WARFARE TACTIC FACES TEST.(Main)

Byline: Malcolm W. Browne with Eric Schmitt New York Times

As allied forces arrayed against Iraq prepare to shift the war from the air to the ground, an American tactic called "AirLand Battle" is expected to undergo its first trial in combat.

If the tactic succeeds, victory may be swift and allied casualties minimal. If it fails, battlefield confusion could greatly complicate fighting and prolong the war.

Air-land warfare was developed in the 1970s as a defense against a hypothetical Soviet invasion of Western Europe, in which Soviet armored forces would greatly outnumber those of the defenders.

In essence, a force using the tactic would …