It offered HE, WP, smoke and illuminating bomb types. Item No. At that time, as it is now, the battalion was organized under the Tables of Organization (TOE) shown below. In a trentch or a building 5.56mm belt feds are superb. Starting in 20052006, the U.S. Army's mechanized and tank battalions were reorganized into combined arms battalions (CABs). Light Role Battalions are likely to need fewer mechanics, so there is room for downward adjustment. With a universal size, it is easy to see gaps and to fill them. Total raised: $5,448,951.00 Total includes user, company, and offsite donations. The three commanders of the U.S. forces during the Vietnam War were: General William Westmoreland, from 1964 to 1968. Our Army Structure in Vietnam. The Forward Observer and Fire Fupport RTO work as a team to direct fire support, including but not limited to company mortars, battalion mortars, and field artillery. [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. This has the unfortunate side effect of not creating many TA officers above the rank of major. With a smaller army limited to just 82,000 soldiers, the organisational structure and number of personnel within individual units starts to become very important. 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. If its not can we at least work round it by concentrating on fire and manoeuvre? Different structures are all very well, but if we needed to deploy a substantial size force in a hurry, there is a risk that we might fail to achieve critical mass. 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. BTGs are part of Russia's tiered combat readiness system. The Table of Organization (T/O) of the Marine Corps lays out the organizational structure and the equipment required to function. The infantry brigade combat team, as of 2014, contains 4,413 soldiers and is organized around three battalions of infantry. However, two of the infantry regiments were reduced to two battalions each and their supporting artillery battalions had only two firing batteries. Your email address will not be published. In the TA i carries both L85A1 and Browning 9mm. Recon consists of a Platoon Leader (Second or First Lieutenant), Platoon Sergeant (Sergeant First Class) and Radiotelephone Operator/RTO (Specialist). endstream endobj 3745 0 obj <>stream A field army consists of two or more corps and is run by a general or lieutenant general. SAAB has produced a lightweight version of the Carl Gustav 84 mm recoilless anti-tank weapon. A colonel is generally in command. You say this would enhance their professionalism. Regimental pride is at stake. 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. Battalion HQ will usually be comprised of 6 officers + 10 other ranks. Mortar platoons with 8 or 9 x 81 mm tubes has been proven on many occasions to be sufficient. 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. The battalion is usually part of a regiment, group, or brigade depending on the branch of service. No, I hesitated on the TA bit because it sounded derogatory, but note that I said enhance their professionalism, not that they were unprofessional. Ideally infantry should be carried in tracked IFVs or wheeled MIVs, but even light PMVs are preferable to MAN trucks and Land-Rovers that offer no protection. It would be no problem to fit 9 soldiers in a Warrior IFV, Boxer MIV or Bushmaster PMV. Other corps usually use the term "regiment" instead. Not combat troops at all, maybe all wearing a common foot guards uniform with the same number of buttons. Service Company, a support unit of a Regiment Under the observation of the Marine Corps. more machine guns. Ill break my reply into a couple of comments. 1. Morale is low (not unique to Guards but across the Army) for a number of reasons, a big one being that Guardsmen feel they are stagging on without the return of getting a tour in. 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. (just to muddy the waters). Organization of the formations and units of the German Army after the start of the Russian campaign until 1945. In this context, a BTG can be defined as a task-organised, combined arms, tactical formation created by a brigade or regiment commander to complete a specific, discrete mission. 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. This would imo truly increase flexibility, fighting power and would it make even more easier to re-role the units. I am also a big advocate of platoons having their own medic and signaller. They are numbered and assigned missions based on their structures. How would they operate together from a logistical view point? The regular army gets guns and spare gun crews to keep them going 24/7. To put it in perspective Ive never hit a target with 51/60mm and never missed with CG. 2019-2023 Battle Order. The elements in the organizational chart for the U.S. Army span from the individual soldier all the way to the largest building block commonly used, the Corps. This structure is ideal for counter insurgency operations where there is a focus on foot patrols and other dismounted operations. INFANTRY AND RIFLE DIVISIONS Infantry divisions remained the backbone of both armies. 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? 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. and normally have subordinate units that are identified by single letters (BatteryA, CompanyA, TroopA, etc.). 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. The battalion was a standard tactical organization throughout the 20th Century, and overseas deployments were usually done with formations . 