Remember this guy? Our Army Structure in Vietnam. It is a genuine concern that the British Army lacks sufficient protected vehicles. The discussion has been first -rate too. Rotate one Guards Bn posted as public duties resident Bn (another 560 troops under current ORBAT or 690 under UKLPs Universal ORBAT) An infantry fire team might include two riflemen, one of whom is the team leader; a grenadier and an automatic rifleman, who is used when small reconnaissance or special missions are required.. God Bless you man. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Because of the protected mobility this general purpose infantry would become to slow, to few and to dependent on specific logistical assets. They will win, or loose. The Table of Organisation and Equipment (TOE) is based on document from the early 80s. 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. A heavily loaded German infantry unit marching into a new position on the Eastern Front in 1943. Quartermasters Department 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. This means for the same total numbers as today we have a far more agile and deployable total force. The way my unit does it is to strip kit down to belt kit and daysack for fighting and then have gonk bag in a canoe bag and a single rocket pouch containing admin kit. Co. - In recent years the Royal Welsh, RAF, Royal Navy, Gurkhas and even the Royal Malay Regiment have done it. The structure outlined translates into an overall battalion size of 32 officers + 658 other ranks or 690 soldiers in total. On the LMG, I am sooo old that the LMG imteained on the in the RN was the 7.62 version of the Bren ! When you constantly need to juggle different group sizes, theres a risk of not knowing whether you have enough boots on the ground to complete allocated tasks. ), probably Boxer SPH.. Given the requirement, identify the elements and generic employment missions of a . Boxer and Bushmaster. Strike battalion 300 BLK ). And yes, this is my ideal platoon properly-resourced as I see it based on recent indeed, current experience. It usually consists of 1 officer + 27 other ranks. 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. The central idea in proposing a universal battalion structure is to build it around platoons of 1 + 35 soldiers. We already have two dedicated battalions for public duties and what youre really asking is could we make do with just one? Regimental pride is at stake. 1. It is also suitable for Light Role battalions operating on foot. Automatic 120mm mortars have small crews for high firepower. For historical reasons, armor and Ranger units of brigade size are called regiments, and the equivalent Special Forces units are called groups. I really like your idea of sharing public duties! In the Canadian Army, the battalion is the standard unit organization for infantry and combat service support and each battalion is divided into one or more sub-units referred to as companies. By specifically including them, you ensure that the total number of dismounts is not diluted. Same for Mech Inf, if you are happy to reduce dismounted infantry mass to 22 (36 + 4). Organization of the formations and units of the German Army after the start of the Russian campaign until 1945. - light cannon, assigned to AT unit. One of the most significant changes in military structure was the introduction of the United States Colored Troops in 1863, the first official military integration policy. I dont understand what problem having a light, medium and heavy brigade in a division solves. 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. Units 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. 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. 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. I think that wider structures, instead of ten BCTs we should look at the French and Australians. The Assault Pioneer Platoon is usually comprised of 19 other ranks. [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. Welfare Office Option B creates three sections of 10 soldiers plus a smaller Platoon HQ of 6 soldiers. consists of 9 enlisted personnel. Does it have to be infantry? Again, organisational structure is important. 02 Infantry Platoons built around 36 soldiers Bear in mind that you have to fit everybodys kit in thats not just kit to fight but to live from. With eachJavelin vehicle requiring a driver and commander, this creates a headcount requirement of 1 officer + 31 other ranks. Every review mentions making increased use of the reserves which sets alarm bells ringing for me. During World War II, most infantry regiments consisted of three battalions (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) with each battalion consisting of three rifle companies and a heavy weapons company. These are: The Communications Platoon (formerly the Signals Platoon) is primarily designed to support Battalion HQ by providing C4I services and radio operators. 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. The battalion must have a source of re-supply to enable it to sustain operations for more than a few days. Officially, Warrior carries three on the left bench and four on the slightly longer right bench. Company 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. 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. With caveats. While it cant do indirect fire into dead ground the CG is very acccurate and very lethal which I think more than makes up for the reduced number of rounds plts will be able to carry for them. With common ORBATs, marine battalions can quickly be prepared for the allocated mission. 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. So providing extra seats at platoon level should be affordable. Also the logistics and training burden of all the various disposable rocket systems could be removed with CG. If they are vehicle commanders of two of the four section vehicles then when they dismount their vehicle gunner will have double workload. After 1882, cavalry battalions were renamed squadrons and cavalry companies were renamed troops. 57mm Rifle Squad consisted of 9-12 men lead by one NCO(Sergeant) and a Specifically, the transition from the failed 1940 organization to the improved 1941 organization that served the army until the spring of 1943 when finally, the 1943 organization was established. This means units/sub-units pinged would spend a colossal amount of time rehearsing at cost of other training and tasks. consists of a platoon headquarters, 3 rifle squads, and 1 weapons squads. Two teams make up a squad, which has four to 10 soldiers. endstream endobj 3745 0 obj <>stream The mortar section consists of two Mortar Squads, each with a Squad Leader, Gunner and Ammo Bearer. 