by Tom Clancy
The M93E1 Fox NBC Vehicle.
JACK RYAN ENTERPRISES., LTD., BY LAURA ALPHER
The Fox NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle
Of all the threats faced by the troops of the Allied Coalition during Desert Storm, the one that caused the most fear and concern was Saddam Hussein’s arsenal of chemical and biological weapons. Built up over a period of years, the Iraqi stockpile was varied and battle-tested. In actual combat against the Iranians and the Iraqi Kurds, this array of chemical agents proved worthy of the popular nickname “the poor man’s atomic bomb.” And despite the claims that there were no known Iraqi chemical attacks during the war, the threat was very real and very frightening to the U.S. Army. Part of the reason for this fear was that the U.S. Army had, over a period of decades, allowed its ability to fight and survive on a chemical battlefield drop to near the bottom of its priority list. This is not to say that chemical and biological warfare did not figure into U.S. Army plans. The overpressure filtration system on the M1A1/2 Abrams tanks and the improved chemical-warfare suits issued to U.S. personnel in the Gulf were proof that some progress had been made. But these were passive measures only, and they did not solve several basic problems. For example, on a battlefield, you need to know immediately if a chemical attack has taken place. The U.S. Mk 8 detector, which was the Army’s primary means of sniffing out chemical attacks before the Persian Gulf War, could begin to do that. That is, it could sound an alarm. But it could not determine how wide the contaminated area was, or what kind of agent had been used—two factors that are vital in allowing an army to fight effectively on a chemical battlefield. Prior to the deployment of U.S. forces to the Persian Gulf in 1990, the only way to evaluate the type and scope of a chemical attack was to send out soldiers with strips of indicator paper (specially treated to turn color in the presence of various chemical agents). Considering the variety and size of Saddam’s chemical arsenal, something better was needed.
The Germans contributed the answer to this problem—an odd-looking armored vehicle called the Fuchs (Fox). Originally produced by Thyssen Henschel, the Fox (which has been type-classified as the M93) is a wheeled armored vehicle packed with special equipment for assessing the type and range of nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) attacks. Powered by a 320-hp diesel V-8 engine, and riding on six large rubber tires to maximize mobility, the Fox has a top speed of over 65 mph/106 kph and an unrefueled range of 500 miles/820 km. It carries a crew of four (driver, commander, and two sensor operators) in an armored citadel equipped with an advanced overpressure filtration/air-conditioning system. This allows the crew to operate in a fairly normal environment without the need for chemical suits and masks. And while the armor is not of the stature found in the M1A2 or the Bradley, it protects against machine-gun and mortar fire, which are major threats to reconnaissance vehicles such as the Fox. So comfortable is this system that many unit commanders I have met would like to take over a Fox for their personal command vehicle. One went so far as to compare the ride, seats, and air-conditioning to a really nice GM or Winnebago motor home!
The real payload of the Fox is the integrated sensor suite located in the rear compartment of the vehicle. The most impressive of these is a funny-looking system used to survey and assess areas suspected of being contaminated—or “slimed”—by chemical agents. On the rear of the vehicle are a pair of mechanical arms carrying rollers with a sticky silicone rubber coating. One at a time, these are lowered to the ground and allowed to roll along the surface, picking up traces of any chemicals that might be present. Once this has been done for a short time, the arm is raised (and the other lowered) to a sensor head for analysis by a mass spectrometer. This has the capability to identify dozens of chemical agents, from mustard gas to the latest lethal nerve agents. The computerized analysis gear is tied to an inertial navigation system (similar to the POS/NAV system of the M1A2) which maintains a map record of the area that has been surveyed. In addition, there is a sensor to detect radioactive fallout or nuclear contamination, if present. Once an area has been surveyed, the data can be relayed back to the commander of the friendly forces via a pair of SINCGARS radios. And should it be required, the Fox can lay a trail of brightly colored markers, to flag a contaminated area or show a safe transit lane through such a zone.
