Weapons like the 12.7 mm HMG and 40 mm high velocity grenade machine gun are primarily vehicle-mounted systems. With this weapon now returned to individual sections, in lieu of the 5.56 mm L110A2 LMG, there is arguably no need for a separate machine gun platoon, especially as platoon vehicles will have a mix of 12.7 mm HMGs and 40 mm GMGs. Some would argue that the 40 mm low velocity grenade is a substitute for 51 mm mortars, but maximum range is 300-400 metres not 700-800 metres. I was throwing around the idea of top slicing the TA and just plugging companies into existing battalions with the intention that it would enhance their professionalism and that they could pull through the three regular companies as casualty replacements. V:Y@|L']$||Cv%r00{: $d[HAXK4;V(53QDS{cnWAFd_kG802C>8J/]'rc|zNgzP[>nr@0; dCR$SPeh!Y2z;aq]3]MQE=$o>\x=B/tcTuNJ,j~^iD}!rq|kWG#4ory6hK ]6~961f3>Dm#| At some point in the future it would be wise to introduce a a new light weight section belt fed ( see knights armament LAMG for example) perhaps in one of the many new calibres emerging ( e.g. A company is commanded by a captain with a first sergeant as the assistant. In this older structure, U.S. Army mechanized infantry battalions and tank battalions, for tactical purposes, task-organized companies to each other, forming a battalion-sized task force (TF). A company consists of three or four platoons and is generally commanded by a captain. Higher levels are concerned with administration rather than operations. 03 Fire Support Company structure This means instead of giving every infantry unit organic protected mobility, i would even take the units that have such now this vehicles and would create own fighting units out of them which are then part of the tank troops. Sergeants Mess Staff So it is a very flexible number. You have robbed Peter to pay Paul. Regiment). The Army overall is about 5000 under authorised strength and an increase to about 7000 under strength does not seem a good change. General Frederick Weyand, from. In a trentch or a building 5.56mm belt feds are superb. But different battalions of the same regiment have seldom fought together. Moreover, having an SF Pl means that you have more PIDs to play with too, which could be redistributed to REME or Anti-Tanks, both of which should be enlarged in Armd/Mech BGs (as well as the extra personnel in Coy HQs: Warrior Sergeant Major, CQMS(T) etc). The commander can also accept augmentation of units. DUI Battle Order is for informational purposes only. If its not can we at least work round it by concentrating on fire and manoeuvre? I see that you failed to include the Adjutant Generals Regimental Administration Office Platoon with around 20 personel. A company consists of 3-4 platoons and is part of a battalion. These are only used in times of large-scale war, such as World War II. With eachJavelin vehicle requiring a driver and commander, this creates a headcount requirement of 1 officer + 31 other ranks. My Army 2020 would see 1XX and 3XX each have an armoured brigade, mechanised brigade and motorised bridges. A staff sergeant is often in charge. I like your set up for the battalion except for the support company which I think itshould be split into 2. Light Aid Detachment In an infantry squad, the teams divide duties: one serves as a base-of-fire element, while the other serves as the maneuver element. I think that wider structures, instead of ten BCTs we should look at the French and Australians. Its a conundrum for,sure. However, your suggestion of four rifle sections will require even greater manpower to maximise effect. By having so many different existing battalion structures, it is more difficult to asses overall manning levels. The Table of Organisation and Equipment (TOE) is based on document from the early 80s. The HQ Company was equipped with. For the rest of reserve infantry I would convert to home defence force non-deployable security force for the UK home base. For context Ive remembered where my TA train of thought originated, it was during the general discussion on strike brigades and a resurgent Russia. Does it belong to WW1 and before ? Platoon-size unit per Division Of course it is doable but cramming seven blokes in the back is a right palava not only for the troops but for all their kit! General Creighton Abrams, from 1968 to 1972. Where does firepower fit into the manning equation ? Mortar platoons with 8 or 9 x 81 mm tubes has been proven on many occasions to be sufficient. Guardsmen and women who get very basic training, plus drill. In actuality, I agree that Ajax IFV replacing Warrior is highly unlikely. NOTE: This summary of Army Tables of Organization and Equipment includes only combat and directly related major support units. With this in