Beginning in the early 1980s, some elements of the combat support companies (the mortar and scout platoons) were merged into the headquarters company with the staff and support elements, others were moved to their parent type organization (ground surveillance radar and air defense), and in infantry battalions the heavy anti-tank missile platoon was organized as a separate company (ECompany). . If so, the Army Reserve has undergone an immeasurable transformation over the past ten years. Because of the protected mobility this general purpose infantry would become to slow, to few and to dependent on specific logistical assets. Regimental Administration Office Storage space is hardly ample; the wagons were designed for blokes to fight from, not live in. By specifically including them, you ensure that the total number of dismounts is not diluted. 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. corporal. Recon Our Army Structure in Vietnam. For the light infantry company the building blocks are: Soldier>Fire Team>Squad>Platoon. Ser. 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). Unless, of course, you want to really shake up what the AR is for and how it works. I am also a big advocate of platoons having their own medic and signaller. Platoons moving around the battlefield in MIVs may additionally get the 30 mm M230LF chain gun (the same light cannon used in the Apache attack helicopter). This set up allows the squad to fire and maneuver at the same time, with one team able to act as a "support" element and the other as an "assault" element. Is it time to recognise that for platoons to have sufficient dismounted mass in lower-capacity IFVs we now require five or six vehicles per platoon? Btn - He says at one point that in his Army 2020 organization, The armoured brigade would have Ajax Recce, Chally, Ajax IFV (bye bye Warrior! A company consists of 3-4 platoons and is part of a battalion. The Sniper platoon usually consists of eight sniper pairs or 16 other ranks. Additionally, a Combat Medic (Specialist), Forward Observer (Sergeant), and Fire Support RTO (Specialist) are also typically attached, but are not integral to the unit. consists of command and support personnel for the company. 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). Given the requirement, identify the elements and generic employment missions of a . of the two vehicles seem to vary somewhat according to which source you use. 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. I like the idea of having more fire support in Platoon HQ. [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. 1. This reduces each company by 20 personnel. Ill break my reply into a couple of comments. The size of this sub-unit must be sufficient to support the tracked vehicles of Armoured Infantry battalions, so a Detachment structure of 1 officer + 37 other ranks is proposed. The Table of Organization (T/O) of the Marine Corps lays out the organizational structure and the equipment required to function. Your email address will not be published. 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). Both 12.7 mm BMGs and 40 mm GMGs are vehicle mounted systems. And modeling and simulation. Contrarily, in my experience the Gaaards are very proud of their role and it forms an important part of their ethos, setting them apart from the rest after all, they havent much else to boast about! Weapons companies do not receive a letter designation. 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. Mortar platoons with 8 or 9 x 81 mm tubes has been proven on many occasions to be sufficient. Battle Order We have personally given to the UNHCR's efforts to help those affected by war in Ukraine. Each company is commanded by a major, the officer commanding (OC), with a captain or senior lieutenant as second-in-command (2IC). 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. Bear in mind that you have to fit everybodys kit in thats not just kit to fight but to live from. It is worth noting that the current model of the Army Reserve infantry actually achieves the endstate you seek already: generating an additional rifle company as well as generating an additional section per specialist platoon. Light Aid Detachment Here to Germany Army Unit Organisation 1939-41. An infantry battle group will typically be commanded by the commander of the core infantry battalion around which it is formed and can range in size from 300 to 1,500 or more soldiers, depending on the nature of the mission assigned. Nagy, Istvan Austrian Cavalry Troops in IFVs will additionally benefit from 40 mm CT40 cannons and 7.62 mm chain guns for support. Im not sure that he can wave farewell to Warrior so easily. US Army Infantry Battalion Numbers. w!2]ca-wA w+J_i6lG!FUo;d!1OB/nz4JRqsLj$qi0|AHUT*x)soH0rr&G99WPvY:u8h. 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) Light Role Battalions are likely to need fewer mechanics, so there is room for downward adjustment. Battle Order is for informational purposes only. In the Canadian Army, the battalion is the standard unit organization for infantry and combat service support and each battalion is divided into one or more sub-units referred to as companies. The order of battle shows 101 German infantry divisions and 139 Soviet rifle divisions. Anti-Tank This is will mean better effect of weapons and better for load distribution. It was common for a battalion to become temporarily attached to a different regiment. The regular army gets guns and spare gun crews to keep them going 24/7. 