Light Infantry and the Heavy Force: A Marriage of Convenience or Necessity

This study examines the utility of augmenting heavy forces committed in the forward defense of Central Europe with strategically mobile light forces. The study examines the historical precedents for the employment of light infantry forces against technologically superior heavy forces. Drawing from these experiences, the study identifies the methods, tactics, and techniques that were common to light infantry operations that were successful in the past. The study then assesses the utility and survivability of light infantry forces on the contemporary battlefield and examines the degree to which the successful operating styles of the past remain valid. The study also examines various ways light infantry forces can be employed by heavy forces and the tactics they can use to successfully counter armored/mechanized formations. The study concludes with the assessment that light infantry forces, when committed in the right situations and with a requisite degree of skill, can greatly magnify the combat capability of heavy forces defending in Central Europe.