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 inevitable change their way of fighting and therefore hinder them to be an true general purpose infantry. The commander can also accept augmentation of units. German Organization for Combat, 1944. corporal. The Light Infantry Company. 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). PHILANTHROPY. I am also a big advocate of platoons having their own medic and signaller. 9 man sections work very well, in effect the section commander is freed up to command 2 Lcpls who then command thier fire teams. Should we be looking to bring UAVs to company or even platoon-level? These new combined arms battalions are modular units, each consisting of a headquarters company, two mechanized infantry companies, two tank companies, and a forward support company attached from the battalion's parent brigade support battalion. C1: S: 9. 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. With this in mind, the objective of this discussion is to consider what a universal battalion size ought to be. 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. Ulrich gives an alternative of all battalions being light role and armoured vehicles being in independent extreme bronegruppa units. The squad is led by a Squad Leader (Staff Sergeant) and further subdivided into two homogenous fire teams designated Alpha Team and Bravo Team and each led by a Fire Team Leader (Sergeant). The psychological impact of fighting against a platoon with immediate indirect fire capability should not be disregarded nor should the effect of hearing its noise and seeing its explosion. If they are vehicle commanders of two of the four section vehicles then when they dismount their vehicle gunner will have double workload. Achieving A Common Size and Structure for UK Infantry Battalions, Learning from how our Allies armies are organized, Matching Brainpower with Firepower - The British Armys new Ranger Regiment, A modern Royal Navy ASW corvette based on the WW2 Flower-Class, The 10 Most Significant US Aircraft of World War 2, Armoured Infantry battalions -732 personnel, Mechanised Infantry battalions -709 personnel, Light Infantry battalions 560 personnel, Air Assault Infantry battalions 662 personnel, Specialised Infantry Battalions 267 personnel, Public Duties Infantry Battalions 560 personnel, Armoured Infantry Battalions IFV (Warrior) 6 battalions, Mechanised Infantry Battalions MIV (Boxer) 6 battalions, Light Protected Mobility Battalions LPPV / MRVP (Foxhound / JLTV / Bushmaster) 6 battalions. This is vital. I have always been rather sceptical that public duties require two battalions plus the incremental companies. The French and Germans have them at infantry-company level and the Australians have a surveillance section as part of their recce platoons. A brigade consists of a few battalions and anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers. And yes, this is my ideal platoon properly-resourced as I see it based on recent indeed, current experience. Indeed, I can see Warrior being used for the next ten, fifteen, even twenty years. Gymnasium A Carl Gustav 84mm in the Coy. The addition of the antitank platoon meant that a BTR battalion at full strength was 525 personnel and 60 BTRs, including three command variants, while a BMP battalion consisted of 497 personnel and 45 BMPs, including three command variants. These included heavy anti-tank TOW missile platoons, ground surveillance radar sections and man-portable air-defense system sections. Unfortunately, the third rifle platoon is not present in peacetime, but is furnished by the Army Reserve should a battalion deploy on operations. After 1882, cavalry battalions were renamed squadrons and cavalry companies were renamed troops. endstream endobj 3745 0 obj <>stream At that time, as it is now, the battalion was organized under the Tables of Organization (TOE) shown below. Increased range and lethality for less weight will kill off 7.62mm guns in the fire support/ mg section / mg plt role. With all these components, a battalion is the smallest military unit capable of "limited independent operations".[1]. INSIGNIA It has also been suggested that rifle companies should acquire 81 mm mortars. Theyre commanded by a general and are considered self-sufficient for indefinite periods. Battle Order We have personally given to the UNHCR's efforts to help those affected by war in Ukraine. 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. However, your suggestion of four rifle sections will require even greater manpower to maximise effect. The Artillery Gun Module (AGM) on tracks (Donar) or on Boxer has only 3 crew ? Every review mentions making increased use of the reserves which sets alarm bells ringing for me. Your email address will not be published. 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/. This structure is ideal for counter insurgency operations where there is a focus on foot patrols and other dismounted operations. 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). Units INFANTRY AND RIFLE DIVISIONS Infantry divisions remained the backbone of both armies. 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. 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. 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). On a related subject, getting more Infantry into standard modular structured Battalions; how would you feel about an idea I think that was first floated over on Think Defence many years ago moving the ceremonial role over to a specific, non-regular setup ? Thoughts on the Armys Integrated Review Refresh, A Review of The British Armys Regimental System. The division had also an antitank and . Reconnaissance Troop, company-size unit Is putting the GPMG back Into the section enough to ditch 12.7mm or 40mm GMG from a heavy machine gun platoon in the Support Company ? 1. 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 Quartermasters Platoon will be comprised of support staff whose job it is to manage and distribute material and other resources to each of the rifle companies. The British Army has 32 regular infantry battalions, but six different battalion types. Prior they would have travelled in an M1165A1 HMMVW, although any mark of HMMVW that was available likely would have been used. 1. 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. With IFVs, MIVs and MRVPs, the British Army will have a range of vehicles that can each carry a full section or 9 soldiers. This means for the same total numbers as today we have a far more agile and deployable total force. Given the requirement, identify the elements and generic employment missions of a . This would imo truly increase flexibility, fighting power and would it make even more easier to re-role the units. 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. The basic individual weapon in the light infantry battalion was the M14 rifle, while the airmobile unit was authorized M16 rifles. 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. They usually consist of three or more field armies, with about 1 million to 3 million soldiers. . A heavily loaded German infantry unit marching into a new position on the Eastern Front in 1943. There are also support battalions in the Dutch Army, which specialise on a specific task: for example, supplies and transport or communications. (b) In principal belongs to the auxiliary service. 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. Nominally, an extra GPMG and DMR are proposed, but a light mortar or multi-role 40 mm AGL could be carried instead. 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. It is a proposal discussed at length already by a host of military commentators including UKLP. 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. 03 Fire Support Company structure Specifically, the transition from the failed 1940 organization to the improved 1941 organization that served the army until the spring of 1943 when finally, the 1943 organization was established. 1945-1950. Man-portable drones and UAVs could be battle-winning assets. Either way possibly improving retention and a quality of life issue for regulars who may need some acclimatization to civilian life. Changes: Type: Pages. 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. Currently, infantry companies have a fourth fire support platoon equipped with 7.62 mm L7A2 GPMGs. Over time, the regiments were turned into battalions, the reserve units amalgamated and more regular units raised and disbanded. The question of multi-shot 6 round revolver type 40mm grenade launchers with MV rounds versus the UGL is a good one. There was no JCompany: the letter J was traditionally not used because in 18th- and 19th-century old-style type, the capital letters I and J looked alike, and were therefore easily confused with one another. Perhaps, but only if we reduced the commitment. As the job of the Supply Sergeant is to coordinate supply with higher echelons, their duty position is with the battalion trains although they may ride with the cargo truck in a company march. With that in mind Id suggest four sections of six, so that everyone off a given platform is on the same page, four sections could also divide neatly down the middle with its vehicles to give two patrols of twelve under a platoon sergeant and a platoon leader respectively. How would an improved/expanded capability be equipped, funded and manned? Option C Platoon divides the platoon into three groups (or multiples) of 12 soldiers. The term battalion is used in the British Army Infantry and some corps including the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and Intelligence Corps.