mind, the objective of this discussion is to consider what a universal battalion size ought to be. 40mm is under used in general in my opinion. In addition, each section now has an organic 7.62 mm L7A2 GPMG gunner plus a designated marksman with the 7.62 mm L129A1 Sharpshooter rifle. I am not going into the argument about a Battalions manning however the REME manning is open to question. Go to Units .?UF&-b4W[u&SgJ`/24$4jfbH@\t,#QG^*)W&HTSE|:=:pl9xp}u KNv A battalion is a military unit with 300 to 1,200 soldiers that usually consists of two to seven companies and is commanded by either a lieutenant colonel or a colonel. I think we missed a trick not going for the much lighter 7.62 version of the Minimi, buts a new purchase and would cost a lot more than just re-issuing old stocks of L7. Under the observation of the Marine Corps. Battalions consist of four to six companies and can include up to about 1,000 soldiers. To put it in perspective Ive never hit a target with 51/60mm and never missed with CG. I submit that its the job of the regular army to be equipped to fight small wars, and not to rely on civilians for what might prove an unpopular undertaking. Combat medic is attached from the Infantry Battalion Medical Platoon. Lynx can carry 8 dismounts and would allow us to really increase the mass of the armored infantry withot adding to vehicle numbers in any significant way. This would imo truly increase flexibility, fighting power and would it make even more easier to re-role the units. (c) distributed as required when regiment is broken-up in detachments. Changes: Type: Pages. The senior of two Squad Leaders is also the Section Leader. We can tailor our forces now for a sustained operation, such as we have done for Bosnia until the present I dont think we need to radically change the div structure just refine the battlegroup concept to reflect the modularity aspect of the force but reataining the mass of the individual capability the heavy, medium and light bring when needed. These are light infantry, including various light foot units, air assault, and airborne infantry. It was common for a battalion to become temporarily attached to a different regiment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Nominally, an extra GPMG and DMR are proposed, but a light mortar or multi-role 40 mm AGL could be carried instead. The size of a battalion could range from 500 to 1,500 troops. Could we not then consider having whole crews staying with the vehicle rather than depleting them when the section has to dismount? Company Headquarters Starting in 20052006, the U.S. Army's mechanized and tank battalions were reorganized into combined arms battalions (CABs). of the U.S. Army as it exists within the Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT). These include light infantry (foot), airborne and air assault units. In the U.S. Marine Corps, the brigade designation is used only in "Marine Expeditionary Brigade" (MEB). The next level up is the Infantry Battalion (IBCT) which consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3 Rifle Companies (this) and a Weapons Company. Each can conduct major tactical operations and sustained battlefield operations. While the UKs Warrior previously accommodated three crew plus seven dismounts, after has been upgraded, the need to stow 40mm cased-telescoped cannon ammunition is expected to reduce dismounted section carrying capacity to six. Carl Gustav could perform many of the roles that 51mm/60mm mortars were employed for and also do a better job of it than 40mm MV weapons. An important issue that has to be maintained are weapons then there are radios. The platoon could divide into two three wagon sub-platoons each having a dismounted mass of 1+6+6? US Army Infantry Battalion Numbers. For dismounted infantry, the US Army is looking at .338 (8.59 mm) medium weight machine guns to provide increased firepower and range. 40mm MV is would be an excellent addition to the ammo mix in sections bit there will be some work for the SASCs to update Pams and traces so unlikely to happen. The different types of light infantry organizations were all consolidated into the one "Infantry" organization in 2007. You are spot on that dismounted mass should dictate the ORBAT rather than vehicle capacity. Instead of an ISTR platoon it there would be a mort company with 3 platoons with 120mm mortars, plus a patrol platoon combining the sniper and recon platoons, and finally a UAV company. The Rifle Battalion of October 1940 was superseded beginning in April 1942 by a new Infantry Battalion organization. Automatic 120mm mortars have small crews for high firepower. It could be the primary weapon and role of squaddie per section to be the grenadier. Our Army Structure in Vietnam. Many