Combined Arms in the Bradley Infantry Platoon

Advances in technology and evolution of doctrine provide grounds to review commonly-held assumptions about the level at which combined arms warfare begins. This book examines the platoon equipped with the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle to determine if combined arms warfare has devolved to find its current roots at platoon level. This book accomplishes three objectives. First, for background it provides a brief history of the evolution of combined arms. Second, it focuses on aspects of maneuver theory, organization, combat experience, doctrine, and weapons technology to support the conclusion that the contemporary Bradley infantry platoon is the starting point for combined arms warfare. Third, this study contends that the devolution of combined arms warfare is a fundamental process that can be understood only with reference to full context. That is, a consideration of dynamics peculiar to the Bradley platoon is only part of the picture. For the process to make sense, it must account for larger external fundamental, including the interaction over time among technology, doctrine, theory, organization, and experience.