Winning the First Fight

Modernizing Armor and Cavalry Doctrine

By MCOE Directorate of Collective Training and Doctrine (DCTD)

Article published on: March 15, 2026 in the Spring 2026 issue of Armor

Read Time: < 4 mins

As the Army continues its path towards the most holistic modernization effort in recent history, the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCOE) is aggressively updating doctrine and training products to ensure our formations can see, understand, and act faster than any peer adversary. A key tenet of this effort is the recognition that doctrine must be grounded in reality. While modernization efforts look toward the next decade, the DCTD remains focused on providing the tactics and techniques required for the Army of today to win with the equipment currently available in the arms room.

Cavalry Squadron: Reframing the Purpose

The revision of army techniques publication (ATP) 3-20.96, Cavalry Squadron, marks a significant shift in how we employ the eyes and ears of the brigade combat team (BCT). Moving away from the 2018 version, the new doctrine clarifies that reconnaissance and security are methods, not the sole purpose.

The Reframed Purpose: The squadron exists to inform, protect, and fight for the main body. This distinction empowers commanders to employ the squadron across a broader range of missions, emphasizing its role in supporting commanders at echelon.

Reintroducing the Offense and Defense: After two decades of focus on stability operations, we have reintroduced specific techniques for the squadron to conduct offensive and defensive tasks. The manual now details the unique planning and execution considerations for these missions in a high-intensity, multi-domain environment.

Dominating the EMS and Airspace: Lessons from global conflicts have made it clear that a squadron cannot survive without mastering the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). The draft addresses:

• sUAS employment at echelon to enable combined arms maneuver in a contested environment.
• Counter-UAS (C-UAS) and electronic warfare (EW) terminology and protection.
• Integration of electromagnetic support and attack capabilities.
• Command and control (C2) integration, sustainment, and airspace management for high-density sUAS environments.

Aerial Overmatch: ATP 3-90.51 (sUAS)

To address the reality of persistent observation, DCTD is developing ATP 3-90.51, Employment of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). This manual is not a futuristic concept; it is a practical guide for integrating the sUAS platforms currently assigned to our formations.

Recent observations from combat training centers (CTCs) and operational environments reinforce that the formation that sees first, understands first, and acts first maintains the advantage. ATP 3-90.51 supports maneuver battle positions by providing standardized tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that integrate aerial reconnaissance directly into platoon, company, and squadron operations. By extending the “eyes” of the formation beyond the line of sight, sUAS allows maneuver leaders to confirm obstacle effects and detect enemy reconnaissance before physical contact is made. This preserves combat power and ensures the formation maintains the initiative during complex transitions like relief in place or passage of lines.

The Future Force: Armored Strike and TiC 2.0

Along with previously mentioned doctrine, the modernization of ATP 3-20.98, Scout Platoon, and ATP 3-90.5, Combined Arms Battalion, is being informed by real-world data. We are incorporating Transformation in Contact (TiC) 2.0 lessons learned from 1st Cavalry Division’s NTC 26-02 and will observe the 3rd Infantry Division’s NTC 26-08 as it further informs Army senior leader decisions on the structure of armored brigade combat teams (ABCTs) in the summer of 2026.

Looking further ahead, ATP 3-90.55, Armored Strike Platoon, will serve as the blueprint for robotic integration and human-machine teaming (HMT). Following the force design update (FDU), this publication will focus on enhancing security operations to provide maneuver commanders decision time and space while economizing manned combat power to be placed critical points of friction.

Lethality: The C92 Series and Platform-Specific TCs

Coming out of the III Corps lethality studies, the Weapons and Gunnery Branch overhauled platform gunnery manuals. The C92 series of articles published in 2025 highlighted this transition toward platform-specific manuals like Training Circular (TC) 3-20.31-120, Gunnery: Heavy Tank. This shift prioritizes:

Tactical Relevance: Ensuring the way we plan, prepare, execute, and assess gunnery is rooted in the modern battlefield.

The Kill Chain: Standardized tower prompts are now synchronized with the Direct Fire Kill Chain.

Outcome-Based Scoring: The new model prioritizes target destruction and “speed and violence of action” over minor administrative errors.

Developing Mastery: Three new TCs were published in 2025 with an additional six currently under development covering advanced topics such as platform fire control systems, range determination, gun tube technology, and ballistics. The goal is to provide every crew member with the information typically held at the Master Gunner level and sharpen atrophied skills across the formation.

A Call for Feedback: Fighting with the Tools at Hand

Doctrine is a living conversation between the schoolhouse and the motor pool. It is not intended to be a static wish list for future technology, but a manual for how the “Combat Arm of Decision” survives, fights, and wins with the tools currently available.

While formal input is gathered via the Army Doctrine Development Tool (ADDT), we invite the operational force to review published and draft products and provide candid feedback based on your experiences in the dirt. Your input ensures our doctrine remains relevant to the Soldier in the turret today. Through MCOE and Armor School leadership, units should expect to receive draft doctrine and handbooks to take into the field and provide feedback on to ensure doctrine is moving at the speed of change.