I'm not sure what this "if you can be seen, you can be killed" happy talk is all about. There are no "can be" or "if" involved in an expanded No-Man's Land that starts long before you reach your forward line of friendly troops.
The Army is figuring out how you fight under the constant threat of enemy observation and strike capabilities:
For tank units, that means thinking about protecting formations with a layered defense, similar to the way a naval aircraft carrier group maneuvers at sea.
Any infrastructure or support units will be targets, too. A lot of defensive effort--hiding, dispersal, mobility, air defense, and preemptive strikes on enemy assets that target you--will be needed away from the No-Man's Land before you even begin to think about moving the front line.
Route clearance must be updated, practiced, and carried out.
Camouflage must be updated, practiced, and carried out.
And layered defense--including fighter UAVs that I've been droning on about at least since I did in Army magazine in 2018--is necessary. For combat units and for support units "behind" the front.
Don't be a land version of USS Chesapeake when your unit rolls out of its encampment or base, thinking you are safe until you are in line of sight of enemy forward outposts.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. You know you want to.
NOTE: Photo by Charlie Duke/U.S. Army from the article.
