Radio operators, medics and anti-tank weapon operators would carry assault rifles with shorter barrels for reduced weight and increased convenience. Prior they would have travelled in an M1165A1 HMMVW, although any mark of HMMVW that was available likely would have been used. 06 Vehicle requirements The different types of light infantry organizations were all consolidated into the one "Infantry" organization in 2007. The following is the current organization ofthe. @UKLP I fully agree that the infantry platoon needs a manpower uplift. This structure was used during Operation Banner in Northern Ireland for many years and proved to be extremely effective. Are/were you Guards, Captain Nemo? Between 1939 and 1943 the German standard infantry division contained three regiments with a total of nine rifle battalions. Many regiments of all types are operating well below their headcount caps, meaning that very few battalions operate with the same number of soldiers. That idea could be developed but I dont think it is right for all British infantry. It was common for a battalion to become temporarily attached to a different regiment. The Army overall is about 5000 under authorised strength and an increase to about 7000 under strength does not seem a good change. I dont think I was spoken to once during my six years in the reserves. As a bonus I thought that a closer relationship with reserves at battalion might serve as a nice middle ground, with regulars perhaps choosing that as way out of the service as well as for reserves finding it a way in. 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. Unfortunately, the third rifle platoon is not present in peacetime, but is furnished by the Army Reserve should a battalion deploy on operations. You have robbed Peter to pay Paul. I dont understand what problem having a light, medium and heavy brigade in a division solves. The Army is composed of an active duty component and a reserve component that comprises the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. 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). Good points. 3-battalion and can be augmented by 1 for every battalion in excess of 3. within a Battalion was designated as a Heavy Weapons Company and it was 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. What if you disbanded the reserve artillery regiments and added reserve batteries to your regular regiments? I do think the reserves however have a huge role to play in defending airfields, HQs, dockyards, ammo dumps etc etc. I would also go with an old suggestion from Think Defence to use reduced numbers of RM and Para as enablers for light infantry brigades which would provide the bulk of air assault / heliborne ops and amphibious ops. One concern about the existing structure is that the third rifle platoon in each infantry company is furnished by the Army Reserve. It is also suitable for Light Role battalions operating on foot. Option B creates three sections of 10 soldiers plus a smaller Platoon HQ of 6 soldiers. 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. My preferred direction is to to look at a common organisation for the Armoured and Mechanised infantry, and a different organisation for light infantry including air assault. This is will mean better effect of weapons and better for load distribution. This formation of three infantry battalions, an engineer battalion, an artillery battalion, a cavalry squadron, and a support battalion needs to be restructured to maximize an infantry . The Combat Medic and Platoon Sergeant are generally paired as the Platoon Sergeant is responsible for coordinating CASEVAC. An infantry battalion is numbered ordinarily within its regiment (e.g., 1st Battalion, The Rifles, usually referred to as 1Rifles). @MikeW 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. Interesting article on a subject I personally know little about. There are pouches hanging off the turret cage. That gives a reduction of 1590 from current strength that could be used for the new bronegruppa. In turn each rifle company consists three platoons. This will also be sufficient to sustain Mechanised Infantry Battalions and Light Role Protected Mobility Battalions. Gary Uchida was an original member of the 100th Infantry Battalion. 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). AT - For what its worth, I think it would be good to have a rotating other-arms presence. Hence a few questions. 1. I must ask though 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). The LMG is a good belt-fed weapon up to 400m, perfect for D FT. Leave the general as a pl asset for depth targets and to join the suppressing section to give it big licks when needed. In Northern Ireland, infantry platoons were often divided into multiples of 12 soldiers. Battalion - A battalion comprised three or more companies and was commanded by a lieutenant colonel. The infantry community has a problem. 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. [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. One company I really like your idea of sharing public duties! In addition to the primary mission companies, a battalion typically includes a headquarters staff and combat service support which may be combined into a Headquarters and service company. This amounts to 1 officer and 38 permanent enlisted personnel, as well as 3 usually attached enlisted personnel. Combat companies consist of (usually mechanised) infantry, combat engineers, or tanks. C FT with SC and three riflemen, D FT with 2IC, UGL, SS, LMG (ASM/NLAWs if appropriate). Gimpy is too big and heavy for a section weapon, its hard going over walls/fences/through buildings etc and shouldnt really be fired from any position but the prone, unlike the lighter and more agile LMG. The motorised (Light) brigade would have MRVP/Bushmaster. Bye. 