Do we have to acknowledge the British Army lacks mass on any scale and that includes the dismounted close combat platoon ? Rounds and weapon will be heavier for dubious long range body-armour piercing performance. Where does firepower fit into the manning equation ? corporal. Print Cite. 6.5 grendel or creedmore) for DMR type weapons. The armoured brigade would have Ajax Recce, Chally, Ajax IFV (bye bye Warrior! This would prevent your rifle sections from becoming overburdened and also allow greater autonomy at company level, perhaps creating miniature battlegroups akin to French SGTIAs. Armored DivisionTable of Organization and Equipment. Id integrate a fourth rifle company from the TA into your battalion too, to train alongside it and to be fully conversant with its people and its methodology. The ideal solution is to have a 30 mm cannon turret with twin ATGM boxes. 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. 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. Teams can serve as a base-of-fire or as a maneuver element. Thisproposal is in-line with what rifle companies already have. its principal allies and enemies. Whereas In a peer conflict youre going to lose and need a lot of people very quickly and youre probably going to find the army reserve faster than youre going to find the regular reserve. What it does do is massively hollow out the capability and capacity of the Reserve Infantry for little tangible gain beyond having a structure which is more aesthetically pleasing on an ORBAT chart. In 2016, the Army reorganized its brigades into brigade combat teams, which are autonomous modular brigades that most commonly include one combat arms brigade and its assigned support and fire units. Radio operators, medics and anti-tank weapon operators would carry assault rifles with shorter barrels for reduced weight and increased convenience. Fired from multi-shot launchers, these can reliably deliver HE at distance. I suppose they might have a home defence role or be trained as medics or something, but they would be on a specific contract and would not be deployable. It just seems a bit of an own goal to me youve got a big powerful IFV that you cant exploit fully. none: 6-10-1 . Guardsmen and women who get very basic training, plus drill. Company Headquarters Army Infantry Division Infantry Battalion (AEF) of the Infantry Regiment Rifle Company (1917 1921) Army Air Service Monoplace Pursuit Group of the Monoplace Pursuit Wing Monoplace Pursuit Squadron (1918) Marine Regiment Infantry Battalion (AEF) Rifle Company (Sep. 1918) Army Regular Division Regular Brigade Regular Infantry Regiment (1861 1867) With a 7.62mm MG, 7.62mm DMR and 6 shot 40mm GL in each section I would not want to follow the Yanks direction to an overly powerful 6.8mm AR for everyone. Instead, why cant be we be open to moving beyond the status quo of four vehicles per platoon? Small rationalisations made across other Support units help reduction. A battalion comprises two or more primary mission companies which are often of a common type (e.g., infantry, tank, or maintenance), although there are exceptions such as combined arms battalions in the U.S. Army. The platoon could divide into two three wagon sub-platoons each having a dismounted mass of 1+6+6? With the US Army planning to adopt a new 6.8 mm High Velocity Armoured Piercing Ammunition (HVAP), the rest of NATO may follow its lead. CnC can be further rationalised across the whole unarmed force by having a single force structure around 1 HQ, 4 commands, each operating 2 divisions that hold all naval, land, cyber, air, space and command assets assigned to them and having a flatter structure. A heavily loaded German infantry unit marching into a new position on the Eastern Front in 1943. Mechanised units usually have an attached light aid detachment (LAD) of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) to perform field repairs on vehicles and equipment. In deployment in current year, it would be common for a Light Rifle Company to be equipped with 4 MRAPs per platoon and 2 MRAPs per headquarters section. The GPMG requires a No 2 with binos to maximise the guns effect which is not going to be realised by the crow given the big heavy gun in a section. It offered HE, WP, smoke and illuminating bomb types. However, your suggestion of four rifle sections will require even greater manpower to maximise effect. The BTR battalion also featured an anti-tank platoon with four AT-3 Sagger or AT-4 Spigot launchers and two 73mm SPG-9 recoilless guns; BTR units on high-readiness status sometimes had six missile launchers and three recoilless guns. 25th INFANTRY DIVISION (Occupation) During the occupation of Japan from 1945-1950, the 25th Infantry Division retained its triangular WWII organization of three infantry regiments. New Zealands cavalry (which would be considered mechanised infantry in the British Army) do this, having 46 soldiers and six NZLAVs per Cav Tp. They are accompanied by the company First Sergeant, a Supply Sergeant, and a Supply Clerk who ride in a M1083 Standard Cargo Truck that tows a 400- or 800-gallon water tank. There are pouches hanging off the turret cage. Each Guards Regt have an incremental coy (so 500 troops). Often Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) officers are assigned to the battalion, to coordinate naval gunfire support. Table of US Divisions Building on Captain Nemos comments: in solving the problem of dismounted infantry mass the starting point should be what is the minimum number of dismounts sufficient not how do we fit more troops and firepower into