Hizbollahs innovative use of guided anti-tank missiles has
drawn the attention of military specialists eager to glean lessons
from the recent fighting in Lebanon, where the high-tech Israeli
Army, considered one of the worlds most formidable fighting
forces, was often stymied by militiamen using guerrilla tactics and
advanced weaponry.
Much discussion has focused on Hizbollahs swarm tactics, which
damaged Israels Merkava tanks and heavy armored vehicles with
missile volleys at their vulnerable sides and rear.
But some say Hizbollah displayed even more innovation in using
anti-tank missiles as mobile fire support against advancing Israeli
infantry. They inflicted heavy casualties on ground troops, even
when they sought refuge inside thick-walled buildings.
Because Hizbollah had such a profusion of anti-tank weapons, they
were able to stand off at some distance and pop away at Israeli
dismounted infantry at ranges beyond what you traditionally think
of when you talk about close combat, said Steven Zaloga, a
land-warfare analyst at the Virginia-based Teal Group.
Hizbollahs missile arsenal included old yet effective Russian-made
Sagger wire-guided anti-tank missiles, as well as the newer Russian
Metis-M and Kornet. They also fired Iranian-built knockoffs of the
American Dragon and the larger TOW missile.
Most anti-tank missiles carry very large warheads to penetrate
thick steel armor. The huge blast is lethal against exposed
infantry and can penetrate the thick masonry walls characteristic
of Lebanese construction.
Hizbollahs swarm tactics firing multiple missiles against a
single target proved effective against both armored vehicles and
infantry, said Anthony Cordesman, a military analyst at the Center
for Strategic and International Studies, Washington. The missile
volleys forced Israeli troops to scatter, yet denied them the
sanctuary of buildings as well, said Cordesman, who recently
visited Lebanons battlefields.
The missiles even threatened Israeli helicopters, he said.The
volleys also forced Israeli tank commanders to advance buttoned
up, with all hatches closed and without their customary infantry
escort. This is particularly dangerous on urban battlefields, where
tankers rely on infantry to spot ambushes, deadly roadside bombs
and concealed or dug-in anti-tank weapons.
As the tanks maneuvered down narrow urban streets and confronted
fortified defensive lines without protective infantry, they proved
vulnerable to Hizbollah fighters who emerged from hidden bunkers
and trenches to attack at close range.
Hizbollahs huge arsenal of anti-tank missiles allowed the
guerrillas to shoot from up to 3,000 meters away, well beyond the
range of the Israeli infantrys small arms. It also allowed
Hizbollah to create a layered defensive system in which missiles
placed in over-watch positions in the rear could provide fire
support for fighters in the frontline trenches and bunkers.
The layered system robbed Israels armored forces of proper
combined arms integration, preventing them from making a swift
thrust into southern Lebanon. Instead, they became bogged down in a
costly slugging match as they slowly chewed through Hizbollahs
layered defensive system of bunkers, fortified villages and hilltop
firing positions.
Zaloga said the Israelis had beefed up their frontline forces with
combat engineers who specialize in assaulting bunkers and fortified
positions. But Hizbollahs man-portable artillery prevented the
fighting from unfolding in a traditional close-quarters infantry
battle until missile volleys had thinned the Israeli infantrys
ranks.
The fighting was reminiscent of the great World War II tank battle
at Kursk, in which Germanys massed tank force attempted to smash
through thick Russian defensive belts but were ground to bits in a
defeat from which the Wehrmacht never recovered.
Hizbollah had done their homework and made their acquisition
decisions and supply from Iran and Syria from what they saw on the
other side of the border, said CSISs Guy Ben-Ari. Years and
years of skirmishing gets you to a position where your knowledge of
the enemy is very good.
The U.S. military also has recognized the value of anti-tank
missiles when used against infantry.
American troops in Iraq are using light anti-tank weapons as
bunker-busters, against fixed structures, said Dean Lockwood, a
weapons systems analyst at Forecast International. He said Army
units built on the Stryker vehicle have used TOW missiles for
direct fire support in urban areas where the .50-caliber machine
gun carried by most Stryker vehicless proved inadequate.
Good light infantry/small light forces tactics? Time to learn
from painful lesson of others......... 