02 Infantry Platoons built around 36 soldiers. Officers Mess Staff They can range from a few dozen soldiers to up to 200. You might be interested to know that my battalion reflects this by rarely having more than five dismounts as a matter of routine! * Each squad is authorized two disposable shoulder-fired munitions (general AT-4s) which would go to the Riflemen. 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 The Infantry Battalion was the basic tactical unit of the ground forces of the Canadian military throughout the 20th Century. I appreciate Ive written a lot but have a few more broad questions on future infantry structures and would be curious to hear others views. 3 x Rifle Sect: eight soldiers. They are structured roughly analogous to an Army or Marine Corps battalion with staff and commanding officers of similar grade and experience. When you constantly need to juggle different group sizes, theres a risk of not knowing whether you have enough boots on the ground to complete allocated tasks. Option B creates three sections of 10 soldiers plus a smaller Platoon HQ of 6 soldiers. 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. Boxer and Bushmaster. While this underwent amendments, most particularly in terms of antitank weapons, its overall structure influenced all subsequent Tables of Organization issued for the Battalion. Item No. They will win, or loose. I am not sure I would even attempt to provide reserve reinforcements to Warrior or Boxer based units. Sergeants Mess Staff The battalion is "the smallest infantry organization that can arrange for a concentration of support weapons of different kinds" (War Office training manual, 15 January 1944), and is usually grouped with other units such as armoured regiments or other infantry battalions into higher formations: brigades, divisions, corps, armies and army groups. consists of a Platoon Leader (Second or First Lieutenant), Platoon Sergeant (Sergeant First Class) and Radiotelephone Operator/RTO (Specialist). Pins of regiments and artillery battalions that served in In a pinch, sure, but routinely just five or six. Administratively, battalions are subdivisions of regiments. No, I hesitated on the TA bit because it sounded derogatory, but note that I said enhance their professionalism, not that they were unprofessional. 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. Quartermasters Department Signals Platoon Other ranks will include the RSM, Drill Sergeant, Chief Clerk, plus 7 additional clerks / drivers. In the latter case, the unit is called an eskadron, which translates roughly to "squadron". The battalion must have a source of re-supply to enable it to sustain operations for more than a few days. Someone pointed out that US stryker brigades had been gamed against Russian motorized and were looking at I think 50% casualty rates in under a week. Unfortunately, it is only attached if a battalion deploys and may not train often enough with the battalion to which it is allocated to achieve the desired level of integration. Now that the GPMG has been returned to rifle sections, a separate, fourth fire support platoon is no longer needed. A weapons company with 160 men and a medical detachment with 30 men. MP - Artillery battalions typically comprised four or more batteries, although this number fluctuated considerably. The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. Every review mentions making increased use of the reserves which sets alarm bells ringing for me. Print Cite. The platoon could divide into two three wagon sub-platoons each having a dismounted mass of 1+6+6? For the rest of reserve infantry I would convert to home defence force non-deployable security force for the UK home base. Weapons listed in this article are what has been effective as of 2020. We already have two dedicated battalions for public duties and what youre really asking is could we make do with just one? 04 Battalion HQ and HQ Company structure They are not man-portable. Maybe Armoured Infantry on Warrior dont need that due to their cannon, maybe Mech Infantry on a Boxer with 12.7mm HMG or 40mm GMG RWS dont need these support weapons, but general purpose Light role do, even if their MRV-P ends up with a 7.62mm RWS, as these are not Armoured fighting vehicles but battle taxis with an MG for self defence. The Anti-tank Platoon typically has 6-8 Javelin ATGM launchers, with each one operated by two soldiers. DUI 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. A regiment consists of a regimental headquarters, a headquarters company (or battery), and two to five organic battalions (Marine infantry regiments three battalions of infantry; Marine artillery regiments three to five battalions of artillery; Marine combat logistics regiments one to three combat logistics battalions). This structure was used during Operation Banner in Northern Ireland for many years and proved to be extremely effective. The infantry brigade combat team, as of 2014, contains 4,413 soldiers and is organized around three battalions of infantry. I can understand not having an SF Pl in armoured and mechanised battalions because the loss of firepower is offset by 30mm but in light-role battalions it is a battle-winner, especially in the defensive battle! These mortars can be fired either from anM170 Bipod or by hand. 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. Dubbed Infantry Battalion Experiment Campaign Plan, or IBX30, the three-battalion effort is part of the Corps' push to reorganize for conflicts with near-peer adversaries by 2030, which the. Should we be looking to bring UAVs to company or even platoon-level? A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). Generally, the RTO sticks with the Platoon Leader to keep them in constant communication with their squads and company headquarters. The structure outlined translates into an overall battalion size of 32 officers + 658 other ranks or 690 soldiers in total. 