armies are adding Javelin mounts to their 12.7 mm remote weapon stations. I agree fully that each section should have its own vehicle for so many reasons. Outline Organisation Structure of a Standard Infantry Battalion HQ Company is comprised of five supporting elements. Medical Centre It may be worth returning such weapons to infantry sections or having at least one in Platoon HQ. A field army consists of two or more corps and is run by a general or lieutenant general. unit or a light cannon I know that the manning requirement is already verging on fantasy but maybe pushing it a bit further could give your battalion valuable additional potency? Company HQ will be extremely lean with just one officer and five other ranks. Headquarters Section (2Officers, 6 Enlisted, 5 Attached), , Sergeant(OR-5), armed with 1 M4A1Carbine, , First Lieutenant (OF-1), armed with 1 M4A1Carbine, , First Sergeant or Master Sergeant (OR-8), armed with 1 M4A1Carbine, , Sergeant (OR-5), armed with 1 M9/M17 Pistol. [27][28], A Soviet artillery battalion in the late 1980s consisted of a battalion headquarters, a headquarters platoon, a maintenance and supply platoon and three firing batteries, each with six artillery pieces, whether the self-propelled 2S1 Gvozdikas or the towed D-30 howitzers, and numbering 260 personnel or 240 personnel respectively. The Light Infantry Company. But war is not about comfort, I know. The heavy battalions on Boxer and Warrior would be different. An Overview of the USMC Table of Organization - Grady T. Birdsong Boxer and Bushmaster. With IFVs, MIVs and MRVPs, the British Army will have a range of vehicles that can each carry a full section or 9 soldiers. MP - Indeed, it is my opinion that four dismounts is all Warrior can really operate with for the dismounts to have any degree of comfort. Prior they would have travelled in an M1165A1 HMMVW, although any mark of HMMVW that was available likely would have been used. The centerpiece of the Army's operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the infantry brigade combat team, is in danger of becoming obsolete in the face of near-peer opponents. INSIGNIA This coincided with the U.S. Army's reorganization and implementation of the Brigade Combat Teams (BCT). Increased use of the reserves suggests to me that government wants to underpin our foreign adventures on the cheap and at the expense of the regular army. Why are we tethering ourselves to four? The Civil War led to the establishment of the first American staff school in order to train officers in the art of order transmission and execution. I think this ORBAT with this weapon allocation redresses the balance of infantrymen equipped to assault and those equipped to suppress as well as giving greater flexiblity and lethality by bridging the gap between it and support weapon platoons. The order of battle shows 101 German infantry divisions and 139 Soviet rifle divisions. In the U.S. Marine Corps, an infantry or "rifle" battalion typically consists of a headquarters and service company, three rifle, or "line", companies (designated alphabetically A through M depending upon which battalion of the parent regiment to which they are attached) and a weapons company. Ser. In Platoon HQs that have 9 soldiers, the same structure would be adopted, providing an additional machine gun and designated marksman rifle. An infantry fire team might include two riflemen, one of whom is the team leader; a grenadier and an automatic rifleman, who is used when small reconnaissance or special missions are required.. Intelligence Cell Introduction Purpose of Organization.--The purpose of military organization is to secure the most effective use of the men, weapons, and other resources of a body of troops. If not six wagons as I suggested previously, maybe four section vehicles plus a Pl HQ wagon? ), probably Boxer SPH. The Army is composed of an active duty component and a reserve component that comprises the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. What I have a problem with is your suggestion to pull one guy out of the turret. Tri-Service? IBCTs also are organized to be airborne or air-assault capable. Additionally, not everybody will volunteer. - Thoughts on the Armys Integrated Review Refresh, A Review of The British Armys Regimental System. The operational Army conducts full-spectrum operations around the world, supported by institutional units. You say this would enhance their professionalism. If it isnt possible to reintroduce 51 mm, then a lightweight 60 mm mortar could be an option. Each type of brigade ( infantry or airborne infantry) has the same basic organization. If you want to replace all kind of different types of specialised infantry with only one type of general purpose