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. The corps is the highest level of command that can provide operational direction for actual combat. Maybe if you feel they have to, actual Infantry roled Guards Battalions could have more establised posts for SNCOs and junior Officers, who could do rotations with these ceremonial Battalions. With all these components, a battalion is the smallest military unit capable of "limited independent operations".[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. Thanks for the idea. The battalion was a standard tactical organization throughout the 20th Century, and overseas deployments were usually done with formations . To take, and then hold ground is the usual answer. I appreciate, cause I found exactly what I was looking for. This is followed at the brigade level at which point the support scale starts to really kick in. Each type of brigade ( infantry or airborne infantry) has the same basic organization. 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. Short answer: Ajax IFV has six seats (link at bottom). This would lead directly to an to small infantry force wich would not be able to create the said necessary critial mass and also such an infantry would simply not have the overall size which is necessary to fight in an infantry-terrain (like woods, urban etc). of troops assigned than an infantry company . In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organizations. Therefore, there may be a case to standardise all infantry battalions around a common structure with an identical headcount for each. Note(s) 6-10. A company is commanded by a captain with a first sergeant as the assistant. Italy. Does it have to be infantry? Rocket launcher artillery battalions consisted of a headquarters and headquarters platoon, a service battery and three firing batteries equipped with BM-21 Grads for a total of 255 personnel.[29][30]. battalions 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. Each battalion usually consists of the following: Battalion command Commander Second in command General service Personnel section Intelligence section Operations section Materiel section Communication section As I say Im just throwing ideas around, not trying to invade Poland. Cross Reference Table that lists the numbered regiments and artillery 8 bazookas; 3 57mm anti-tank guns; 2 .50 cal and Maybe have the armoured corps supplying the vehicle crews in a similar way to the Mastiff group on Telic? If its not can we at least work round it by concentrating on fire and manoeuvre? Each Rifle Company had a Heavy Weapons Platoon that was divided into a 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! 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 division had also an antitank and . Combat enemy fast air? Under the observation of the Marine Corps. Such a capability is definitely still needed and there is a strong case to re-instate the 51 mm exactly as it was. It may indeed prove a good idea if explored and developed further but I dont understand what problem you seek to solve nor what the advantages are: it will do nothing for quality of training, Reserve professionalism and competency, morale and retention or, crucially, deployability. 1) What is the total manpower bill of the new proposed battalions compared with the current manpower liability in all infantry battalions? 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. I am not sure I would even attempt to provide reserve reinforcements to Warrior or Boxer based units. These are only used in times of large-scale war, such as World War II. This reduces each company by 20 personnel. 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. Of course, there will always be exceptions, be you Regular or Reserve, but to dismiss them as second-rate soldiers is unfounded and outdated. (Please click on the image for a larger version) 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. It will have 6 ambulances, each crewed by 3 personnel, although this may be increased to 8 or 9 for high intensity operations, creating a total headcount requirement of 1 medical officer + 25 other ranks. For dismounted infantry, the US Army is looking at .338 (8.59 mm) medium weight machine guns to provide increased firepower and range. A HIMARS trucker mounted single pod MLRS rocket launcher has only a crew of 3. 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 . A field army consists of two or more corps and is run by a general or lieutenant general. 1. But each platoon then gains four or five extra soldiers. With a universal size, it is easy to see gaps and to fill them. A battalion may also contain a combat support company. The Light Infantry Company. In between are the intermediate elements of Army organization, including the squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade and division. Anti-tank platoons usually have 6-8 dismounted Javelin ATGM launchers. Considering something like Mali or from our experience Afghan what would the heavy bring to the party? In the Canadian Forces, most battalions are reserve units of between 100 and 200 soldiers that include an operationally ready, field-deployable component of approximately a half-company apiece. On each side behind the benches is a shelf for personal kit (actually designed as a rack for a couple of LAWs). The three commanders of the U.S. forces during the Vietnam War were: General William Westmoreland, from 1964 to 1968. Artillery battalions typically comprised four or more batteries, although this number fluctuated considerably. 