The recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought to light a number of issues regarding infantry combat. One of the most notable of these is the continued use (or usefulness) of hand to hand combat and, more specifically, bayonets in modern warfighting.
There generally two sides to the "bayonet" issue. The first are those who claims bayonet fighting is an anachronism and that bayonet training is useful largely for purposes of building "warrior spirit" and unit cohesion. On the other side of the camp are the ones that claim bayonets serve an important role in close combat, even in today's high-tech warfighting environment. And the debate rages on and on.
It would appear however, that the "close combat" side (those who believe bayonets are still useful for modern combat) may have a point. Indeed, 20th century military history shows many times over that the bayonet has been used extensively, not only as a means of building fighting spirit but as an actual tool in combat. During the 1982 Falklands War, battles such as Mount Longdon were won only after the last few Argentines troops were driven from their positions with heavy bayonet and hand to hand fighting. Bayonets featured prominently in World War II, Korea, and the Vietnam War (one notable example would be the Ia Drang Battle made famous by Col. Hal Moore). Most recently, Marines of the First Expeditionary Unit engaged Iraqi infantry in hand to hand combat in Southeastern Baghdad during the attack on the city.
The current bayonet used by the US Army and the Marines is the M9. Its been around since the 80s and is considered one of the best edged weapons around. The weapon has a 7 inch blade, overall length of 12 inches, and weighs 18 ounces. In addition to the obvious usefulness as a weapon, the bayonet also doubles as a multifunctional knife useful for everything from opening cans to cutting rope. The Marine Corps just recently developed the OKC3S Bayonet. The bayonet is designed to be used both on the end of an assault rifle (as a stabbing weapon) and as a detached handheld fighting knife. The weapons most unique (and lethal) characteristic is its ability to penetrate body armor. This is essential as flak jackets become more and more prevalent on the modern battlefield. The weapon's blade is eight inches long with 1.75 inches of serrations near the guard. The weapon's overall length is 13.25in.
The bayonet issue brings to light another, larger issue in the realm of infantry combat. While the Marines have gone through several different style of hand to hand combat over the years, they just recently settled on the Marine Martial Arts Program. The system is designed like a tradition karate program, including belt ranks and tests taken by the trainees, and is probably the best close combat system out there. Part of the system's success is based on its design. The Marines realize that there are several reasons for troops to train in hand to hand combat. The first and foremost is for engaging and killing the enemy in close quarters. The second is for non-lethal purposes such as peacekeeping and crowd control. The Marine Martial Arts program includes both lethal (comprising the majority of the system, including bayonet, knife, field expedient weaponry, and unarmed combat portions) and non-lethal techniques.
The Army, on the other hand, has also developed their own hand to hand combat system to replace their old style, which has been around since the early 90s. The new system is based on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing. While the new system is more organized than the old, it places most of its emphasis on non-lethal techniques (with the exception of bayonet and knife tactics). While this may be suitable to troops involved in Operations Other Than War, the system nevertheless does not adequately prepare troops for close combat. Much of the unarmed tactics, such as ground fighting and boxing, are not lethal and would not be capable of finishing off an enemy soldier in a trench or foxhole.
Marine infantry have long had a reputation for being fierce hand-to-hand combatants. And with good reason. Since the mission of infantry forces is to "close with and destroy the enemy and his equipment in close combat", it stands to reason that bayonet fighting should play a significant part. And with the world urbanizing, and closer combat becoming more and more of a reality, the importance of bayonet fighting, and indeed all hand to hand combat, appears unlikely to diminish anytime soon.
