Italy. In my world it would be EAGLE 44 and 66 to have commonality in light and medium protected mobility. You say this would enhance their professionalism. Getting rid of minimi/ LMG was a mistake based on the assumption that medium to long range contacts will dominate future conflicts. 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. There are also support battalions in the Dutch Army, which specialise on a specific task: for example, supplies and transport or communications. This will lead to higher costs per bataillon and therefore to higher overall costs. Certainly turret-mounted 30 mm or 40 mm cannons are preferred. (c) distributed as required when regiment is broken-up in detachments. 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. Whereas In a peer conflict youre going to lose and need a lot of people very quickly and youre probably going to find the army reserve faster than youre going to find the regular reserve. This is vital. Various members of the platoon will also carry a 9 mm Glock 17 pistol. This would prevent your rifle sections from becoming overburdened and also allow greater autonomy at company level, perhaps creating miniature battlegroups akin to French SGTIAs. 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 command and support personnel for the company. 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. 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. . Both 12.7 mm BMGs and 40 mm GMGs are vehicle mounted systems. On the LMG, I am sooo old that the LMG imteained on the in the RN was the 7.62 version of the Bren ! Battalion sizes vary between branches. However number of boots might make the difference for protected mobility (motorized) inf. Building on Captain Nemos comments: in solving the problem of dismounted infantry mass the starting point should be what is the minimum number of dismounts sufficient not how do we fit more troops and firepower into four vehicles. In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organizations. 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. 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. Rotate one Guards Bn posted as public duties resident Bn (another 560 troops under current ORBAT or 690 under UKLPs Universal ORBAT) An infantry battalion is numbered ordinarily within its regiment (e.g., 1st Battalion, The Rifles, usually referred to as 1Rifles). For the light infantry company the building blocks are: Soldier>Fire Team>Squad>Platoon. In the United States Army, a battalion is a unit composed of a headquarters and two to six batteries, companies, or troops. In the TA i carries both L85A1 and Browning 9mm. Combat enemy fast air? Radio operators, medics and anti-tank weapon operators would carry assault rifles with shorter barrels for reduced weight and increased convenience. Guardsmen and women who get very basic training, plus drill. NOTE: This summary of Army Tables of Organization and Equipment includes only combat and directly related major support units. of US Divisions, Corps and independant units that served in Italy. 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). This is will mean better effect of weapons and better for load distribution. Bye. Welfare Office Meanwhile the support echelon is led by the Executive Officer, a First Lieutenant who is second-in-command of the company with administrative duties. They are structured roughly analogous to an Army or Marine Corps battalion with staff and commanding officers of similar grade and experience. Infantry platoons will typically be divided between four vehicles as they are at present. The motorised (Light) brigade would have MRVP/Bushmaster. With the Dutch artillery units, the equivalent of a battalion is called an afdeling (which translates to "section"). 1) What is the total manpower bill of the new proposed battalions compared with the current manpower liability in all infantry battalions? If the mortar setup is still the same as it used to be, isnt that 6 x 81mm in peace time plus 3 from TA for full war time deployment strength ? Fantastic comments. Ser. 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. A battalion is a regimental sub-unit of infantry amounting to between 500 and 1,000 soldiers. One company 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. Signals Platoon The proposed universal battalion of 690 gives a total of 22080 for 32 battalions, an increase of 3742. Option A allows the platoon to be divided equally between four combat vehicles. So Rifle Sections of 9 soldiers would work well. Intelligence Cell He says at one point that in his Army 2020 organization, The armoured brigade would have Ajax Recce, Chally, Ajax IFV (bye bye Warrior! 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. A company consists of 3-4 platoons and is part of a battalion. Outline Organisation Structure of a Standard Infantry Battalion The following image shows the organisation structure of a standard infantry battalion in the Indian Army. Jed touched upon it earlier, rekindling Think Defences rather outlandish proposal to create a non-deployable ceremonial unit. General Creighton Abrams, from 1968 to 1972. A common structure with an identical headcore for each bataillon and protected mobility for each of it would therefore create an force which in the case of the UK forces would be to small to fight in closed terrain and would not achieve the necessery critical mass there and to the opposite would not have enough fighting power to achieve victory in open terrain against an more tank heavy but despite of its higher fighting power smaller and therefore more faster and agile enemy force. Infantry Headquarter Companys have the following elements: Police. of the two vehicles seem to vary somewhat according to which source you use. In Northern Ireland, infantry platoons were often divided into multiples of 12 soldiers. 