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Featured Article

‌From Contact to Overmatch: Redefining Armor Fundamentals Through Transformation in Contact

By COL Bryan Bonnema, MAJ Aram Hatfield, and MAJ David Sturm

Read Time: < 9 mins

An examination of how the 1st ABCT, 3rd Infantry Division is transforming armored warfare execution through the Isolation-Exploitation-Regeneration framework, integrating unmanned systems, persistent sensors, and network-enabled operations while maintaining core Armor fundamentals.

Military convoy of armored vehicles moving on dusty road with drones overhead and smoke in the distance at dusk.
Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) emblem with "Train to Win" motto and stylized map background
Read Time: < 16 mins

Data Overload: Observations on Data and Mission Command from JMRC

Analysis of data overload challenges faced by brigade and battalion staffs at JMRC, examining how excessive information streams overwhelm command posts and hinder effective C2, with practical solutions for managing tactical-level data in modern operations.

By LTC Jordan Bradford, MAJ Edwin den Harder, and COL CJ Kirkpatrick

Military officer in tan uniform on horseback, shown in profile view against white background
Read Time: < 9 mins

Learning the Wrong Lessons: The Influence of Tanks in the Spanish Civil War on the U.S. Army

Examines how the U.S. Army drew incorrect conclusions about tank employment from the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), favoring infantry support roles over independent armored operations, while Germany learned the right lessons that informed their successful blitzkrieg tactics.

By Maj Michael Hanson, USMC

Two 24V Caterpillar maintenance-free batteries connected with red terminals in heavy equipment compartment.
Read Time: < 11 mins

Creative Maintenance Solutions in a Fiscally Constrained Environment

1-64 AR developed cost-effective maintenance solutions using 3D printing, allied partnerships, and preventative measures to repair dead-lining vehicle faults with long lead times while deployed as NATO Battlegroup Poland in 2025.

By MAJ Jordan L. Woodburn, 1LT Trevor N. Stanley, and 1LT James A. Puls

U.S. military personnel conducting mission briefing with coalition partners in desert environment
Read Time: < 8 mins

Ukrainian Combat Employment of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle

Ukraine's AFU rewrote Bradley Fighting Vehicle doctrine out of necessity — dismounting farther, fighting dispersed, and ambushing with TOW missiles — offering NATO a combat-proven case for decentralized initiative over synchronized combined arms.

By 1LT Jack Lynch

  • Detailed pencil illustration of a wooden range tower with metal staircase and railings, with two soldiers visible on the structure. The C92 branch designation is displayed in large stenciled text in the foreground
    Gunnery Branch - C92: TC 3-20.31-120 Gunnery: Heavy Tank

    Overview of TC 3-20.31-120 Gunnery: Heavy Tank, detailing key 2025 updates to Abrams tank gunnery tables, LFAST procedures, boresighting standards, four-target engagements, and conduct-of-fire techniques for large-scale combat operations.

    By Weapons and Gunnery Branch

  • Multiple rocket launches leaving white zigzagging smoke trails against a gray sky above a concrete structure.
    Steel Meets Sustainment: Key Takeaways from the 12-Day War

    Analysis of strategic sustainment operations during the 2025 Israel-Iran 12-Day War, examining lessons learned in displacement, drone threats, predictive logistics, and maintenance capacity for large scale combat operations in contested environments.

    By CPT Ben Kusinski

  • Lady Justice
    The Army’s New Maintenance Skills Test Program in the ABCT

    The Armor community has developed the Maintenance Skills Test (MST) program to establish standardized maintenance training for maneuver companies, enabling crews to operate more effectively and reducing reliance on dedicated maintainers in LSCO environments.

    By CPT Gabriel Liranzo

  • Soldier in camouflage uniform kneeling on rocky outcrop with weapon, overlooking desert terrain at sunset.
    A Rapidly Changing Operational Environment: Cavalry Scouts Need to be Painfully Light and Disproportionately Lethal

    Analysis of modern battlefield dynamics from Russo-Ukrainian War observations and Combat Training Center data, examining how cavalry scouts must adapt to unprecedented battlefield transparency through signature management and enhanced lethality capabilities.

    By SSG Matthew Watson

  • Close-up of a tank crew member wearing a combat vehicle crewman helmet looking through tank gunner optics
    From the Boresight Line: Engagements in Undulating Terrain

    This article examines how armor vehicle crews adapt tactics, gunnery techniques, and coordination to successfully engage threats in undulating and restricted terrain environments.

