1. Steel thunder in modern war
American and Russian Armored Warfare Since 1990

2. Agenda Concept of Thesis Research Question American Armored Warfare
Russian Armored Warfare
Conclusion
Questions

3. Concept of Thesis
Comparative study of US Army and Russian Ground Forces; specifically the use of armor
Displays how two different organizations responsed to warfare from 1990 on; basic trends are similar, but experiences are very different.
Historical experience, national goals, etc.
Traces development of doctrine and equipment over a twenty-five year period.

4. Research Question
How has armored warfare doctrine and use changed over the past twenty-five years in the US Army and Russian Ground Forces?
Focus on combat experience and technology to reveal how doctrine changes.

5. Major Trends Research has shown the following trends:
Adaptation of Cold War organization to new multipolar world
Training of military and armored forces in particular to respond to 360° threat environment
Improvements in equipment to confront conventional and unconventional warfare

6. M1 Abrams
M1A2 MBT
M1A1 MBT

7. M2/3 Bradley

8. American Armor, 1990 - 2003 AirLand Battle Persian Gulf War, 1991
Attack second echelon
Firepower and maneuver
Persian Gulf War, 1991
Air and land forces
73 Easting

10. American Armor, 1990-2003 Full Spectrum Operations OIF
Stability, focus on all-around threat environment
OIF
Drive to Baghdad
Stabilization efforts

11. American Armor, 2004 - 2014 OIF Urban Warfare Unified Land Operations
Stability and Unconventional Warfare
Baghdad erupts—whole new war
Urban Warfare
Fallujah
Ramadi
The Surge methods
Unified Land Operations

12. Russian MBTs T-72 MBT T-80 MBT

13. Russian MBTs
T-90 MBT

14. BMP-3 IFV

15. Russian Armor, 1990 - 2004 Operational Maneuver Groups
Grozny
Show of Force
Storm Groups
‘Local War’
Chechnya
Massed fires
True A-I team.

16. Russian Armor, 2004 - 2014 Rebuilding and Rearming Georgia 2008
T-64 and T-72 vs modern T-72 variants
Need for improved APC
The Brigade Structure
An Advanced Force?
T-90 disputes
Armata Project

18. Armata MBT—The Future?

19. Other Developments Merkava Mk III and Mk IV performance in Israel
Increased use in Ukraine
Increased armor training in NATO
Germany, Poland, Baltics
Counterweight to Russian exercises?

20. Conclusions
US Army has recognized and adapted main force training to include focus on unconventional warfare, but at cost to conventional capability
Russian Ground Forces have primarily been engaged in unconventional warfare, increasing hybrid warfare experience.
No way to test superiority of equipment absent testing, but Russia currently leading in doctrinal superiority.

21. Questions?