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! In Battalions with appropriate vehicles the longer barrel bipod mourned versions could be used with the hand held MFC computer, the ability for the Platoon commander to deploy smoke to scene manoeuvre or break contact is key I think. Though I strongly disagree with replacing the Woodentops, it is always good to see non-Guards have a turn. The French and Germans have them at infantry-company level and the Australians have a surveillance section as part of their recce platoons. What I have a problem with is your suggestion to pull one guy out of the turret. The Warrior has two benches how many can you squeeze on? With all these components, a battalion is the smallest military unit capable of "limited independent operations".[1]. These included air assault, light infantry, infantry, mountain infantry, airborne, and the Rangers. General Frederick Weyand, from. Combat medic is attached from the Infantry Battalion Medical Platoon. Two items that the infantry cannot do without. 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. The 100th Infantry Battalion, initially made up almost entirely of Japanese Americans from Hawai'i already in the army prior to World War II, represented the first group of Japanese Americans to see combat during World War II. Unless you seek to change the structure of Reserve TACOS call-up liability then keeping reserve battalions paired to regular battalions is a good way of being able to generate an extra company of volunteers. Small rationalisations made across other Support units help reduction. Administratively, battalions are subdivisions of regiments. Weapons listed in this article are what has been effective as of 2020. It just seems a bit of an own goal to me youve got a big powerful IFV that you cant exploit fully. 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. Changes: Type: Pages. within a Battalion was designated as a Heavy Weapons Company and it was The U.S. Army's Infantry Rifle Platoon consists of a platoon headquarters, 3 rifle squads, and 1 weapons squads. After 1882, cavalry battalions were renamed squadrons and cavalry companies were renamed troops. While the US army will no doubt eventually start fielding thier new 6.8mm super calibre I think 2 rifle calibres in sections will remain wise. In the late 1980s, there was a fourth "line" company added (DCompany) in most infantry and tank battalions. V:Y@|L']$||Cv%r00{: $d[HAXK4;V(53QDS{cnWAFd_kG802C>8J/]'rc|zNgzP[>nr@0; dCR$SPeh!Y2z;aq]3]MQE=$o>\x=B/tcTuNJ,j~^iD}!rq|kWG#4ory6hK ]6~961f3>Dm#| 9 man sections work very well, in effect the section commander is freed up to command 2 Lcpls who then command thier fire teams. [4] Member nations have stipulated the different names they will use for organizations of this size. Armored BCTs (ABCTs) include three armor/mechanized infantry battalions, an armed reconnaissance cavalry squadron, a field artillery battalion, a logistics support battalion, and a brigade engineer . Or fortunate, as you will. The regular army gets guns and spare gun crews to keep them going 24/7. w!2]ca-wA w+J_i6lG!FUo;d!1OB/nz4JRqsLj$qi0|AHUT*x)soH0rr&G99WPvY:u8h. Silly idea ? 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). Battle Order We have personally given to the UNHCR's efforts to help those affected by war in Ukraine. The infantry community has a problem. Under the observation of the Marine Corps. Weapons like the 12.7 mm HMG and 40 mm high velocity grenade machine gun are primarily vehicle-mounted systems. 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. Steven Aftergood What if you disbanded the reserve artillery regiments and added reserve batteries to your regular regiments? 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"). Military Its important that they are volunteers as far as possible. 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. 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. German Organization for Combat, 1944. Thisproposal is in-line with what rifle companies already have. Troops in IFVs will additionally benefit from 40 mm CT40 cannons and 7.62 mm chain guns for support. This allows each platoon to have a total of four GPMGs and 4 DMRs. To solve this problem, and to give flexibility through spare seats (needed for terps, picking up dismounts whose wagons are elsewhere and any atts and dets), to build on your idea would it be an idea to give the Pl Sgt and Pl Comd their own wagon each? 01 Introduction I must ask though How would they operate together from a logistical view point? 06 Vehicle requirements - light cannon, assigned to AT unit. 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. Not combat troops at all, maybe all wearing a common foot guards uniform with the same number of buttons. My Army 2020 would see 1XX and 3XX each have an armoured brigade, mechanised brigade and motorised bridges. 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. Two teams make up a squad, which has four to 10 soldiers. Print Cite. 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. The battalion structure is designed to readily expand to include a fourth rifle company, if required, as described above under battalion organization. Did your article mention or show pictures of the benches being kept or are they being replaced by seats? Should we be looking to bring UAVs to company or even platoon-level? 