ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Operating in an urban environment is one of the most difficult challenges facing the Army as it prepares for the next war, according to a new pamphlet from Army Training and Doctrine Command.

From recent large-scale operations in Baghdad and Mosul in Iraq and counterinsurgency missions in Kabul and Kandahar in Afghanistan, to counterterrorism operations in Paris and Mumbai, India, and humanitarian assistance missions in Asia, urban areas pose a unique challenge to ground troops, according to the pamphlet.

Army staffs, especially at the division and corps levels, remain unprepared to effectively conduct and manage urban operations, even as the service expects to fight its next battle in the mess and chaos of a densely populated area, according to a recent report.

A new paper from the Association of the U.S. Army’s Institute of Land Warfare warns that the Army must pivot from irregular warfare and adapt its tactics, doctrine and training to meet the challenges of a new battlefield likely to be dominated by urban warfare.

In his report, “Urbanization and Megacities: Implications for the U.S. Army,” author Jeremiah Rozman, an ILW national security analyst, writes that the Army must “organize, equip and train to fight and win” within the confines of an urban environment, including megacities with populations of more than 10 million people.

A new Army and Marine Corps urban warfare manual warns that inevitable big-city operations will be complicated as long-held U.S. advantages in technology and firepower may be of limited value and casualties among troops and the local population could be high.