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. 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. Canadian battalions are generally commanded by lieutenant-colonels, though smaller reserve battalions may be commanded by majors. For light role battalions the ISTR company with the recon platoon, assault pioneers, sniper platoon, and hopefully a uav plankton. When it comes to ground combat, infantry mass matters. ~T,=y-2ZxKx FrV{^=bB&T* u \' UUplpD_&e\ Your email address will not be published. This is an excellent weapon. It also gives Platoon HQ additional firepower that can be allocated to individual sections as required. Units Company HQ will be extremely lean with just one officer and five other ranks. 01 Introduction A Carl Gustav 84mm in the Coy. Thinking about the need to operate from IFVs, Mechanised infantry vehicles (MIVs), from helicopters, and on foot, the first proposal is to standardise all Infantry Rifle Platoons around a common size that provides some degree of flexibility. Weapons companies do not receive a letter designation. 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). While we. Battle Order is for informational purposes only. (e) 1 combatant and 1 from auxiliary service per battalion; one of the combatants may be a corporal. The infantry community has a problem. I really disagree with the LMG being retired. 6 Battalions of Foot Guards (armoured infantry), 6 battalions of The Light Infantry 6 Battalions of The Fusilliers (Mech infantry in Boxer) and 18 Battalions of The Rifles ? 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. Boxer and Bushmaster. Both 12.7 mm BMGs and 40 mm GMGs are vehicle mounted systems. The weapons platoon would have the mortar platoon, the anti tank platoon, and an assault gun platoon with some sort of wheeled TD or support gun. US Army Infantry Battalion Numbers. 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]. Officers Mess Staff A platoon consists of a few squads and up to a few dozen soldiers. Thanks for the idea. Teams can serve as a base-of-fire or as a maneuver element. Not being Guards and having never done public duties, how would this sound: And modeling and simulation. That will make a massive difference. To the other side you would then have more bataillons for one type of mission and if you go to another mission again more troops and as the author stated correctly this would lead to an overall more potent, more flexible force and you can also re-role the identical units much more easily. 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. I dont mean to bash your idea but I do think that the current system, despite its flaws, is generally fit for purpose. Battle Order is for informational purposes only. Currently, infantry companies have a fourth fire support platoon equipped with 7.62 mm L7A2 GPMGs. I dont understand what problem having a light, medium and heavy brigade in a division solves. Artillery battalions typically comprised four or more batteries, although this number fluctuated considerably. These include light infantry (foot), airborne and air assault units. What capabilities are needed? It seems to be a way of thinking that stems form our past two operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and not from a perspective of a peer/near peer confrontation imo. This is why the dismount numbers vary a bench seats however many can fit, a seat is for one. Provost Staff Great conversation going here, I am squished onto public transit in 30 c temps in Ontario, so please excuse typos ! This option also ensures that each section within a platoon has a dedicated vehicle driver and gunner. And to the opposite for open terrain which is tank friendly the said general-purpose all-mech infantry would be more expensive than simple tanks without infantry which would dominate the open terrain against such infantry as the more numerous enemy infantry would rule the closed terrain against the to few of the general-purpose bataillons because the number of infantry outside the vehicles would become much lower if you include all this vehicles in an infantry bataillon. This is in the interest of reducing the standing commitment to one Guards battalion instead of two. battalion. It allows Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) to be generated quickly. 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. It cant. 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. By embedding these assets at the battalion and brigade levels these organisations get used to working autonomously and are supported by more CSG as each level moves up. I was wondering how you would fill that gap as a matter of urgency. (b) In principal belongs to the auxiliary service. In the brochure it is seven. No one wants a similar video of their cap badge. 