The Army has always been aware that it might have to clear and secure underground facilities such as sewers and subway systems beneath densely-populated cities. "Though prepared through an 'urgent' development process, it is authorized for immediate implementation." "This training circular is published to provide urgently needed guidance to plan and execute training for units operating in subterranean environments, according to TC 3-20.50 "Small Unit Training in Subterranean Environments," published in November 2017. The Army completed a four-month review last year of its outdated approach to underground combat, and published a new training manual dedicated to this environment. ![]() Left unmentioned were the recent studies the Army has undertaken to shore up this effort. "What are the aspects of megacities that we have paid the least attention to lately, and every megacity has got sewers and subways and stuff that you can encounter, so let's brush it up a little bit." Townley Hedrick, commandant of the Infantry School at the Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, told in an interview. we have to look at ourselves and say 'ok, how does our current set of equipment and our tactics stack up?'" Col. "We did recognize, in a megacity that has underground facilities - sewers and subways and some of the things we would encounter. ![]() Senior leaders have mentioned small parts of the effort in public speeches, but Army officials at Fort Benning, Georgia's Maneuver Center of Excellence - the organization leading the subterranean effort - have been reluctant to discuss the scale of the endeavor. Soldiers will need new equipment and training to operate in conditions such as complete darkness, bad air and lack of cover from enemy fire in areas that challenge standard Army communications equipment. ![]() For this new type of warfare, infantry units will need to know how to effectively navigate, communicate, breach heavy obstacles and attack enemy forces in underground mazes ranging from confined corridors to tunnels as wide as residential streets.
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