The U.S. Army has devised a new series of playing cards to help troops identify Iranian, Chinese, and Russian weapons.
The Pentagon, under former defense secretary James Mattis, released a new National Defense Strategy last year to refocus the military on threats posed by adversarial nations such as Russia and China. Soldiers have spent nearly two decades fighting terrorists and insurgents in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, but Pentagon leaders want to prepare them for the more conventional fights expected in the future. The card decks are a small part of that effort.
The Army’s Training and Doctrine Command designed and produced the decks, which feature tanks, artillery, missiles, and other weapons soldiers could encounter in a future conflict. Each card includes basic information on the foreign materiel, including the type, name, main weapon, and range. The Chinese deck has already been published and given out to troops while the Russian and Iranian versions will be released soon.
“The cards depict equipment and weapons systems used by several countries identified in the National Defense Strategy,” Army Maj. Jeremy Passut told the Washington Examiner. “Historically, equipment identification cards have been used to assist soldiers in recognizing combat vehicles, equipment, and their capabilities.”
Custom playing cards have a long history in the military. In addition to being a handy time killer, they have been a useful reference tool for decades, says retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr.
“They remind me more of the old Soviet aircraft and vehicle recognition cards that we had in the 1980s and the Iraqi leadership cards. I think it is a good idea,” Spoehr told the Washington Examiner.
As U.S. adversaries have changed over time, so too have the military’s card decks. Navy sailors were issued decks featuring the silhouettes of various ships to help them identity friend from foe during the Second World War. Some commanders had the pictures posted in the head, so sailors could learn something each time they used the restroom.
One of the most famous card decks was issued during the Iraq War picturing the “Most Wanted” leaders from the Saddam Hussein government, with Saddam himself featured as the ace of spades. The cards were an instant hit inside and outside the military, with more than 750,000 decks sold in the first week alone.