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. If we have multi role divisions, then does this not theoritically make a third of your div redundant for any given operation? From the 1960s through the early 1980s, a typical maneuver (infantry or tank) battalion had five companies: headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) and A, B, and CCompanies, plus a combat support company (CSC), with a scout platoon, 107mm (4.2 inch) heavy mortar platoon, along with other elements that varied between organizations. The first use of the word in English was in the 1580s. Indeed, it is my opinion that four dismounts is all Warrior can really operate with for the dismounts to have any degree of comfort. The division had also an antitank and . And as i wrote here in this blog in an earlier article especially the UK forces should be as multi-purpose and as flexible and mobile as possible, especially on the stratetigic and operational level. The organization here has been valid since approximately 2012, although weapon systems have changed over time. Military 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. Important figures in a battalion headquarters include: Battalions of other corps are given separate cardinal numbers within their corps (e.g., 101Battalion REME). Reconnaissance Troop, company-size unit - 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.. Officially, Warrior carries three on the left bench and four on the slightly longer right bench. As noted above, there is no reason why other weapon types and combinations could not also be used. Ill add defence inflation here, everything costs a fortune and will cost more, all the time do more with less, how much will the reserves get? The commander's staff coordinates and plans operations. 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. It has been estimated that only 1/3 of a division actually served as combat infantrymen---the remainder were command, support, artillery, etc. Man-portable drones and UAVs could be battle-winning assets. Organization of the formations and units of the German Army after the start of the Russian campaign until 1945. Infantry Headquarter Companys have the following elements: With caveats. within a Battalion was designated as a Heavy Weapons Company and it was And it is Soldier so of course Warrior 2 is the best thing that ever happened to the Army, https://gdls-aus.com/products/ajax-ifv/ajax-infantry-fighting-vehicle/. is the close combat element of the Infantry Battalion, with this article specifically covering the Rifle Company as it exists in the Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT). How about a Corps of Infantry ? A Logistics Platoon (formerly the Motor Transport Platoon) will be responsible for operating resupply and replenishment trucks. Several battalions form a regiment or brigade. Strike battalion It has also been suggested that rifle companies should acquire 81 mm mortars. A battalion in the Indian Army is commanded by a colonel. I think that keeping divisions how they are is the better system and that each of the divisions should be organised into independent battlegroups (with some of their own logistics included) that can be used to bolt onto a heavier or lighter formation as and when required or massed together such as the armored div for a major confrontation. This will lead to higher costs per bataillon and therefore to higher overall costs. (c) distributed as required when regiment is broken-up in detachments. Increased range and lethality for less weight will kill off 7.62mm guns in the fire support/ mg section / mg plt role. 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. Often Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) officers are assigned to the battalion, to coordinate naval gunfire support. With common ORBATs, marine battalions can quickly be prepared for the allocated mission. I really like your idea of sharing public duties! General Frederick Weyand, from. Though I strongly disagree with replacing the Woodentops, it is always good to see non-Guards have a turn. 2) Would it work for the role of the specialised infantry battalions? You are spot on that dismounted mass should dictate the ORBAT rather than vehicle capacity. Are/were you Guards, Captain Nemo? 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! 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. Also not every infantry unit would then need an kind of sister tank unit (because of rotation, because of terrain and so on) and so the number of vehicles for the protected mobility units which could at the same time act as independent fighting units seperate from the infantry could be smaller as if every infantry unit would have its own protected vehicles. The Warrior has two benches how many can you squeeze on? The captain is responsible for the direction, training, and welfare of those below him. Its a tactical-sized unit that can perform a battlefield function on its own. In the U.S. Marine Corps, the brigade designation is used only in "Marine Expeditionary Brigade" (MEB). @Jed In my fantasy army its the best allocation of resources. As far as anti-tank weapons are concerned, these tend to be issued according to the threat faced. The U.S. Army also created independent tank battalions to attach to infantry divisions during World War II in order to give them fire support. During the American Civil War, an infantry or cavalry battalion was an ad hoc grouping of companies from the parent regiment (which had ten companies, A through K, minus J as described below), except for certain regular infantry regiments, which were formally