Sixty of these sly little vehicles were donated by the Germans to the U.S. to support the coalition forces in the Gulf. Ten went to the two Marine Corps divisions on the eastern end of the front, and the other fifty went to Army units in the VII Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps. Two were assigned to each brigade or regimental headquarters to scout for zones of chemical contamination during the drive into Iraq and Kuwait. And while you did not see much of them on CNN or the other news services, rest assured that right behind the leading armored wedges of the U.S. forces were the Foxes doing their job. Fortunately, it seems there were no actual chemical attacks, though a number of Iraqi storage bunkers were shattered by bombs and artillery shells, causing chemical spills and downwind diffusion of toxic agents. The work of the small force of Foxes continued after the cease-fire; they were busy for weeks surveying the battlefields of Iraq and Kuwait, looking for traces of deadly chemicals. By all accounts, they were extremely successful, with not one known Allied casualty due to Iraqi chemical weapons.
The positive experience that U.S. forces had with the Fox has translated into a program to acquire more of the vehicles and upgrade them with new and improved capabilities. General Dynamics Land Systems (the maker of the M1A2 Abrams), in partnership with Thyssen Henschel, was selected by the Army to provide additional Fox NBC reconnaissance vehicles. In addition to the sixty vehicles already donated by the Germans, another forty-eight Fox/M93 vehicles have been procured to support other units that the U.S. military might send into combat. In addition, the entire fleet of Foxes will be upgraded with GPS receivers to improve navigational accuracy. Planned enhancements include additional sensors, a central computer with commander’s display and printer, as well as an erectable mast capable of sensing chemical gas clouds and their characteristics (size, agent, speed and direction of movement, etc.). By the time this procurement has been completed later in the 1990s, the improved Fox/M93A1 vehicles of the U.S. Army will be the most capable NBC reconnaissance vehicles in the world. The only thing that Fox will not have is numbers, for the Army could probably use two or three hundred of the handy little vehicles. Nevertheless, the hundred or so assigned to field units will help the Army cope with the NBC threat on future battlefields, as well as with the growing possibility of toxic or radioactive terrorism. With periodic updates of the mission software and equipment, the NBC Foxes will continue in this role for several decades to come. Danke schön, Deutschland!
Other U.S. Armored Vehicles
Thus far, we have only discussed a few of the vehicles that make up the armored forces of the U.S. Army—those with an obvious military function. The next few vehicles we will explore are more like what we might see on our local streets. What makes these different from their civilian counterparts is their need to do their jobs on the battlefield. This makes them more expensive than their civilian equivalents, and sometimes compromises their performance by comparison. But just as much as the M1A2 and the Bradley, they are combat vehicles.
M88 Armored Recovery Vehicle
Fact: Tanks and other armored vehicles are heavy. Another fact: Tracked and armored vehicles break down, sometimes a lot! And when a big iron beast like an M1A2 breaks a track or its transmission dies (and these things do happen), then you need one hell of a tow truck to drag it back to the repair yard and get it going again. And this is the job of the M88 armored recovery vehicle. Built by BMY Combat Systems in York, Pennsylvania, the M88 is a heavy tracked armored vehicle equipped with the necessary tools to extract or tow a heavy armored vehicle back to a field-maintenance unit that can repair and return it to service. Even vehicles that have been heavily shot up can frequently be put back into service with just a few hours in the shop. For example, during Des
ert Storm, if an M1 suffered turret damage, it could be taken to a repair line, where the whole turret could be replaced in just a few hours. The problem is to get it there.
As we noted earlier, the current version of the M88, known as the M88A1, is somewhat underpowered (only 750 hp) and light (56 tons/50,909 kg) compared to the M1. This makes it difficult to tow one of the big Abrams tanks if it is heavily damaged or stuck. To make up for these shortcomings, the Army and BMY have developed and tested the M88A2. It weighs 70 tons, and is powered by a 1,050-hp turbocharged diesel engine and beefed-up transmission, giving it the capability to recover even the largest armored vehicles. The vehicle’s boom/hoist winch has a 70-ton pull; it can upright an overturned tank or remove the 25-ton turret of an M1A2. Deliveries of this new version should begin in 1995, though subsequent deliveries may be delayed by funding. Nevertheless, the Army wants this vehicle very badly! Because they never want another M1 having to fight for its life waiting for a tow!
