and in data imagery exploitation.

The EMW modernization strategy and related S&T programs are linked with modernization plans in other mission areas. Table III–31 shows the linkage between EMW S/SUs and other AMP annexes.