3 x Rifle Sect: eight soldiers. A colonel is generally in command. Why did / do we need mass, as in large numbers of infantry boots on the ground ? I further agree that 28 is a good number: four six-strong sections and a four-strong Pl HQ has sufficient flexibility, lethality and survivability (it can absorb casualties, something current AI platoons struggle to do). The article gives the numbers and personnel strengths of each type of battalion. Ground Combat Element (GCE) = Marine Infantry Battalion Landing Team (BLT) Aviation Combat Element (ACE) = Composite . Individual sections may carry between one and four NLAW disposable ATGMs. 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. Your email address will not be published. Does this need a full battalion or just a Company? Commando Battalion (joint para/RM group) The Table of Organization (T/O) of the Marine Corps lays out the organizational structure and the equipment required to function. This structure also reflects the fact that most NATO IFVs accommodate a total of 9 soldiers, e.g. ), probably Boxer SPH. Not combat troops at all, maybe all wearing a common foot guards uniform with the same number of buttons. They are structured roughly analogous to an Army or Marine Corps battalion with staff and commanding officers of similar grade and experience. 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. As we begin to look towards autonomous vehicles, REME support across all battalion types will become more important. 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 support company usually contains anti-tank, machine gun, mortar, pioneer and reconnaissance platoons. I think were missing a trick with not using the reserve transition from regular service. Battle Order is for informational purposes only. Welfare Office One suggestion might be to convert the light-role battalions GPMG SF Pl into a MANPADS Pl? REME do not just fix vehicles, an Infantry Battalion has a huge amount of other equipment that REME have to support. 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. 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). 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. 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. These include leading the quartering partya forward echelon that prepares an assembly area for the company's arrivalcoordinating sustainment and CASEVAC, and aiding in coordination with different echelons of command. It normally consists of a headquarters and three or more companies. none: 6-10-1 . The senior of two Squad Leaders is also the Section Leader. It has also been suggested that rifle companies should acquire 81 mm mortars. If not six wagons as I suggested previously, maybe four section vehicles plus a Pl HQ wagon? The Specialised infantry battalions should be a separate discussion because of their different role and very different strength. Indeed, I can see Warrior being used for the next ten, fifteen, even twenty years. God Bless you man. Pins of regiments and artillery battalions that served in While this underwent amendments, most particularly in terms of antitank weapons, its overall structure influenced all subsequent Tables of Organization issued for the Battalion. Infantry Battalion. Fantastic comments. However, guarding Buck House entails huge levels of scrutiny screw-ups will be recorded and shared online. The battalion structure is designed to readily expand to include a fourth rifle company, if required, as described above under battalion organization. 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#| Thisproposal is in-line with what rifle companies already have. They are also Emergency Care Sergeants and can maneuver with either the Company Commander or First Sergeant. 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. The problem the Army has is when it wants people to do two jobs at once in two different places at the same time . Life would be easier if we had nets so boys could just strap bergens to the outside of the wagon. I hope so. This is vital. endstream endobj 3745 0 obj <>stream I am not going into the argument about a Battalions manning however the REME manning is open to question. 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. 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. Light infantry Battalion These mortars can be fired either from anM170 Bipod or by hand. Theyre generally run by a lieutenant, often with a noncommissioned officer as second in command. Those regiments consisting of more than one battalion are: Tactically, the Canadian battalion forms the core of the infantry battle group, which also includes various supporting elements such as armour, artillery, combat engineers and combat service support. Part of a wider CRAM matrix? But war is not about comfort, I know. Ill break my reply into a couple of comments. Guardsmen and women who get very basic training, plus drill. [26], Prior to the late 1980s, Soviet tank battalions consisted of three tank companies of 13 T-64, T-72 or T-80 tanks each, along with a battalion headquarters mounted in a command tank and a headquarters and service platoon, for a total of 165 personnel and 40 tanks; battalions using the older T-54, T-55 or T-62s tanks had 31 or 40 additional enlisted personnel. Starting Discussions About Defence Issues. 