M9 Armored Combat Earthmover (ACE)
Is there anything in the world more “blue collar” than a bulldozer? For most of this century, this distinctly American construction implement has been changing the face of the earth. It’s also a significant piece of combat equipment. Bulldozers have been used by American combat engineering units since they were introduced in World War II by the famous U.S. Navy Construction Battalions known as “Seabees.” Since that time, they have been used by all four branches of the service in everything from base civil-engineering projects to building defensive positions in the field.
Armor commanders have always wanted a bulldozer that could accompany them into combat. An armored bulldozer resistant to small-arms fire and shell fragments could dig fighting positions and breech obstacles while under fire. But the project to design such a bulldozer was way down on the Army’s priority list as compared to projects like the Abrams MBT and the Bradley IFV. In addition, the original contractor for the project, now called the M9 Armored Combat Earthmover (ACE), fell behind schedule and went over budget. In the end, after accepting the prototypes and conducting operational trials, the Army reopened the contract for bids and awarded it to BMY. BMY got the vehicle into production; and ACEs began to roll off the line in 1988.
The M9 ACE looks like a metal box with small tracks on the sides and a bulldozer blade on the front. Inside is an armored one-man cab, with its own NBC filtration system to allow the driver to operate the ACE in a contaminated environment. The M9 is powered by a 295-hp Cummins V903 diesel engine running through an eight-speed (six forward, two reverse) automatic transmission. It can move at up to 30 mph/49 kph on roads, so it can self-deploy, without requiring a low-boy tractor trailer to haul it up to the front line. It can even swim at 3 mph/5 kph. It is air-transportable by any of the major transport aircraft from the C-130 Hercules to the C-5 Galaxy. And thanks to a unique hydropneumatic suspension, it can sccop up 8.7 cubic yards of earth in its front scraper bowl in a single push, and can perform other earthmoving tasks such as ditching, scraping, hauling, winching, and towing.
But most important, the M9, and a similar British vehicle called the Combat Engineer Tractor (CET), are the only earthmovers capable of working and surviving under fire. Tanks can be fitted with crude dozer blades, to plow through obstacles, but tank drivers are not trained for earthmoving and construction work. For that, you need an ACE.
Enter Saddam Hussein and his decision to roll into Kuwait in August of 1990. Almost as soon as the first units of the 82nd Airborne Division and the Marines began to land in northern Saudi Arabia, their commanders were screaming for equipment to help them dig in. The fear was that with only light units and limited weapons, these forces would be nothing more than “speed bumps” if Saddam’s heavy armored forces were to move south. Historically, forces that are properly dug in are three to five times more effective than those out in the open. Thus, within days of the order starting Desert Shield, BMY received a call to move all the M9s that could be collected from the delivery holding area and production line (about ninety-nine, I am told) to the airbase at Dover, Delaware, to be shipped by C-5 Galaxy transports directly to the U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia. The only preparation for their new duty was a coat of new desert-tan CARC (Chemical Agent Resistant Coating) paint to help them blend into the Arabian terrain. So vital were the ACEs that they went ahead of such important equipment as AH-64A Apache attack helicopters, and even ahead of ammunition! As soon as they arrived, they were trucked to the forward units that needed them so dearly. For the next few months, they were constantly busy digging fighting positions, anti-tank ditches, and a variety of other earthworks. Even the Marines out near the coast asked for some ACEs, and had thirty delivered in short order.
