ACCESS DENIED
systems have not benefited from ongo- ing investments in technology and sustainment. Land mines developed during the Vietnam era are still the only systems available to provide our forces the required AD capability.
Land mines typically have two subcat- egories: nonpersistent mines, with the ability to self-destruct or self-deactivate, and persistent mines. Persistent
land
mines, while effective and relatively inexpensive, have no self-destruct ability and have the negative collateral effect of denying both friendly and enemy forces access to the mined area. In addition, persistent land mines remain lethal until action is taken to clear the minefield. If persistent mines are not cleared, they can remain a threat to the indigenous civilian populations for decades. As a result, U.S. land mine policy banned the use of all persistent land mines after 2010, leaving nonpersistent land mines as the only option currently available for operational use.
Te U.S. inventory of nonpersistent land mines is the Family of Scatterable Mines (FASCAM). FASCAM systems include the hand-emplaced Modular Pack Mine System, ground- or rotary aircraft- emplaced Volcano, artillery-delivered Area Denial Artillery Munition and Remote Anti-Armor Mine, and the high-speed,
aircraft-delivered Gator.
FASCAM systems are more effective than older persistent mines because of their more advanced target detec- tion capability. However, they are also more expensive because of their more advanced technology.
All FASCAM systems have a highly reliable self-destruct capability with a self-deactivation backup
that greatly
reduces any residual threat to civilian populations. However,
36 like persistent
ENGINEERING A SOLUTION
Engineers with the 91st “Saber” Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (1-1 CAV) fire a simulated mine-clearing line charge at an obstacle Nov. 12, 2013, during a combined arms live-fire exercise with tankers assigned to 2nd “Stallion” Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment of the Ironhorse Brigade, as part of the training exercise Ironhorse Rampage at Fort Hood, TX. Engineer Soldiers are among the primary beneficiaries of new developments in A2 capabilities. (U.S. Army photo by SSG John Couffer, 1-1 CAV).
mines, the FASCAM systems limit the mobility of friendly forces while emplaced. Tere is no remote-control capability, and they are indiscriminately activated by the proximity of the target.
A BALANCED APPROACH As the Army modernizes capabilities to address these gaps, future AD sys- tems need to retain the effectiveness of the FASCAM systems while provid- ing more operational flexibility and the ability to discriminate between targets more effectively.
One current AD system, already in use in Afghanistan, that exemplifies this bal- ance of effectiveness and flexibility is the Spider Networked Munition System. Spi- der is not a land mine; it is not activated by the presence, proximity or contact of a target. When the system detects a
Army AL&T Magazine April–June 2014
potential target, it alerts a human opera- tor, who then identifies the target and determines whether to fire the lethal or nonlethal effects.
Tis system has proven highly effective in a force protection role in support of OEF. Future AD systems will need to provide a similar remote command-and-control capability, but at much longer ranges. Tey will also need to have scalable effects for escalation of force, from nonlethal to anti-personnel and anti-vehicle.
MSCoE, which plays a large role in modernizing AD systems and influ- encing their capabilities, is currently developing requirements
that outline
the overarching AD capabilities for potential future conflicts and scenarios. Tese requirements address the shift away from attacking enemy mobility
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