infantry, the latter will only be as good as the more specialised types today, if not only the structure and size of the bataillons is changed, but also the overall equipment and its underlying doctrine and you also must invest much more in the training of this infantry. Note(s) 6-10. fire missions, instead the mortar team is at his immediate disposal. Are/were you Guards, Captain Nemo? An MEB is one of the standard Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTF), is commanded by a brigadier general or major general, and consists of command element, a ground combat element (usually one reinforced Marine infantry regiment), an aviation combat element (a reinforced Marine aircraft group including rotary wing, fixed wing, and tiltrotor aircraft), and a combat logistics element (a Marine combat logistics regiment, which includes naval construction forces [Seabees] and naval medical elements). Such a doctrine would also change the very nature and character of many infantry units which would then become mech-inf and therefore their thinking, their self-understanding, their military culture and so on will change. Organization, Strategy & Tactics - The Napoleon Series Perhaps, but only if we reduced the commitment. that serves 2 M224 60mm light mortars for indirect fire support. Service The commander's staff coordinates and plans operations. Also such an all-mech-inf force would hinder the UK forces very much in the primary target to achieve critical mass of infantry in any combat. There is also the fact that its not just about seating the troops but stowing all their personal kit and still having room for all the extra section kit and all the spare ammunition and stores and all the vehicle stores. A sacred cow! Usually commanded by a major general, divisions are made up of three or four brigades and include 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers. It is important to include drivers and vehicle gunners in section ORBATs, because so often they are not specifically catered for in organisational structures. The Bushmaster I believe is a 2 crew, 10 pax vehicle with some room for stores and kit. An infantry platoon might include a weapons squad, which is divided into two M240 machine gun teams, and two close-combat missile teams armed with Javelin missiles. 1. If you look only at the bataillon here one should realize that a bataillon because of its small size is very insufficient for any real infantry combat in terrain which is suited for infantry. So i think to create such an kind of modulare force, a design in which absolut necessary abilities (here protected mobility) are not an organic part of the units, but modular abilities of the overall-forces would truly create a more potent and much more flexible force as every such mech fighting unit which can offer protected mobility for an infantry unit can also offer this to any other infantry unit as the need arises and could also fight for its own seperate from the infantry. consists of 9 enlisted personnel. I think were missing a trick with not using the reserve transition from regular service. FM 3-21.21, Chapter 1, Overview of the SBCT Infantry Battalion With successive rounds of cutbacks after the war, many infantry regiments were reduced to a single battalion (others were amalgamated to form large regiments that maintained multiple battalions, e.g., the Royal Anglian Regiment). The current active corps are I Corps at Fort Lewis, Washington; III Corps at Fort Hood, Texas; and XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Ultimately, this discussion is about maximising Boots on the ground. It can best be achieved by ensuring that British infantry units are structured around ground combat roles that ensure responsiveness and efficiency, rather than being organised according to financial constraints. - A platoon consists of a few squads and up to a few dozen soldiers. Genuine question because I do not think that Guardsmen do dislike public duties to the extent you suggest. Armored BCTs (ABCTs) include three armor/mechanized infantry battalions, an armed reconnaissance cavalry squadron, a field artillery battalion, a logistics support battalion, and a brigade engineer . Thisproposal is in-line with what rifle companies already have. PHILANTHROPY. This would increase the size of fighting infantry men in the bataillons heavily so that they become numerically sufficient enough for infantry combat and would protect them to become mech-infantry only troops. Or what is not getting done in the modular battalion ? The regular army gets guns and spare gun crews to keep them going 24/7. Perhaps in Armd/Mech it could even be comverted into a 120mm Mortar Pl, complementing the 81mm which can struggle in the faster-moving and dispersed Armd