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. 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. That said, mounting guard for a month would I think be novel and exciting and interesting, not least because of the opportunity for the junior ranks to live it up in London. 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. Considering something like Mali or from our experience Afghan what would the heavy bring to the party? INFANTRY AND RIFLE DIVISIONS Infantry divisions remained the backbone of both armies. The total then is simply calculated as 18338. 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. Theyre commanded by a general and are considered self-sufficient for indefinite periods. This can either be decided before hand by the squad, or when contact is made the team that makes contact first becomes the supporting element. In turn each rifle company consists three platoons. While we. Battalions are tactical and administrative organizations with a limited capability to plan and conduct independent operations and are normally organic components of brigades, groups, or regiments. Also in such an modular overall force you can also much more easily deploy and re-role then only tank units or only infantry units and this would the increase the strategical mobility and the overall flexibility of the UK forces imo very much. Nominally, an extra GPMG and DMR are proposed, but a light mortar or multi-role 40 mm AGL could be carried instead. 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. That will make a massive difference. 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. 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). Battalion sizes vary between branches. Teams can serve as a base-of-fire or as a maneuver element. Unfortunately, the third rifle platoon is not present in peacetime, but is furnished by the Army Reserve should a battalion deploy on operations. These included air assault, light infantry, infantry, mountain infantry, airborne, and the Rangers. With eachJavelin vehicle requiring a driver and commander, t. As noted above, there is no reason why other weapon types and combinations could not also be used. Total raised: $5,448,951.00 Total includes user, company, and offsite donations. Ser. Consider too the fact that soldiers are bigger now and less flexible in such cramped space, having bulky rigid body armour, helmets, belt kit and the ubiquitous daysack which did not factor to the same extent when Warrior was designed. Genuine question because I do not think that Guardsmen do dislike public duties to the extent you suggest. These were divided up in the HQ Company with 120 men. 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. Instead, why cant be we be open to moving beyond the status quo of four vehicles per platoon? it would have a very vulnerable breaching capabilty and 105mm arty that is out ranged and very vulnerable to counter battery fire. 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. Are your Pl Comd and Pl Sgt vehicle commanders or are they additional? Intelligence Cell If push comes to shove, the gunner or commander can do both but it is such a struggle to guide the driver (who has very constricted situational awareness in Warrior), talk on the various nets, look out for anti-armour threats, identify, track and shoot targets and watch out for dismounts and all the other stuff going on from the cramped turret (which was not designed for blokes encumbered by todays mandated PPE). MPSA is a jointly-staffed organization, headquartered in the National Capital Region, which serves as the single point of contact with the United States Postal Service and oversees the Military. 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 . Are ~1,200 troops really needed?? Technical Quartermasters Department He says at one point that in his Army 2020 organization, The armoured brigade would have Ajax Recce, Chally, Ajax IFV (bye bye Warrior! However, two of the infantry regiments were reduced to two battalions each and their supporting artillery battalions had only two firing batteries. The mechanised brigade would have Boxer 120mm TD, Boxer IFV, Boxer SPH. In 1944 an US Army infantry battalion roughly consisted of 900 men. British Army Infantry Battalions are a hodgepodge of different unit sizes and structures. As I say Im just throwing ideas around, not trying to invade Poland. This structure is ideal for counter insurgency operations where there is a focus on foot patrols and other dismounted operations. This reduces each company by 20 personnel. Cramming ten blokes kit in is a nightmare. A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In my world it would be EAGLE 44 and 66 to have commonality in light and medium protected mobility. An infantry battalion, logistical battalion, combat battalion, and the Netherlands Marine Corps all have a battalion structure. 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. The question of multi-shot 6 round revolver type 40mm grenade launchers with MV rounds versus the UGL is a good one. MP - Steven Aftergood Reconnaissance Troop, company-size unit Here to Germany Army Unit Organisation 1939-41. Ok thats a long post so short range air defences, and infantry use of drones later !! Thisproposal is in-line with what rifle companies already have. iRO$[>_kw(y@tpKJd+D82;^*K|3sld\,xAZ|hskBA In a trentch or a building 5.56mm belt feds are superb. 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. 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. Linked to above hopefully we could afford extra MRV-P APC, lets say Bushmaster, and JLTV to fully equip extra reserve Coys deployed to the motorized infantry. 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 A company has anywhere from a few dozen to 200 soldiers. The Light Infantry Company. They are structured roughly analogous to an Army or Marine Corps battalion with staff and commanding officers of similar grade and experience. 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. A field army consists of two or more corps and is run by a general or lieutenant general. unit or a light cannon The following is the current organization ofthe. 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 a rifleman receives the proper training and is skilled enough, they may be designated a squad designated marksman. Also, knowing that, whatever the role or the mission, you have 36 soldiers at your disposal is reassuring, because it the efficacy and potency of the platoon becomes a known quantity. 