The most sophisticated ADA early warning system: Mark-1 eyeball

'BANDIT, 6 o'clock!!!!'

M6 BFV Linebacker with new rear cargo hatch with integral OBSERVATION TOWER that retracts down when buttoned-up

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) was designed for a ferocious mechanized battle with thousands of Soviet tanks in Europe. The expectation for this free-for-all was artillery shells bursting all around, NBC agents all over the place, and the BFV crew fighting for it and its dismounts' lives by killing enemy BMPs with its 25mm Chain gun and T-72 tanks with its TOW heavy ATGM. To survivew on this lethal battlefield, the infantry in back were to be "buttoned up" and fight mounted using M231 firing port weapons.

Times and expectations have changed.

Instead of waiting for the Red Hordes at Fulda Gap, we are expected to be a "force-projection" Army from the continental U.S. The M1 and M2 family of vehicles were designed to already be in place in Europe to stop the Red army and Warsaw Pact with maximum armor and armament, not fly in large numbers quickly onboard USAF jet transports. In the years that have followed, other Army branches have acquired BFVs to adapt them to perform battlefield tasks with the idea of being able to accompany the heavy force when and if it does arrive. Aside from this "heavying up" of the army which has made it difficult to move quickly in response to world crisises, we have inherited the design assumptions built into the BFV. In the case of ADA's M6 Linebacker-BFV variant, its the "Guys In Back" being buttoned up to stay out of the way of the turret.

BFV GIBs are totally in the dark as to what is going on outside from a dismounting infantry perspective viewing through the narrow field of view periscopes, let alone be able to scan the entire sky for enemy aircraft. The Linebacker's Commander is busy directing the driver and land navigating. The Gunner is looking through his narrow sights for targets to be clued in by the Commander via fire commands to engage the enemy, air or ground. If they open the top cargo hatch combat over-ride will have to be turned on, and an overly aggressive Gunner might swivel into a Soldier or the hatch itself.

So WHO IS SCANNING THE SKY FOR ENEMY AIRCRAFT?

The solution is to replace the top cargo hatch with a half-sized hatch for the Loader to reload Stinger missiles, and the other half to be a OBSERVATION TOWER. This tower or perch would be made of bullet-proof Kevlar and allow one of the GIBs to stand on the dismount's seats and scan the sky for the enemy's aircraft. This tower would have a top hatch that would close with a clear observation "bubble" made of bulletproof material for vigilance if NBC or shell bursts require being "buttoned up".

Now I can already hear a chorus of naysayers who will whine/complain about their turret not being able to spin freely to acquire/engage aircraft...well that problem is solved by the observation tower sliding back down into the back of the Linebacker when contact has been made. Not unlike a submarine's periscope going down. Then the turret will be free to spin all day long. We can do this. This is not a "high-tech" modification, its simply replacing the top hatch with a split hatch and a retractable observation tower. This is a low-cost "win-win" product improvement we can do in a matter of days, not weeks/years.

Let's open the eyes of our Linebacker ADA Soldiers with an ability to look outside of their vehicle so they can see/kill the enemy first.

Soldier on Air guard over his CVC helmet:

"BANDITS, 3 o'clock, 1200 meters!"

The Linebacker commander:

"Roger, 3 o'clock 1200 meters, identify MIG-21 Fishbed"

If we do what's right the next event will be enemy aircraft engaged by 25mm gunfire and Stinger missiles, followed by exploding fireballs and rising clouds of smoke in the distance.

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