Later during Desert Shield, when the threat of an Iraqi invasion of Saudi Arabia had been blunted and the idea of an offensive to liberate Kuwait had taken hold, it was the M9 and other engineering tools that would make it possible. Equipment like the ACE allowed the U.S. to plan for breaching the defenses that Saddam’s forces had constructed along the border with Saudi Arabia. Trials with M9s told the U.S. Army that the ACE was capable of rapidly breaching the tall sand berms that the Iraqis had built along the border. The challenge here was for each M9 to rapidly cut three to five lanes through the berms (which were 20 to 30 feet/6 to 9 meters tall, and 50 to 80 feet/15 to 25 meters thick) so that the armored spearheads could rapidly transit into the enemy positions beyond. And so when Desert Storm opened for the ground forces in February of 1991, the M9s led the way. As soon as the berms had been cut, the ACEs followed behind the armored spearheads, ready to do any job that might be required of them. It was a performance that was almost flawless, and almost unknown to the rest of the world. But just ask the Army captains and lieutenants who led those forward platoons and companies/troops whether or not they were glad the M9s were there. I think you will find them unanimous in their praise.
U.S. Army Trucks and Other Transport Vehicles
The U.S. Army Truck/Transport Philosophy
While the German Wehrmacht introduced the world to their Blitzkrieg concept of mobile warfare, it is important to remember that even after two years of war, the German Army was still primarily a horse-drawn force. In fact, it was the Americans who created the world’s first truly mobile army. The key to this mobility was wheeled vehicles. Virtually every American serviceman knew time in a jeep or heavy truck. Even the famous 82nd and 101 st Airborne Divisions rode into the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944 in trucks, not airplanes and gliders. Wheeled military vehicles are not sexy. They are not flashy. They are simply necessary. For without the “low-boy” trucks to carry armored fighting vehicles to the front (they wear out tracks and transmissions relatively quickly), fuel trucks to carry diesel to fill their tanks, and cargo trucks to carry food, spare parts, water, and all the other stuff needed to make war, there would be no armored warfare.
The current generation of Army wheeled vehicles was designed with the idea of moving with and supporting highly mobile tracked vehicles like the M1 Abrams MBT and the M2/3 Bradley fighting vehicle. They can climb the same hills, ford the same streams, and move across the same kinds of terrain as their heavier counterparts. This is why the TV pictures of the armored wedges of American vehicles showed so many trucks and other wheeled vehicles moving in mixed formations. They move with the armor, because they were designed to. This ability doesn’t just happen. It is designed in from the start, and represents a commitment of decades to the concept that all of the Army’s vehicles should be able to move together.
A 3rd ACR M998 HMMWV “Hummer” in its natural environs.
JOHN D. GRESHAM
High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV)
Program History— Every war tends to create its own icons. Who can forget the F-4 Phantom jet, the UH-1 “Huey” helicopter, or the AK-47 assault rifle from Vietnam? In Desert Storm, along with the F-117A stealth fighter, the SCUD surface-to-surface missile, and the Patriot anti-aircraft missile, there was the H
igh-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced “Humvee”) or “Hummer” (AM General’s trademarked product name). Virtually every serviceman in Southwest Asia rode one sometime during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. President and Mrs. Bush traveled in one, and even ate their Thanksgiving dinner on the hood. And while the cutting edge of the Army in Desert Storm may have been concentrated in a few thousand M1 Abrams tanks and M2/3 Bradley fighting vehicles, the numbers of HMMWVs used during the war was about twenty thousand! Used for everything from a personal transport for officers to a medium truck mounting TOW anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, these served with a distinction worthy of their distinguished grandfather, the World War II Willys Jeep. The HMMWV is the replacement for the Army’s last jeep model, the M151 (built by Ford); and today it is the most widely used vehicle in the U.S. military.
So just what is a HMMWV? The U.S. Army calls it a four-wheeled vehicle in the “medium” (4,000-to-10,000-1b/ 1,818-to-4,545-kg) class. But the forces that use the HMMWV (all four branches of the U.S. military, along with numerous foreign countries) look upon it as a “do everything” vehicle. It performs all of the missions that used to be accomplished by the old M151 jeep, as well as the old 1-1/4-ton truck (called a “five quarter”) and six other truck types. This simplifies the skills needed to operate and maintain it, and greatly reduces the need for separate lines of spare parts.