MILES Rules the Battlefield

3/F3/1-52 h o r prepared defensive positions throughout the night. Unknown to the platoon, the enemy’s axis of attack will move directly into its engagement area. After extensive preparations, the- task force commander orders Bravo Company to occupy its prepared positions to await the enemy’s arrival.

As third platoon’s last tank occupies its fighting position, an OPFOR motorized rifle battalion (MRB) comes into view. As enemy forces enter the company’s engagement area, the third platoon leader initiates his rehearsed fire command. The platoon’s MlAl tanks move onto their firing platforms to engage the OPFOR in the flank at 2500 meters. Suddenly, the command ‘FIRE” is heard over the platoon net. The tanks engage and re-engage with little or no effect, Bravo 32 engages a T-72 with five rounds and a BMP with four rounds with no effect. As the battle rages, the enemy identifies a firing signature generated by one of the platoon’s tanks. This tank is Bravo 32. Within seconds, a T-72 destroys Bravo 32. The OPFOR MRB rolls through the Bravo Company engagement area to its final objective. After the battle, pertinent data is collected and transmitted to the platoon observer controller (OC). Later, third platoon assembles for an after-action review (AAR). Throughout the course of the AAR, the platoon members discuss what happened, and why the third platoon was unsuccessful. For the crew of Bravo 32, it was a frustrating experience, casting doubts on individual skills and eroding confidence in their equipment. This scene occurs on numerous occasions at the National Training Center (NTC). Although the tactical lessons are learned, it may be a frustrating lesson in MILES gunnery for that one tank crew.

MILES boresight techniques for the MlAl and M1 tank do not We full advantage of the system. For example, procedures found in TM 9-1265-375-10-1 do not verify kills at various ranges: FM 17-12-1 does not address MILES boresight procedures. One of the limitations with MILES is that the full-up fire control system cannot be used. Even the MlAl procedures of indexing new ranges does not work effectively.

Some units still hy to relate MILES boresight with real boresighting, but the two techniques vary greatly. As a result, many units at the NTC experience frustration when conducting training.

Proper MILES boresight procedures bypass the computer. Once MILES boresight is complete, no information is entered into the computer. Because we cannot use our full-up fm control system to boresight, we must manually compensate for parallax. This is where MILES boresight and regular boresight differ.

Success on any battlefield requires soldiers to have 100 percent confidence in their equipment. Improper MILES boresight techniques have caused the MlAl tank crew to lose confidence in its tank killing ability. Proper MILES boresight procedures will allow tank crewmen to simulate accurately the effects of the main gun in forcean-force engagements. The following checklist outlines the proper procedures to boresight MILES on the M1 and MlA1.

Sergeant First Class Richard S. Francis is a tank platoon combat trainer on the Scorpion 11 team. He has previously sewed as platoon sergeant in 2d ACR and 2-35 Armor at Fort Carson. He is a graduate of M60A3 and M1A1 Master Gunner Courses and has attended the Armor Advanced NCO Course.

ARMOR - May-June 7992

Setup for Boresight *Remove X-MTR and clean optics *Index APDS *Place X-MTR in breech. Ensure tightness. *Look through sight and ensure it is not blocked by *Open CCP door and turn power on. *Push crosswind button and enter 00. Push enter button. Ensure crosswind remains lit. *Push CANT button, enter 00. Push enter button. Ensure CANT button remains lit. *Push LEAD button, enter 00. Push enter button. Ensure LEAD button remains lit. *Push RANGE button, enter 1200. Push enter button. Ensure RANGE button remains lit. *Open SUBDES door, push SUBDES button, enter 1 on M1 or 59 on MlA1. Push enter and close door. (The individual setup is now in place and boresighting may now be done.) gun.

Close-In Boresighting *Send one MILES operational tank with a green key out 400-600 meters from the platoon or company. (MILES boresight should be done at platoon level. The following procedures are for a platoon or a company-) *Have the boresight tank present a frontal target. *Have the loader look through the MILES sight and *Gunner fires and confirms a kill. *After a kill is confirmed, the gunner refers his 1200 meter line of the GAS to center of target (APFSDS-T reticle). This is done because it is the most clearly defined point on the reticle. The close-in boresight is now complete. talk the gunner to the center mass of target. Intermediate Boresight *After all tanks in the platoonkompany have finished with close-in boresight, send the tank out to 1100-1300 meters. *Looking through the MILES sight, the loader again talks the gunner to center mass of target. *Gunner fires and confirms a kill. *Once a kill results, refer the TIS to center mass of tank. The intermediate boresight is now complete. Boresighting at Longer Ranges *Once all tanks in the platoon/company are complete, *Again, the loader talks the gunner on target. *Gunner fires and confirms a kill. send the tank out to 2000 meters. If all the tanks in the platoon can kill at this range, mn-tinue to send the boresight tank w tin increments of 200 meters until one tank can no longer kill. Have boresight tank return to last effective kill range. This is the MILES *Again, have loader talk gunner to the center mass of tar- *Push boresight key. *Toggle reticle of GPS to center mass. Push enter. Push zero key. *Toggle reticle to center mass. Push enter. 8ff8diV8 rang8 for the entire platoon. get.

The MILES boresight of main gunlcoax is now complete.

Engaging Targets During full-up main gun engagement, the computer will compensate for parallax. But, in MILES gunnery, we do not want any computer inputs because the laser &hoots" in a straight line, unlike a main gun round. This is why *When targets are closer than 900 meters, or when en- *When targets are 900-1800 meters away, use the TIS. *When targets are 1800 meters or more, use the GPS to We boresight at three different ranges. gaging with coax, use the GAS. engage.

CAL S O Setup *Ensure transmitter is secured to machine gun. *Wipe off laser optics with soft cloth. *Put in afresh 9V battery and key up transmitter with a *Put in orange key and turn. *Secure a dry fire cable and hook up to transmitter. *Send a soldier out 100 meters with a green key and op- *Point machine gun at soldier and fire until you kill the green key. erational MWLD.

MWLD.

Have soldier stop at that point. *Refer S O cal. sight. Lay off, then relay on soldier. Stop *Confirm that aiming point will result in kill. *If dry fire cable is not available, live blanks will need to at that point. be fired.

ARMOR - Maydune 1992 43