battle? These are: The Communications Platoon (formerly the Signals Platoon) is primarily designed to support Battalion HQ by providing C4I services and radio operators. This structure is also suitable for Air Assault infantry operating in helicopters. Exellent article and I just thought Id add some thoughts. Title. I just wanted to pick up on a comment by White Hackle. Cross Reference Table that lists the numbered regiments and artillery These are: At one end of the spectrum, Armoured infantry battalions are well-resourced with 732 soldiers, while Specialised Infantry battalions have just 267, but this is for training and mentoring, not a primary combat role. Other corps usually use the term "regiment" instead. Combat companies consist of (usually mechanised) infantry, combat engineers, or tanks. Another question I have concerns the mention in one of UK Land Powers tweets (I do not use Twitter) that the BAE Rheinmetall Joint Venture could lead to the AS90 155mm self-propelled howitzer being upgraded to Braveheart standard. Each have different jobs and roles each of which is necessary to keep the wagon fighting and surviving. The central idea in proposing a universal battalion structure is to build it around platoons of 1 + 35 soldiers. The Specialised infantry battalions should be a separate discussion because of their different role and very different strength. That idea could be developed but I dont think it is right for all British infantry. Infantry platoons will typically be divided between four vehicles as they are at present. Ill break my reply into a couple of comments. Administratively, battalions are subdivisions of regiments. The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the parent administrative regiment and corps of regular and reserve infantry battalions in the New Zealand Army.It was originally formed in 1947 with a singular Regular regiment and multiple reserve regiments. Current Infantry Battalion TOE | 16th Infantry Regiment Association The UK has a problem with air defence. The structure outlined translates into an overall battalion size of 32 officers + 658 other ranks or 690 soldiers in total. @whitehaxkle I like this idea, keeps the flexibility of providing vehicle crews while improving the firepower ! Required fields are marked *. The basic individual weapon in the light infantry battalion was the M14 rifle, while the airmobile unit was authorized M16 rifles. Moving from the micro to the macro, the organization of the army overall is a little wacky, given the number of infantry battalions youd expect to see simple structures equivalent to ten brigade combat teams, but you dont; Id say this is a worry not just operationally but because it lends itself to questions and to cuts, the fighting and the support units should explain and justify each others existence. If they are vehicle commanders of two of the four section vehicles then when they dismount their vehicle gunner will have double workload. They are not man-portable. I have done a similar analysis and share your view that a companys optimal size is 36, after that we deviate for the following reasons: I have a company size of 180 that includes 4 combat combat platoons and a single combat support group (platoon), This replicates at the Battalion level so a battalion 4 combat companies and a single Combat Support Company. Each company is commanded by a major, the officer commanding (OC), with a captain or senior lieutenant as second-in-command (2IC). In the Royal Netherlands Army, a mechanised infantry battalion usually consists of one command- and medical company, three mechanised infantry companies, and one support company, which has three platoons with heavy mortars and three platoons with anti-tank missiles (TOW). Four soldiers make up a team a noncommissioned officer and three junior enlisted soldiers. What if you disbanded the reserve artillery regiments and added reserve batteries to your regular regiments? Battalion - Wikipedia This new structure eliminated the need to task-organize companies between battalions; each combined arms battalion was organically composed of the requisite companies. 