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. 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. They may be armed with a M4A1 Carbine with a high power optic, Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR), M110 SASS, or newer M110A1 CSASS (as of 2018-9). 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. Our unit was Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division or C/1/22/4th Inf. This assumes light-role units are geared towards lower-intensity than the operations which Armd/Mech Inf will conduct: higher-intensity warfighting with an increasingly potent air threat. This means instead of giving every infantry unit organic protected mobility, i would even take the units that have such now this vehicles and would create own fighting units out of them which are then part of the tank troops. 1. A battalion may also contain a combat support company. Their highly publicized exploits in basic training and combat in Italy helped . The captain is responsible for the direction, training, and welfare of those below him. 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. So it is a very flexible number. Regiment). Why are we tethering ourselves to four? These included heavy anti-tank TOW missile platoons, ground surveillance radar sections and man-portable air-defense system sections. SAAB has produced a lightweight version of the Carl Gustav 84 mm recoilless anti-tank weapon. 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. 3-battalion and can be augmented by 1 for every battalion in excess of 3. 3) What about the Royal Marines and the RAF Regiment, which tend to work at company group size? The Army is composed of an active duty component and a reserve component that comprises the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Perhaps I am just projecting after all as I am one of those who quietly enjoys drill. 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. Gymnasium Each have different jobs and roles each of which is necessary to keep the wagon fighting and surviving. Infantry Organization. In an infantry squad, the teams divide duties: one serves as a base-of-fire element, while the other serves as the maneuver element. it would have a very vulnerable breaching capabilty and 105mm arty that is out ranged and very vulnerable to counter battery fire. A standard U.S. Marine infantry battalion is typically supported by an artillery battery and a platoon each of tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, light armored reconnaissance vehicles, reconnaissance Marines, and combat engineers. These mortars can be fired either from anM170 Bipod or by hand. (Please click on the image for a larger version) Select A Unit From the Menu to Learn More: There are a few distinct exceptions in the structure of each military service. Ground Combat Element (GCE) = Marine Infantry Battalion Landing Team (BLT) Aviation Combat Element (ACE) = Composite . So it looks as if the developments for the vehicle are at a pretty advanced stage, making a cancellation of the vehicle and its replacement by the Ajax IFV variant unlikely. 40mm is under used in general in my opinion. For purposes of . British Army Infantry Battalions are a hodgepodge of different unit sizes and structures. The infantry battalion was a key structure in the Royal Army and thus its structure went through a fair few changes during the course of the war. 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. These are: The Communications Platoon (formerly the Signals Platoon) is primarily designed to support Battalion HQ by providing C4I services and radio operators. This means that you have moved a battalion of Foot Guards out of LONDIST and back into the deployable force thats good, right? Given the requirement, identify organizational structure and chain of command within the Marine Corps, per the references. 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). Mechanised Transport Platoon Individual sections may carry between one and four NLAW disposable ATGMs. At present, infantry battalions have a fourth platoon that provides fire support via GPMGs. [32] A regiment consists of between two and six organic battalions, while a brigade consists of between three and seven separate battalions. Sometimes it appeared confusing so I am going to try to straighten it out. But each platoon then gains four or five extra soldiers. For example, during the confusion and high casualty rates of both the Normandy Landings and the Battle of the Bulge, in order to bolster the strength of a depleted infantry regiment, companies and even battalions were moved around as necessary. Prior they would have travelled in an M1165A1 HMMVW, although any mark of HMMVW that was available likely would have been used. I really like your idea of sharing public duties! Most previous reorganizations focused on reducing the size of the infantry and bloated higher-echelon headquarters, turning over entire organizations, such as the railway corps, to civilian control, and transferring units to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the People's Armed Police (PAP). Use tab to navigate through the menu items. This would see infantry platoons switch from two calibres (5.56 mm and 7.62 mm) to a single one (6.8 mm) for rifles, machine guns and DMRs. At that time, as it is now, the battalion was organized under the Tables of Organization (TOE) shown below. With caveats. The size of a battalion could range from 500 to 1,500 troops. Exellent article and I just thought Id add some thoughts. The first use of the word in English was in the 1580s. The Fire Support Company HQ structure is the same as a rifle company, except that it will have1 officer + 15 other ranks. They can conduct independent operations of limited scope and duration and are usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel. I think were missing a trick with not using the reserve transition from regular service. The operational Army conducts full-spectrum operations around the world, supported by institutional units. How about a Corps of Infantry ? 