With this in mind, the objective of this discussion is to consider what a universal battalion size ought to be. Culling BHQs may be good for the budget, but by nowhere near enough to justify trading such depth. These units are characterized by their lack of integral motorization or mechanization for the entire brigade, and are thus less mobile, but as a result are highly deployable. The Rifle Battalion of October 1940 was superseded beginning in April 1942 by a new Infantry Battalion organization. * Each squad is authorized two disposable shoulder-fired munitions (general AT-4s) which would go to the Riflemen. In between are the intermediate elements of Army organization, including the squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade and division. Canadian battalions are generally commanded by lieutenant-colonels, though smaller reserve battalions may be commanded by majors. To put it in perspective Ive never hit a target with 51/60mm and never missed with CG. 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. The Medical Platoon (which establishes a Regimental Aid Post when deployed) will be comprised of 1 medical officer + 19 other ranks. Nagy, Istvan Austrian Cavalry The battalion-level system we have used since WW2, with mortars organised in a separate platoon, still seems to work well. In a pinch, sure, but routinely just five or six. So it is a very flexible number. Higher levels are concerned with administration rather than operations. Btn - 1945-1950. 8 bazookas; 3 57mm anti-tank guns; 2 .50 cal and Also such an all-mech-inf force would hinder the UK forces very much in the primary target to achieve critical mass of infantry in any combat. 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. I have manunauch silly ideas I can assure you. Is this concept outdated ? 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 corps is the highest level of command that can provide operational direction for actual combat. Fireteam A fireteam is a small military unit of infantry. INFANTRY AND RIFLE DIVISIONS Infantry divisions remained the backbone of both armies. A company is commanded by a captain with a first sergeant as the assistant. Military Each type of brigade ( infantry or airborne infantry) has the same basic organization. The battalion structure is designed to readily expand to include a fourth rifle company, if required, as described above under battalion organization. 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. An infantry battle group will typically be commanded by the commander of the core infantry battalion around which it is formed and can range in size from 300 to 1,500 or more soldiers, depending on the nature of the mission assigned. 2019-2023 Battle Order. 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 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. Silly idea ? Cramming ten blokes kit in is a nightmare. Date. Mechanised units usually have an attached light aid detachment (LAD) of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) to perform field repairs on vehicles and equipment. Heavy armour battalion ~T,=y-2ZxKx FrV{^=bB&T* u \'
UUplpD_&e\ INSIGNIA The different types of light infantry organizations were all consolidated into the one "Infantry" organization in 2007. Starting Discussions About Defence Issues. Officers Mess Staff And modeling and simulation. This means for the same total numbers as today we have a far more agile and deployable total force. It just seems a bit of an own goal to me youve got a big powerful IFV that you cant exploit fully. I basically used six as a starting point in the interests of standardization because six dismounts seems to be where heavy IFVs are heading and so a six man section seems rational unless youre happy to play musical chairs on arrival and it means you can task one section in a vehicle; presuming you can pull one guy out of the turret you max out at 28 dismounts which is the traditional platoon size. Company - A company was made up of three or more platoons and was commanded by a captain. The basic individual weapon in the light infantry battalion was the M14 rifle, while the airmobile unit was authorized M16 rifles. The specialised infantry are acknowledged not to have a primary combat role and if these are left unchanged then the increase is 2050. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. This said i think such an general purpose infantry would make much sense especially for the UK despite the higher costs but: i think also, that one of the main arguments with which the author started is a problem here: He said, that the now universal threat of IEDs leads inevitable to the logical result to equip all infantry units with protected (and therefore expensive, heavy, less mobile etc) mobility. The Sniper platoon usually consists of eight sniper pairs or 16 other ranks. 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. Significantly, you would reduce the Reserve Infantry from 16 battalions to just 33 rifle coys and so lost not just 15 rifle coys but lost all the support weapons specialists and G1/4/6 troops. I think that wider structures, instead of ten BCTs we should look at the French and Australians. When the German armed forces began their invasion of Soviet Union in June 1941 with . Small rationalisations made across other Support units help reduction. The Anti-tank Platoon typically has 6-8 Javelin ATGM launchers, with each one operated by two soldiers. The commander's staff coordinates and plans operations. Have the shortfall taken up by a line battalion. 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). It can also go by different names, depending on the function: Company-sized artillery units are called batteries, while in armor and air cavalry units, they are called troops. Cross Reference Table that lists the numbered regiments and artillery To deal with 3 points infantry mass, use of TA, and number of vehicles, which are all interconnected: 1. The ideal solution is to have a 30 mm cannon turret with twin ATGM boxes. Teams can serve as a base-of-fire or as a maneuver element. Both were organized along similar lines. I like your idea: dismounted mass needs to be maximised. 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. 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. 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). [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. Ensuring that infantry units can be accommodated by their vehicles can also be a challenge. This page describes the organizational structure of a typical US Infantry Division. 