{"id":18973,"date":"2022-02-25T22:31:25","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T22:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/02\/25\/proposed-light-tank-battalion-concept-will-require-more-armor-crewmen\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:38:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:38:23","slug":"proposed-light-tank-battalion-concept-will-require-more-armor-crewmen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/land\/2022\/02\/25\/proposed-light-tank-battalion-concept-will-require-more-armor-crewmen\/","title":{"rendered":"Proposed light tank battalion concept will require more armor crewmen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Army planners are building a new type of battalion for the light tank design that is nearing a decision by service officials, and it\u2019s going to require more armor crewmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mobile Protected Firepower battalion concept is becoming a reality, but it still faces its share of challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plans call for the MPF battalion to reside at the division level. It will then farm out companies to each brigade, said Christopher Stone, deputy director of the Army\u2019s capability manager for the infantry brigade combat team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stone spoke at the 2022 Maneuver Warfighter Conference at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Feb. 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe MPF company looks and smells like a tank company,\u201d Stone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2022\/02\/23\/these-soldiers-will-reinvent-cavalry-over-the-next-two-years\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/first-cavalry-artillery-fire.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">These soldiers will reinvent cavalry over the next two years<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">This Fort Hood, Texas unit is reorganizing for the future fight.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Final decisions on the MPF structure await big Army approval, some of which will come from an oversight council meeting in March. The MPF platform decision could possibly come by May. The Army will choose between prototypes built by General Dynamics Land Systems and BAE Systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The General Dynamics version is basically a scaled-down Abrams tank with a 105mm cannon. The BAE Systems version is similar to the M8 Buford armored gun system, which was previously developed to replace the M551 Sheridan light tank \u2014 once used by units such as the 82nd Airborne Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both companies delivered a dozen prototypes for testing, evaluation and soldier feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The light tanks went through soldier vehicle assessments with the 82nd Airborne Division and gunnery fires in 2021, Army Times\u2019 sister publication <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/land\/2021\/10\/11\/ausa-us-armys-light-tank-competition-enters-final-stretch\/\" target=\"_blank\">Defense News <\/a>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Army had to pair the development of both the platform and the unit as the program moved along. If out of sync, there\u2019s a lot of wasted time and effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe last thing we want to do is give you an MPF battalion, then you\u2019re waiting six years to receive the platforms,\u201d Stone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The concept emerged in earnest from a \u201cstatement of need\u201d in 2013, as Army leaders saw gaps in the infantry brigade firepower that could limit maneuver in large-scale combat against peer adversaries, Stone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, Stone said, the service was a brigade-centric Army that had scaled down to fight counterinsurgency and counterterrorism wars, shedding some of its heavier assets not needed in those missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"6720\" height=\"4480\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5218633.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5218633.jpg.jpg 6720w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5218633.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5218633.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5218633.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5218633.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5218633.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 6720px) 100vw, 6720px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">RODRIGUEZ LIVE FIRE COMPLEX, Republic of Korea &#8212; Sgt. Luis Munoz, a Fort Bliss native and tank commander with 1st Battalion 67th Armor &#8220;Death Dealers,\u201d 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division (Rotational) prepares to qualify at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, Republic of Korea, March 19. This training allows crew-members the opportunity to improve gunnery skills and maintain readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Alon J. Humphrey, 3rd ABCT, 1st AD Public Affairs Office)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So direct fire assets and armor were consolidated at the brigade level. But that worked primarily because the units weren\u2019t called upon as often as they will be in a more intense, near-peer battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fighting in that setup now would mean one company out of 40 companies being tasked with a quarter of the missions, which is not a sustainable model, Stone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the Army will need to add more armor crewmen to formations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Current plans for the MPF concept require a company of 64 armor crewmen in each infantry brigade from the MPF battalion. But that\u2019s not the only demand on the armor field, which this concept creates. They\u2019ll also need at least 24 armor maintenance soldiers per brigade to keep the light tanks running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And leaders don\u2019t want to strip out all the assets from the brigade to create these positions; so infantry brigades will retain much of their structure while adding the armor soldiers they need for the new integrated tank\/infantry mission, Stone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In some units, such as the 1st Cavalry Division and the 1st Armor Division, which contain three brigades, leaders will have options to satisfy the new tank personnel requirements. But others with fewer brigades, such as 25th Infantry Division, don\u2019t have as much personnel depth, according to Stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Army wants to have the first unit equipped by fiscal 2025, Stone said. Planners want the unit structure in place and a battalion headquarters ready to pair soldiers with light tanks before then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While changes could occur, the 82nd Airborne Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and a not-yet-identified Army National Guard unit will likely be in the first round of fielding, Stone added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BradleyGunnery.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BradleyGunnery.jpg.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BradleyGunnery.jpg.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BradleyGunnery.jpg.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BradleyGunnery.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/BradleyGunnery.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aerial drone image of Bradley Fighting Vehicle crews from the 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, conducting Table XII gunnery at Fort Stewart, Ga. December 7, 2016. (Photo by   Master Sgt. Erick Ritterby\/U.S. Army)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stone cautioned in his presentation that much of what he shared was still considered pre-decisional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the next six months, as events unfold, Stone\u2019s team will work out plans for units such as 10th Mountain Division, 25th Infantry Division and other high-priority units, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond personnel, Army leaders have other challenges to face, including a limited quantity and serviceability of 105mm ammunition stocks. Leaders also have to find out where to place these light tanks to provide the best use of assets with ease of access for units that haven\u2019t had to accommodate tanks in decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAdding 14 tanks to Fort Benning \u2014 not that high of an impact,\u201d Stone said. But a tank company headed to a Guard unit in Wisconsin that\u2019s never had such weapon systems is a different story, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On top of those training, storage and maintenance concerns, the Army will be bound by local environmental questions, which will be demanding in places such as Hawaii, home of the 25th ID, and Alaska.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One solution would be staging equipment at locations other than where soldiers are based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Stone said, light tanks stored at Fort AP Hill, Virginia, or Fort Stewart, Georgia, could be accessed by soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Army would still want to keep the tanks within at least a six-hour drive of the unit using them. The 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for instance, could train with light tanks stored at Fort Knox, Kentucky, which is a two-and-a-half-hour drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another item at issue is how to recover vehicles that go down. Right now, the only platform suited for the job is the M88A1 recovery vehicle, which comes in three variants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the repair parts for the older M88s are obsolete and there is not yet enough M88s to fill the light tank and heavier armor asset needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the operational units will get these assets first in fiscal 2025, the schoolhouse and trainers at Fort Benning\u2019s armor school aren\u2019t expected to bring vehicles on site until fiscal 2026. Under that plan, they won\u2019t start pumping out trained MPF crewmen and leaders until fiscal 2027, Stone said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Mobile Protected Firepower battalion will attach light tank companies to each brigade.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":36484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":14,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,14,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3481],"class_list":["post-18973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-land","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"VB7CFFUQ75EIDMQY7MXYDO23FA","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-army\/2022\/02\/25\/proposed-light-tank-battalion-concept-will-require-more-armor-crewmen\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Proposed light tank battalion concept will require more armor crewmen - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Mobile Protected Firepower battalion will attach light tank companies to each brigade.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Proposed light tank battalion concept will require more armor crewmen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Mobile Protected Firepower battalion will attach light tank companies to each brigade.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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