    By 1SG Michael Stephens

  • Ask Outlaw Cover Image
    From the Combat Training Centers: Ask Outlaw A Perspective on Rotational Training

    Commander of Operations Group shares insights on maximizing NTC training. Focuses on fundamentals over gaming scenarios, commander-staff dialogue on risk, validation of systems, and home-station prep for BCT readiness success.

    By Colonel Ian J. Lauer

  • M1 Abrams tank firing its main gun during a training exercise in an open field with trees in the background.
    MDMP & Risk

    An analysis of how the military decision-making process (MDMP) should be approached as a comprehensive risk-mitigation strategy, with critical assumptions, problem statements, and evaluation criteria working together to prevent operational failure.

    By MAJ Brett Barton

  • Communications satellite with solar panels in orbit above Earth's atmosphere marked with large red X symbolizing denied or disrupted satellite communications and space-based capabilities
    Armor In a Space-Contested Environment: Reclaiming the Maneuver Advantage

    U.S. Army units must prepare for GPS-denied combat as adversaries develop counter-space capabilities. The 1st Cavalry Division's success at NTC proves encryption discipline, alternate navigation, and integrated space training enable forces to fight effectively in contested environments.

    By MAJ Heidi Beemer

  • Military vehicle with mounted weapon system partially obscured by dust or smoke in an outdoor training environment.
    Fighting Autonomy with Autonomy: A Possible Future

    An analysis of how U.S. Army units can counter drone swarm threats by leveraging AI-enhanced existing weapon systems like CROWS, rather than relying on dedicated air defense units or new platforms that cannot be fielded army-wide.

    By MAJ James T. Casey

  • A tank drives through a damaged brick wall in a dense urban area, creating an entry point amid dust and debris.
    Mission Command Under Fire: Tank Leadership and Character in Sad City's Irregular War

    This article examines tank leadership in Sadr City's irregular warfare, analyzing mission command principles, combat stress management, and leadership character adaptation. SGM Steve Gonzalez explores how the 2008 Battle of Sadr City demonstrated effective armor operations in urban combat.

    By SGM Steve Gonzalez

  • M88A3 armored recovery vehicle with crew members working on top of the vehicle in a wooded training area with dust or smoke visible around the tracked chassis
    Support Operations in an ABCT: Maintenance and Mobility with the Hercules and LET

    Lessons from 4-10 CAV's deployment showing how organic M88A3 recovery vehicles and Light Equipment Transporters reduced reliance on costly commercial line haul contracts during NTC training and Poland operations, emphasizing the importance of master driver programs and advanced operator training.

    By MAJ John Paulson

  • Destroyed Russian tank with heavily damaged turret and hull from combat in Ukraine
    Historical Armor Losses: Shifting Tactics and Strategic Paralysis

    An analysis of Russia's catastrophic armored vehicle losses in Ukraine, examining how drone warfare has reshaped modern combat, the depletion of Soviet-era stockpiles, and why accurate intelligence assessments matter for Western policy decisions on the conflict's future trajectory.

    By Bryan Powers

  • Two U.S. Army Soldiers in full combat gear and helmets stand on the lowered rear ramp of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, looking into the open troop compartment where a third Soldier works on the interior equipment. The vehicle, marked with the letters CK, is photographed from the rear in an arid, desert training environment with mountains visible in the background
    M242 Bushmaster Gun Theory

    A new training circular gives Bradley commanders and gunners a comprehensive, easy-to-understand reference for mastering the M242 automatic cannon — covering how it works, gear flow, troubleshooting, maintenance, and storage, filling a gap left open since 2001.

    By SFC Marc E. Price

  • Military armored personnel carrier with soldiers during field operations
    Blocked and Bloodied: Lessons from the Combined Arms Breach during the 2023 Ukrainian Counter Offensive

    This military analysis article examines the tactical failures of Ukraine's 2023 counter-offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, specifically focusing on failed combined arms breach operations against Russian defensive lines. Written by Captain Austin Bajc for ARMOR magazine, this analysis examines Ukrainian breaching attempts in the context of US Army doctrine (SOSRA fundamentals). It draws lessons for American Armored Brigade Combat Teams in future large-scale combat operations.

    By CPT Austin Bajc

  • Four wooden dice arranged in a row spelling the word 'RISK' against a green background.
    Risk-Decision Methodology

    A practical methodology linking risk identification, mitigation, and course of action selection within the military decision-making process (MDMP) to simplify planning, reduce guesswork, and improve operational outcomes on the battlefield.

    By Retired MAJ Lance Brender

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