organized into three battalions of six companies each (numbered 16 per battalion vice sequential letter designations). For purposes of clarity, this display is simplified through the elimination of numerous headquarters, maintenance and other support units which are normally attached to or associated with the listed combat units [despite the well known fact that amateurs talks tactics while professionals talk logistics]. The thing about 36 is that it divides neatly a number of ways 4 x 9, 3 x 12, 3 x 10 + 6, 4 x 8 +4. The different types of light infantry organizations were all consolidated into the one "Infantry" organization in 2007. In January 2006, the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry was reactivated at Fort Riley under the U.S. Army's new "modularity" concept as an element of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. So Rifle Sections of 9 soldiers would work well. 40mm is under used in general in my opinion. & Organizations of the Italian Campaign for brief history To put it in perspective Ive never hit a target with 51/60mm and never missed with CG. The basic platoon structure of the Universal Battalion assumes that individual riflemen within sections will be equipped with the 5.56 mm L85A3 assault rifle (SA80) including two soldiers with 40 mm UGLs. Ensuring that infantry units can be accommodated by their vehicles can also be a challenge. Do we have to acknowledge the British Army lacks mass on any scale and that includes the dismounted close combat platoon ? In between are the intermediate elements of Army organization, including the squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade and division. 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. I dont mean to bash your idea but I do think that the current system, despite its flaws, is generally fit for purpose. At the armoured end, I believe Boxer is designed to also carry all the kit required for an 8 man section, which does not mean extra seats / space for more stores is not a bad thing with 6 dismounts which takes us right back round to mass of dismounts. Select A Unit From the Menu to Learn More: There are a few distinct exceptions in the structure of each military service. A Carl Gustav 84mm in the Coy. Without the institutional Army, the operational side cant function. Arty - Artillery The infantry community has a problem. 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). If the light battalions have the current strength of 560 then 28, with the specialised infantry unchanged at 267, gives a total of 16748. [33] That is, rifle companies A, B, C along with heavy weapons CompanyD were part of the 1st battalion, rifle companiesE, F, G, and heavy weapons CompanyH constituted the 2nd battalion, and rifle companies I, K, L, and heavy weapons CompanyM were in the 3rd. 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. This means units/sub-units pinged would spend a colossal amount of time rehearsing at cost of other training and tasks. Culling BHQs may be good for the budget, but by nowhere near enough to justify trading such depth. My conclusion out of this is therefore that the UK infantry should be an general-purpose trained force and also that the headcore and structure of all bataillons should be the same, but that the protected mobility should not be an organic part of the infantry, but organised in an complete different and independent form, in own and indipendent units. It also gives Platoon HQ additional firepower that can be allocated to individual sections as required. In this respect, the number 36 is important, because it allows a range of groupings: 3 x Rifle Sections with 10 soldiers each plus a Platoon HQ of 6 soldiers = 36 total, 3 x Rifle Sections of 9 soldiers each plus a Platoon HQ of 9 soldiers = 36 total, 2 x Rifle Sections of 12 soldiers each plus a Platoon HQ of 12 soldiers = 36 total. A heavily loaded German infantry unit marching into a new position on the Eastern Front in 1943. It cant. 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. Its more the lack of balance than PD itself. Traditionally, most British regiments have had more than one battalion. consists of 9 enlisted personnel. Maybe reserve Infantry can protect reserve loggies delivering stores and ammo. Starting in 20052006, the U.S. Army's mechanized and tank battalions were reorganized into combined arms battalions (CABs). This is because a battalion's complement of ammunition, expendable weapons (e.g., hand grenades and disposable rocket launchers), water, rations, fuel, lubricants, replacement parts, batteries, and medical supplies normally consists of only what the battalion's soldiers and the battalion's vehicles can carry. One concern about the existing structure is that the third rifle platoon in each infantry company is furnished by the Army Reserve. Why some say Warrior can carry seven and why some say less: A nominal structure of 1 + 35 soldiers is proposed. Tactically, battalions are grouped into brigades. Table of US Divisions 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. I must ask though In the late 1980s, there was a fourth "line" company added (DCompany) in most infantry and tank battalions. 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. Training Wing Regiment). I would like to see the Hirtenberger 60mm mortars purchased under UOR deployed at least in the Rifle Company HQ, more for smoke and illumination rather than HE. I am not going into the argument about a Battalions manning however the REME manning is open to question. 1 x Fire Support Sect: SC, two-man GPMG team, two-man CG/SPIKE SR/C90 anti-tank team and three-man 60mm mortar team.
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