2 Officers and 18 Othr ranks and the RLC Catering Platoon again a similar number commanded by a WO2 and then the SASC Sergeant and the RAPTC 2 to 3 SNCO/WO all those also add to a Battalions strenth as attached arms. & Organizations of the Italian Campaign for brief history At least in tracked / wheeled armoured infantry ? Warrior can only carry four dismounts comfortably with full scales and definitely not more than six so manpower is neutral in armour (you could even have a two man surplus (9+9+9+7=34) who could crew the Coy HQ wagons. * Each squad is authorized two disposable shoulder-fired munitions (general AT-4s) which would go to the Riflemen. I have proposed just what you suggest in your comment. It is also suitable for Light Role battalions operating on foot. Tactics 101 098 - The Light Infantry Rifle Company: Organization And sometimes Recruiting Team. While the US army will no doubt eventually start fielding thier new 6.8mm super calibre I think 2 rifle calibres in sections will remain wise. none: 6-10-1 . So while I have experience of this, and the food ol Gimpy, I have never carted them around In the field. This page describes the organizational structure of a typical US Infantry Division. The infantry community has a problem. 2019-2023 Battle Order. They usually consist of three or more field armies, with about 1 million to 3 million soldiers. Encouraged by his children, Uchida began to write his memoirs when he was in his seventies . If so, the Army Reserve has undergone an immeasurable transformation over the past ten years. Tactically, battalions are grouped into brigades. This would see infantry platoons switch from two calibres (5.56 mm and 7.62 mm) to a single one (6.8 mm) for rifles, machine guns and DMRs. The company overall is led by a Captain infantry officer who travels with a Forward Signal Support NCO and two Radiotelephone Operators (RTOs) who operate and maintain the communications equipment in the company commander post. However, two of the infantry regiments were reduced to two battalions each and their supporting artillery battalions had only two firing batteries. The Puma HC2 support helicopter, for example, carries 12 personnel, while a CH-47 Chinook can carry an entire platoon. Quartermasters Department It offers a range of new ammunition natures from anti-tank rounds to bunker-busting HE. 04 Battalion HQ and HQ Company structure For what its worth, I think it would be good to have a rotating other-arms presence. No one wants a similar video of their cap badge. And a Canadian infantry (rifle) battalion, in an armoured division, was organized, and consisted of: - a Battalion headquarters of six officers and 54 other ranks - a Headquarters company of five officers and 94 other ranks, within - a company headquarters - a signal platoon - an administrative platoon A battalion may also contain a combat support company. There are combat arms battalions, as well as combat support and combat service support battalions. Weapons companies do not receive a letter designation. You might be interested to know that my battalion reflects this by rarely having more than five dismounts as a matter of routine! HQ for direct fire support would also be nice (dont forget those 10 man BAOR sections in their FV432 had a lot more of them). Mortar platoons with 8 or 9 x 81 mm tubes has been proven on many occasions to be sufficient. With eachJavelin vehicle requiring a driver and commander, t. As noted above, there is no reason why other weapon types and combinations could not also be used. confronting an adversary such as the Russians in eastern Europe would require heavy and medium armour with the ability to mount a mobile defence via mobility and counter mobility along with long range fires etc what would the light brigade bring to this party? Public duties, which I think are widely despised and probably dont help with guards recruitment, should be shared by units on low readiness across the services as much as possible, there are probably some very colourful uniforms gathering dust somewhere that would keep the tourists happy. U.S. Army in WWII Tables of Organization and Equipment Photocopy Index With the Army embracing other new technologies, such as drones and loading carrying autonomous vehicles, having sufficient technical personnel to operate and maintain them suggests that having sufficient REME personnel is essential. A battalion usually contains two to five organic companies (batteries in the artillery), with a total of 500 to 1,200 Marines in the battalion. , First Lieutenant (OF-1), armed with 1 M4A1 Carbine, , Staff Sergeant (OR-6), armed with 1 M4A1 Carbine, , Specialist (OR-4), armed with 1 M4A1 Carbine, , Specialist (OR-4), armed with 1M4A1 Carbine, Fire support personnelattached from Field Artillery Battalion, 3 RiflePlatoons(1Officer, 39 Enlisted, 3 Attached each), 1 Platoon Headquarters (1Officer and 3Enlisted + 3 Attached), , Specialist (OR-4), armed with 1 M9/M17 Pistol, , Sergeant (OR-5), armed with 1M4A1 Carbine, Forward observer and fire support RTO attached from Field Artillery Battalion. Also the logistics and training burden of all the various disposable rocket systems could be removed with CG. WW2 Army Units and Sizes | World War 2 Facts Perhaps I am just projecting after all as I am one of those who quietly enjoys drill.
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