6.5 grendel or creedmore) for DMR type weapons. You are spot on that dismounted mass should dictate the ORBAT rather than vehicle capacity. Their light cavalry troops are even bigger: 50 soldiers in eight LOVs (Pinzgauers). As you say Marcus part time Medics would not know what there about compared to full time regular army medics, I was told this many a time in my time in the TA/Army reserve/ what ever its called this week, a large number of which tend to work in the NHS and Private Health Care and although my abilities to get the shine of my boot to dazzle the sun, the razor sharp creases in my trousers to cut the RSMs eye balls is very poor, I did 12 years of medical training and working in A&E. This articles argues that it would create a more flexible and potent force as well as making it easier to re-role battalions if a universal, multi-role structure was developed. After 1882, cavalry battalions were renamed squadrons and cavalry companies were renamed troops. 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. Their highly publicized exploits in basic training and combat in Italy helped . I do think the reserves however have a huge role to play in defending airfields, HQs, dockyards, ammo dumps etc etc. How about a Corps of Infantry ? Troops in IFVs will additionally benefit from 40 mm CT40 cannons and 7.62 mm chain guns for support. 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. 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. (RP0102) 2. Are you implying that there is a problem with their professionalism and, therefore, competency? Does this need a full battalion or just a Company? The Combat Medic and Platoon Sergeant are generally paired as the Platoon Sergeant is responsible for coordinating CASEVAC. This is vital. Great conversation going here, I am squished onto public transit in 30 c temps in Ontario, so please excuse typos ! 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. Both 12.7 mm BMGs and 40 mm GMGs are vehicle mounted systems. Battle Order We have personally given to the UNHCR's efforts to help those affected by war in Ukraine. Company The captain is responsible for the direction, training, and welfare of those below him. Here to Germany Army Unit Organisation 1939-41. Battalion However, what about this suggestion with platoon manning lifted to 36 as follows: Pl HQ: Pl Comd, Pl Signaller, Pl Sgt, Pl Medic. The Army is composed of an active duty component and a reserve component that comprises the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. It may be worth returning such weapons to infantry sections or having at least one in Platoon HQ. 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. That will make a massive difference. Public duties are despised and dont help Guards recruitment really? 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 . I see that you failed to include the Adjutant Generals Regimental Administration Office Platoon with around 20 personel. 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. 100th Infantry Battalion. This structure was used during Operation Banner in Northern Ireland for many years and proved to be extremely effective. In armoured or mechanised formations the vehicle crew would be drawn mostly from Fire Support Section. The commander can also accept augmentation of units. In January 2006, the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry was reactivated at Fort Riley under the U.S. Army's new "modularity" concept as an element of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. The Company Headquarters is also allocated one senior company Combat Medic who provides second-line, company-level tactical casualty care. They would free up the Battalions and companies now assigned to this role to shore up the numbers in real Battalions . In the brochure it is seven. 02 Infantry Platoons built around 36 soldiers. The number in blue is the number of men within that level of command. The first use of the word in English was in the 1580s. The Netherlands have four battalions that are permanently reserved for the United Nations, for the purpose of peacekeeping duties. These are light infantry, including various light foot units, air assault, and airborne infantry. The U.S. Army also created independent tank battalions to attach to infantry divisions during World War II in order to give them fire support. The infantry brigade combat team, as of 2014, contains 4,413 soldiers and is organized around three battalions of infantry. 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. With all these components, a battalion is the smallest military unit capable of "limited independent operations".[1]. I think its generally accepted that reserves simply cannot be expected to attain or maintain the same level of professionalism as regular soldiers, because its not their day job, so I posit their embedding with regular formations and should the need arise, the two diluting. The British Army has 32 regular infantry battalions, but six different battalion types. It is important to include drivers and vehicle gunners in section ORBATs, because so often they are not specifically catered for in organisational structures. 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. Arty - Artillery What if you disbanded the reserve artillery regiments and added reserve batteries to your regular regiments? At that time, as it is now, the battalion was organized under the Tables of Organization (TOE) shown below. 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. - light cannon, assigned to AT unit Same for Mech Inf, if you are happy to reduce dismounted infantry mass to 22 (36 + 4). Four soldiers make up a team a noncommissioned officer and three junior enlisted soldiers. equipped with heavy Machine Guns and 81mm Mortars(See chart for Provost Staff SAAB has produced a lightweight version of the Carl Gustav 84 mm recoilless anti-tank weapon. 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 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. The other support company would have the assault pioneers and the 2-3 anti tank platoons. Battalion sizes vary between branches. If they are vehicle commanders of two of the four section vehicles then when they dismount their vehicle gunner will have double workload. Why did / do we need mass, as in large numbers of infantry boots on the ground ? Two items that the infantry cannot do without. @Captain Nemo Italy.
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