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. This allows each platoon to have a total of four GPMGs and 4 DMRs. Doing this has massively increased the company in vehicles (+6) and personnel (platoon now being 9+9+9+9+4+4=44 without a Signaller or medic). A corps includes two to five divisions with anywhere between 20,000 and 45,000 soldiers. Ser. I am not going into the argument about a Battalions manning however the REME manning is open to question. Good points. The article gives the numbers and personnel strengths of each type of battalion. A staff sergeant is often in charge. Welfare Office Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/mhvThis video gives an overview on the structure and organization of an US Army Infantry Battalion in 1944. Do we need to simplify the rank structures of UK Armed Forces? This means for the same total numbers as today we have a far more agile and deployable total force. PHILANTHROPY. In a pinch, sure, but routinely just five or six. Outline Organisation Structure of a Standard Infantry Battalion The following image shows the organisation structure of a standard infantry battalion in the Indian Army. Tank battalions and mechanized infantry battalions no longer exist. A company is commanded by a captain with a first sergeant as the assistant. unit or a light cannon No, I am asking us to attack the sacred cows of ceremonial roles to put troops in combat formations ! . consists of command and support personnel for the company. [1] One company 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. The word battalion came into the English language in the 16th century from the French language (French: bataillon meaning "battle squadron"; Italian: battaglione meaning the same thing; derived from the Vulgar Latin word battalia meaning "battle" and from the Latin word bauttere meaning "to beat" or "to strike"). There are ways and means around problems though, if I recall correctly when they introduced warrior with its seven seats, they split a section into a four man squad and a three man squad and the warrior became a fire support squad, but therell have to be some very creative thinking with twenty four seats unless you shrink your platoon or fund a fifth and sixth vehicle. How about a Corps of Infantry ? The Anti-tank Platoon typically has 6-8 Javelin ATGM launchers, with each one operated by two soldiers. Total battalion headcount can be determined by considering how many soldiers are needed within each component unit type. Co - Infantry Regiments and Their Commanders 1792 - 1815 The Austrian infantry and their commanders. Forgive me if this is obvious but I dont know how much youve seen/been in a Warrior. @MikeW Infantry mass do we have to give up on this concept ? It may be worth returning such weapons to infantry sections or having at least one in Platoon HQ. Therefore, there may be a case to standardise all infantry battalions around a common structure with an identical headcount for each. However, the usage of designated marksmen not too common. 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. 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. These mortars can be fired either from anM170 Bipod or by hand. Company - A company was made up of three or more platoons and was commanded by a captain. 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 will win, or loose. 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. So back to my original question , can firepower and manoeuvre replace infantry mass, at least for armoured infantry units for the missions they will be used for, while maximizing boots on the ground for protected mobility Battalions which would have a different primary mission set ?? The four companies include three line companies and one H&S; the four battalions include three lines and one H&S. There are always variations to what is the standard breakdown of Marine Corps unit structure. This is because the Army Reserve Infantry works to a 1 in 3 model whereby a battalion-strength Reserve unit is expected to muster one third of its strength for a deployment. And yes, this is my ideal platoon properly-resourced as I see it based on recent indeed, current experience. 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. 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. The corps is the highest level of command that can provide operational direction for actual combat. The wagons overall capability is diminished because youre tasking a soldier to do two soldiers jobs in an incredibly stressful situation the middle of a firefight! Reconnaissance Troop, company-size unit 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. A battalion is a regimental sub-unit of infantry amounting to between 500 and 1,000 soldiers. Battalions consist of four to six companies and can include up to about 1,000 soldiers. 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 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. Have a great day. Option B creates three sections of 10 soldiers plus a smaller Platoon HQ of 6 soldiers. Tactically, battalions are grouped into brigades. If so, the Army Reserve has undergone an immeasurable transformation over the past ten years. 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. It normally has a headquarters company, support company, and three rifle companies (usually, but not always, A, B and C companies). consists of 9 enlisted personnel. Go to Units I thought of this after reading your article on assault guns. At a higher level, each armored brigade (formerly designated 'heavy brigade') is now composed of three CABs (versus the two CABs of a former heavy brigade), one reconnaissance squadron, one artillery battalion, one brigade engineer battalion (BEB), and one brigade support battalion (BSB). In the late 1980s, there was a fourth "line" company added (DCompany) in most infantry and tank battalions. Are ~1,200 troops really needed?? They can conduct independent operations of limited scope and duration and are usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel. A battle group consists of an infantry battalion or armoured regiment with sub-units detached from other military units acting under the command of the battalion commander. The battalion must have a source of re-supply to enable it to sustain operations for more than a few days. Every review mentions making increased use of the reserves which sets alarm bells ringing for me. 