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. It has been estimated that only 1/3 of a division actually served as combat infantrymen---the remainder were command, support, artillery, etc. The mortar section consists of two Mortar Squads, each with a Squad Leader, Gunner and Ammo Bearer. The T/O started out as a chart-like document published by the War Department during WWII, prescribing the organic structure and equipment of units from divisional strength on down to the smallest operational entities . Combat medic is attached from the Infantry Battalion Medical Platoon. It enables a return to pre-1950s rule of four: assault, suppress, reserve, exploit. Yn a|FKtpW"[I'nJpbR].VB`8~q}RBTw'#g( These are: The Mortar Platoon typically operates 8 or 9 mortars each with a crew of 4 plus a Mortar Fire Controller for each detachment of 2 mortars. That will make a massive difference. @UKLP The GPMG Light Role and GPMG Sustained Fire are very different weapons with very different roles and capabilities. However, two of the infantry regiments were reduced to two battalions each and their supporting artillery battalions had only two firing batteries. Mortar platoons with 8 or 9 x 81 mm tubes has been proven on many occasions to be sufficient. Total battalion headcount can be determined by considering how many soldiers are needed within each component unit type. 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. This structure is ideal for counter insurgency operations where there is a focus on foot patrols and other dismounted operations. 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. This where I would fit the reserve infantry into the mix, sticking with 1 inf battalion providing 1 Coy on the 1 in 3 rotation to their twinned regular battalion for the regular motorized inf Battalions. Company, a support unit of a Regiment If it did by any chance happen, though, I wonder if UK Land Power could tell me whether it would make a difference to his manning arrangements. Vehicle tools, pegs for the troop shelter and bits like that that dont live in the side or back bins usually go under the left bench, the right has the hydraulic ram for the back door under it and a big tray for the rations. Tri-Service? Are ~1,200 troops really needed?? The battalion is usually part of a regiment, group, or brigade depending on the branch of service. Small rationalisations made across other Support units help reduction. For all modern technology, gunning and commanding really require two people, else you have an ineffective platform. A company consists of 3-4 platoons and is part of a battalion. INSIGNIA However, the usage of designated marksmen not too common. They are not man-portable, so will usually only accompany a platoon when mounted on MIV, MRVP, MWMIK (Jackal) or other vehicles. Other ranks will include the RSM, Drill Sergeant, Chief Clerk, plus 7 additional clerks / drivers. HQ Company is comprised of five supporting elements. 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. - Option C Platoon divides the platoon into three groups (or multiples) of 12 soldiers. The UK is likely to do the same, but only a limited number of vehicles will get it presumably Anti-tank and Reconnaissance platoons. Organization of the formations and units of the German Army after the start of the Russian campaign until 1945. 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 ? A U.S. Army battalion includes the battalion commander (lieutenant colonel), executive officer (major), command sergeant major (CSM), headquarters staff, and usually three to five companies, with a total of 300 to 1,000[31] (but typically 500 to 600) soldiers. 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 ? 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). It just seems a bit of an own goal to me youve got a big powerful IFV that you cant exploit fully. Or what is not getting done in the modular battalion ? With this in mind, the objective of this discussion is to consider what a universal battalion size ought to be. This is because Reserves are not expected or asked to deploy more than once per five-year period. Its a tactical-sized unit that can perform a battlefield function on its own. 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. Bear in mind that you have to fit everybodys kit in thats not just kit to fight but to live from. DUI All infantry ideally would then become mechanised infantry. An infantry battalion, logistical battalion, combat battalion, and the Netherlands Marine Corps all have a battalion structure. Starting in 20052006, the U.S. Army's mechanized and tank battalions were reorganized into combined arms battalions (CABs). Have the shortfall taken up by a line battalion. 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). Generally, the RTO sticks with the Platoon Leader to keep them in constant communication with their squads and company headquarters. This adds-up to 2 officers +14 other ranks. 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. Therefore, this exercise will commence by considering how platoons and rifle sections should be organised and how this determines overall rifle company size and structure. 3) What about the Royal Marines and the RAF Regiment, which tend to work at company group size? Such companieslack integral motorization or mechanization, but are all capable of air assault operations and often operate motorized, although the entire IBCT cannot motorize all at once. Date. With common ORBATs, marine battalions can quickly be prepared for the allocated mission. In the late 1980s, there was a fourth "line" company added (DCompany) in most infantry and tank battalions.