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. This is will mean better effect of weapons and better for load distribution. The Anti-tank Platoon typically has 6-8 Javelin ATGM launchers, with each one operated by two soldiers. It normally consists of a headquarters and three or more companies. You say this would enhance their professionalism. Battalion 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 UK is likely to do the same, but only a limited number of vehicles will get it presumably Anti-tank and Reconnaissance platoons. The division had also an antitank and . This will lead to higher costs per bataillon and therefore to higher overall costs. This size of unit would do much to increase the deployability and resilience of UK infantry battalions, especially if we could field at least 18 out of 32 battalions with some form of organic protected mobility. A weapons company with 160 men and a medical detachment with 30 men. The battalion is usually part of a regiment, group, or brigade depending on the branch of service. Fantastic comments. 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. * Each squad is authorized two disposable shoulder-fired munitions (general AT-4s) which would go to the Riflemen. Thanks for the idea. I like your set up for the battalion except for the support company which I think itshould be split into 2. First Army serves as a mobilization, readiness and training command; Third Army, or U.S. Army Central, commands all Army forces for U.S. Central Command; Fifth Army, or U.S. Army North, commands all Army forces for U.S. Northern Command; Sixth Army, or U.S. Army South, commands all Army forces for U.S. Southern Command; Seventh Army, or U.S. Army Europe, commands all Army forces for U.S. European Command; Eighth Army commands all U.S. Army forces in South Korea; and Ninth Army, or U.S. Army Africa, commands all Army forces for U.S. Africa Command. 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 Artillery Gun Module (AGM) on tracks (Donar) or on Boxer has only 3 crew ? Either way, this creates a requirement for 1 officer + 23 other ranks. The nomenclature varies by nationality and by branch of arms, for instance, some armies organize their infantry into battalions, but call battalion-sized cavalry, reconnaissance, or . Date. 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. [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. 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. The HQ Company was equipped with. 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. 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. Do we have to acknowledge the British Army lacks mass on any scale and that includes the dismounted close combat platoon ? Phase 1 and 2 training for a Combat Medic is around 40 weeks, compared to 28 for an infantry soldier, and even then they are not allowed to practice unsupervised until theyve completed their class one training (usually a year into their first posting). 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. Both consisted of a battalion headquarters of 12 personnel and three motorised rifle companies of 110 personnel each, along with a number of combat support units: a mortar battery consisting of eight 120mm 120-PM-43 mortars or automatic 82mm 2B9 Vasileks, an air defense platoon with nine MANPADs, either the SA-7 Grail, SA-14 Gremlin or SA-16 Gimlet, and an automatic grenade launcher platoon with six 30mm AGS-17 launchers. The understanding we always had with the TA was that they would fight the big one, the clue was in the name really, well until 2014 at least. Radio operators, medics and anti-tank weapon operators would carry assault rifles with shorter barrels for reduced weight and increased convenience. Do we need to simplify the rank structures of UK Armed Forces? When studying World War 2, a common question that arises is what exactly each army group or unit name means? This would fit the MoD whole fleet management. It is important to include drivers and vehicle gunners in section ORBATs, because so often they are not specifically catered for in organisational structures. Each can conduct major tactical operations and sustained battlefield operations. If we have multi role divisions, then does this not theoritically make a third of your div redundant for any given operation? In the latter case, the unit is called an eskadron, which translates roughly to "squadron". The armoured brigade would have Ajax Recce, Chally, Ajax IFV (bye bye Warrior! 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. Infantry Battalion. VFHVe xC=E>wPK gk R$~(k: CQuu9#MN mb)jNE1>SCBC+l 1 Division Artillery, Motorized, Infantry Division. The Warrior has two benches how many can you squeeze on? In the TA i carries both L85A1 and Browning 9mm. I like your idea: dismounted mass needs to be maximised. 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. An important issue that has to be maintained are weapons then there are radios. The ideal solution is to have a 30 mm cannon turret with twin ATGM boxes. The Universal Infantry Battalion by Nicholas Drummond August 29, 2019 With a smaller army limited to just 82,000 soldiers, the organisational structure of its component units and the number of personnel within individual sub-units starts to become very important. The reorganization of the infantry battalion is supported by a campaign of learning, to include wargaming, studies. We recommend you cite primary sources. Ensuring that infantry units can be accommodated by their vehicles can also be a challenge. In the back of the Warrior 510 are two benches, not individual seats. This amounts to 1 officer and 38 permanent enlisted personnel, as well as 3 usually attached enlisted personnel. 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"). 6 Javelins for dismounts might be enough if we had them fitted to Warrior turrets or RWS, but we dont. 1. I see that you failed to include the Adjutant Generals Regimental Administration Office Platoon with around 20 personel. It will include the Commanding Officer, 2IC, Adjutant, Operations Officer, Intelligence Officer, and Training Officer. Indeed, it is my opinion that four dismounts is all Warrior can really operate with for the dismounts to have any degree of comfort. A Carl Gustav 84mm in the Coy. 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. 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).

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