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). This is vital. Each infantry brigade is equipped and capable of air assault operations. 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]. There are combat arms battalions, as well as combat support and combat service support battalions. Do MANPADS have a place in the future infantry battalion? The French and Germans have them at infantry-company level and the Australians have a surveillance section as part of their recce platoons. Given the requirement, identify organizational structure and chain of command within the Marine Corps, per the references. The Bushmaster I believe is a 2 crew, 10 pax vehicle with some room for stores and kit. 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. 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. For purposes of . After all, the Army Reserve is not the job which pays the bills. This option maximises dismounted mass. Genuine question because I do not think that Guardsmen do dislike public duties to the extent you suggest. Either way, this creates a requirement for 1 officer + 23 other ranks. It normally consists of a headquarters and three or more companies. This is because Reserves are not expected or asked to deploy more than once per five-year period. So while I have experience of this, and the food ol Gimpy, I have never carted them around In the field. However unlikely it is, I think it is desirable though: replacing CVRT, Warrior and Bulldog with a common base platform would be hugely beneficial. Section commanders can step back without having to control 3 privates whilst planning his sections manouver. I of course being TA/Army reserve would have any idea how to be a Regular Army medic keep my medical competencies up etc as I do the job five days a week and not spend an inordinate about of time counting tent pegs. The Medical Platoon (which establishes a Regimental Aid Post when deployed) will be comprised of 1 medical officer + 19 other ranks. The UK bought the 60 mm Hirtenburger mortar as a UOR weapon, but, in standard form, it proved to be too heavy and needed too much ammunition to get on target. Various members of the platoon will also carry a 9 mm Glock 17 pistol. Is this concept outdated ? This would give the heavy infantry battalions more fire power when dealing with more formidable foes. 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). In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organizations. In an infantry squad, the teams divide duties: one serves as a base-of-fire element, while the other serves as the maneuver element. 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. Price. IBCTs also are organized to be airborne or air-assault capable. It enables a return to pre-1950s rule of four: assault, suppress, reserve, exploit. With the 1 + 35 structure, platoons can change their configurations with relative ease. published by the Department of the Army, May 2018, published by the Department of the Army, April 2016, published by the Department of the Army, October 2016, MCoE Supplemental Manual 3-90 Force Structure Reference Data ". It has also been suggested that rifle companies should acquire 81 mm mortars. Returning to three standard rifle platoons with organic GPMGs, avoiding the need for a fourth fire support platoon, streamlines the overall battalion structure and reduces the administrative burden of bringing soldiers from Army Reserve units. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. They can range from a few dozen soldiers to up to 200. Almost as potent as 12.7 mm HMGs, .338 MMGs are man-portable, so could help to increase overall platoon lethality, especially when operating dismounted. A British battalion in theatre during World War II had around 845 men; as of 2012, a British battalion had around 650 soldiers. [24] Normally a battalion is attached to a regiment of infantry, which is organized, as a general rule, of a number of battalions and the regimental centre battalion. Interesting article on a subject I personally know little about. 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? 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. Jed touched upon it earlier, rekindling Think Defences rather outlandish proposal to create a non-deployable ceremonial unit. The problem the Army has is when it wants people to do two jobs at once in two different places at the same time . If so, what would this look like? 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. An armor or air cavalry unit of equivalent size is known as a squadron. , 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. Note(s) 6-10. Born on the island of Kauai, he moved to Honolulu to go to high school but left before he graduated to take a job at the Halekulani Hotel where he was working when he was drafted in 1941. Why some say Warrior can carry seven and why some say less: Fantastic comments. The battalion-level system we have used since WW2, with mortars organised in a separate platoon, still seems to work well. In recent years the Royal Welsh, RAF, Royal Navy, Gurkhas and even the Royal Malay Regiment have done it. This structure also reflects the fact that most NATO IFVs accommodate a total of 9 soldiers, e.g. 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. Nagy, Istvan Austrian Cavalry A battalion may also contain a combat support company.