In the Middle of the Fight : An Assessment of Medium-armored Forces in Past Military Operations

The authors find that medium-armored forces fare poorly against competent, heavily armored opponents, and that the Stryker and Future Combat Systems will not fill the void created by the retirement of the M551 Sheridan. An analysis of the performance of medium-armored forces across the range of military operations since World War I yields insights with significant implications for U.S. Army decisions about fielding these units in the Future Force.