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. Anti-Tank 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? Units The Combat Medic is attached from the Combat Medic Section of the Battalion's Medic Platoon while the Forward Observer and their RTO are attached from the Field Artillery Battalion. The reorganization of the infantry battalion is supported by a campaign of learning, to include wargaming, studies. Personnel will primarily be drivers. Title. 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. It offers a range of new ammunition natures from anti-tank rounds to bunker-busting HE. 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. In between are the intermediate elements of Army organization, including the squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade and division. The problem the Army has is when it wants people to do two jobs at once in two different places at the same time . They are not man-portable. 1. Date. It has also been suggested that rifle companies should acquire 81 mm mortars. If the light battalions have the current strength of 560 then 28, with the specialised infantry unchanged at 267, gives a total of 16748. Platoon-size unit per Division Genuine question because I do not think that Guardsmen do dislike public duties to the extent you suggest. The Assault Pioneer Platoon is usually comprised of 19 other ranks. REME do not just fix vehicles, an Infantry Battalion has a huge amount of other equipment that REME have to support. 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. battalion. Training Wing Rounds and weapon will be heavier for dubious long range body-armour piercing performance. Or what is not getting done in the modular battalion ? If its not can we at least work round it by concentrating on fire and manoeuvre? Have a great day. Here to Germany Army Unit Organisation 1939-41. 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 This is an interesting idea, but would impose an increased weight and logistical burden on rifle companies. Indeed, I can see Warrior being used for the next ten, fifteen, even twenty years. 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 ? Arty - Artillery They are normally identified by ordinal numbers (1st Battalion, 2nd Squadron, etc.) 8 bazookas; 3 57mm anti-tank guns; 2 .50 cal and 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. It was the only infantry organization from the reserve components to participate in the war. 02 Infantry Platoons built around 36 soldiers. . @MikeW Weapons companies do not receive a letter designation. In the latter case, the unit is called an eskadron, which translates roughly to "squadron". A nominal structure of 1 officer + 19 other ranks is proposed. 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. 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. 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. United States Marine Corps infantry battalions are task organized into Battalion Landing Teams (BLTs) as the ground combat element (GCE) of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). @UKLP I fully agree that the infantry platoon needs a manpower uplift. confronting an adversary such as the Russians in eastern Europe would require heavy and medium armour with the ability to mount a mobile defence via mobility and counter mobility along with long range fires etc what would the light brigade bring to this party? However, the usage of designated marksmen not too common. Mortar platoons with 8 or 9 x 81 mm tubes has been proven on many occasions to be sufficient. Does it have to be infantry? PHILANTHROPY. Forgive me if Ive misunderstood, but I dont see how counting drivers makes for a bigger platoon, surely we should be counting dismounts, which given the ever shrinking number of seats and the ever increasing size of our soldiers should be 28. 2019-2023 Battle Order. 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). Anti-tank platoons usually have 6-8 dismounted Javelin ATGM launchers. One suggestion might be to convert the light-role battalions GPMG SF Pl into a MANPADS Pl? No, I hesitated on the TA bit because it sounded derogatory, but note that I said enhance their professionalism, not that they were unprofessional. Encouraged by his children, Uchida began to write his memoirs when he was in his seventies . The battalion was a standard tactical organization throughout the 20th Century, and overseas deployments were usually done with formations . The article gives the numbers and personnel strengths of each type of battalion. 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. Moving from the micro to the macro, the organization of the army overall is a little wacky, given the number of infantry battalions youd expect to see simple structures equivalent to ten brigade combat teams, but you dont; Id say this is a worry not just operationally but because it lends itself to questions and to cuts, the fighting and the support units should explain and justify each others existence.

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