four vehicles. If Warrior was to go, is there a reason for not looking at the KF41 Lynx rather than Ajax? Have the shortfall taken up by a line battalion. The Puma HC2 support helicopter, for example, carries 12 personnel, while a CH-47 Chinook can carry an entire platoon. However, forces in Eastern Europe began to standardize to a smaller formation with 135 personnel and 31 tanks total, with each tank company consisting of 10 tanks total. Each battalion usually consists of the following: In the Soviet Armed Forces, a motorised rifle battalion could be mounted in either BTR armoured personnel carriers or BMP infantry fighting vehicles, with the former being more numerous into the late 1980s. In turn each rifle company consists three platoons. Cross Reference Table that lists the numbered regiments and artillery The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. That will make a massive difference. And modeling and simulation. Title. Note(s) 6-10. They are normally identified by ordinal numbers (1st Battalion, 2nd Squadron, etc.) The Army is composed of an active duty component and a reserve component that comprises the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Theyre generally run by a lieutenant, often with a noncommissioned officer as second in command. Generally, the RTO sticks with the Platoon Leader to keep them in constant communication with their squads and company headquarters. Several battalions form a regiment or brigade. That might work for armoured Infantry or Boxer based mechanized infantry, where the infantry are close protection for armoured vehicles, or their closely supporting artillery firepower. Good points. You have ended my four day long hunt! 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). Italy. Anti-Tank platoons do that but thats because in the anti-tank variant the left bench is replaced by racks for Javelin LTAs so there really is NO space for personal kit. NATO defines a battalion as "larger than a company, but smaller than a regiment" while "consisting of two or more company-, battery-, or troop-sized units and a headquarters. A United States Marine Corps battalion includes the battalion headquarters, consisting of the commanding officer (usually a lieutenant colonel, sometimes a colonel), an executive officer (the second-in-command, usually a major), the sergeant major, and the executive staff (S-1 through S-4 and S-6). This would increase the overall costs extreme and such an all-mech-inf force with the ability of the mech-inf to also fight as light inf if the need arises would create a high logistical footprint, high equipment costs and much higher training costs etc. Light Role Battalions are likely to need fewer mechanics, so there is room for downward adjustment. There is a case for a light mortar to be carried by each Platoon HQ. It cant. To differentiate them from field armies, groups are usually written with Arabic numerals (example - 12th Army Group) as opposed to having their number written out. This would truly maximise the boots on the ground and moreover at the same time the tanks in the open and moreover the overall agility, speed, deployability and so on because of smaller units sizes for both the infantry and the Bronegruppa Tank Units (which are complete seperate independent units) which then can assist them if the need arises. The Army currently has 13 Active Component and 20 National Guard IBCTs. I dont think I was spoken to once during my six years in the reserves. Sniper platoons use the .338 L115A3 rifle. The Artillery Gun Module (AGM) on tracks (Donar) or on Boxer has only 3 crew ? At least in tracked / wheeled armoured infantry ? This means units/sub-units pinged would spend a colossal amount of time rehearsing at cost of other training and tasks. 27 Sep 44. 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. A company consists of 3-4 platoons and is part of a battalion. and normally have subordinate units that are identified by single letters (BatteryA, CompanyA, TroopA, etc.). Both 12.7 mm BMGs and 40 mm GMGs are vehicle mounted systems. You might be interested to know that my battalion reflects this by rarely having more than five dismounts as a matter of routine! A battalion's subordinate companies and their platoons are dependent upon the battalion headquarters for command, control, communications, and intelligence, and the battalion's service and support structure. United States Marine Corps infantry battalions are task organized into Battalion Landing Teams (BLTs) as the ground combat element (GCE) of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). Each fire team consists of the Fire Team Leader, an Automatic Rifleman (Specialist) serving an M249 light machine gun, Grenadier (Specialist) serving an M4A1 carbine and M320 grenade launcher, and Rifleman (Private First Class). They are numbered and assigned missions based on their structures. Your fantasy FF2020 is pretty much identical to mine, but I want three brigades of each type, for 1 in 3 rotation cycle. A British battalion in theatre during World War II had around 845 men; as of 2012, a British battalion had around 650 soldiers. The Rifle Battalion of October 1940 was superseded beginning in April 1942 by a new Infantry Battalion organization. Finally, a REME Detachment will provide repair and recovery services for all Battalion Armoured Vehicles. 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. 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. Interesting thoughts and ideas covering a few topics. It offers a range of new ammunition natures from anti-tank rounds to bunker-busting HE. A common structure with an identical headcore for each bataillon and protected mobility for each of it would therefore create an force which in the case of the UK forces would be to small to fight in closed terrain and would not achieve the necessery critical mass there and to the opposite would not have enough fighting power to achieve victory in open terrain against an more tank heavy but despite of its higher fighting power smaller and therefore more faster and agile enemy force. 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? consists of a platoon headquarters, 3 rifle squads, and 1 weapons squads. Theyre usually responsible for planning and directing campaigns in particular geographic areas. Their light cavalry troops are even bigger: 50 soldiers in eight LOVs (Pinzgauers). Strike battalion The battalion-level system we have used since WW2, with mortars organised in a separate platoon, still seems to work well. A battalion is a regimental sub-unit of infantry amounting to between 500 and 1,000 soldiers. First Army serves as a mobilization, readiness and training command; Third Army, or U.S. Army Central, commands all Army forces for U.S. Central Command; Fifth Army, or U.S. Army North, commands all Army forces for U.S. Northern Command; Sixth Army, or U.S. Army South, commands all Army forces for U.S. Southern Command; Seventh Army, or U.S. Army Europe, commands all Army forces for U.S. European Command; Eighth Army commands all U.S. Army forces in South Korea; and Ninth Army, or U.S. Army Africa, commands all Army forces for U.S. Africa Command. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Service God Bless you man. And yes, this is my ideal platoon properly-resourced as I see it based on recent indeed, current experience. The article gives the numbers and personnel strengths of each type of battalion. I see that you failed to include the Adjutant Generals Regimental Administration Office Platoon with around 20 personel. This structure also reflects the fact that most NATO IFVs accommodate a total of 9 soldiers, e.g. I agree fully that each section should have its own vehicle for so many reasons. 1. Ground Combat Element (GCE) = Marine Infantry Battalion Landing Team (BLT) Aviation Combat Element (ACE) = Composite . fire missions, instead the mortar team is at his immediate disposal. The total then is simply calculated as 18338. C1: S: 9. For purposes of . 07 Personnel summary. 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. The current infantry rifle platoon organization is identical to the infantry, air assault, and airborne rifle platoon organizations listed in the Change 1 of FM 7-8 published in 2001. Indeed, one was carried until the 51 mm was prematurely retired (because the ammunition went out of production). In between are the intermediate elements of Army organization, including the squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade and division. Ulrich gives an alternative of all battalions being light role and armoured vehicles being in independent extreme bronegruppa units. The U.S. Army's Infantry Rifle Platoon consists of a platoon headquarters, 3 rifle squads, and 1 weapons squads. So it is a very flexible number. Tactically, battalions are grouped into brigades. Service Company, a support unit of a Regiment This would inevitable change their way of fighting and therefore hinder them to be an true general purpose infantry. Canadian battalions are generally commanded by lieutenant-colonels, though smaller reserve battalions may be commanded by majors. That gives a reduction of 1590 from current strength that could be used for the new bronegruppa. The following is the current organization ofthe. Either way possibly improving retention and a quality of life issue for regulars who may need some acclimatization to civilian life. Officers Mess Staff With eachJavelin vehicle requiring a driver and commander, this creates a headcount requirement of 1 officer + 31 other ranks. This essentially gives us a diamond structure with a centralised support function for each unit and is creates a fully contained self supporting unit at battalion level that has everything it needs, crucially this structure allows for every battalion in the force to have 1 company at high readiness, 1 training up, 1 coming off and 1 at rest and this can revolve in 3 or 6 month cycles. They would free up the Battalions and companies now assigned to this role to shore up the numbers in real Battalions . 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. Three platoons of 36 soldiers would need to be supported by a Company HQ comprised of the Company Commander, Company 2IC, CSM, CQMS, two storemen, two clerks, two radio operators, four drivers, and two runners. In the most recent issue of Soldier magazine, there is an item headed New Warrior stays on track, in which the proposed new incarnation of the vehicle receives quite a lot of praise , including the statement On paper the platform looks impressive and offers a raft of refinements and upgrades over its long-serving predecessor. These apparently include not only the new 40mm cannon but also enhanced mechanical underpinnings, beefed-up armour and better comfort for the crews. Thoughts on the Armys Integrated Review Refresh, A Review of The British Armys Regimental System. 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. So it looks as if the developments for the vehicle are at a pretty advanced stage, making a cancellation of the vehicle and its replacement by the Ajax IFV variant unlikely. 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?