That idea could be developed but I dont think it is right for all British infantry. I do think the reserves however have a huge role to play in defending airfields, HQs, dockyards, ammo dumps etc etc. Battle Order We have personally given to the UNHCR's efforts to help those affected by war in Ukraine. Good points. It is a proposal discussed at length already by a host of military commentators including UKLP. 1) What is the total manpower bill of the new proposed battalions compared with the current manpower liability in all infantry battalions? The heavy battalions on Boxer and Warrior would be different. Medical Centre 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. (c) distributed as required when regiment is broken-up in detachments. I really disagree with the LMG being retired. 3 x Rifle Sect: eight soldiers. Option A allows the platoon to be divided equally between four combat vehicles. on Bushmaster as their ride. C FT with SC and three riflemen, D FT with 2IC, UGL, SS, LMG (ASM/NLAWs if appropriate). 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. Traditionally, most British regiments have had more than one battalion. Gimpy is too big and heavy for a section weapon, its hard going over walls/fences/through buildings etc and shouldnt really be fired from any position but the prone, unlike the lighter and more agile LMG. The Army currently has 13 Active Component and 20 National Guard IBCTs. Ill break my reply into a couple of comments. I advocate that dressing up and waving the Colours to the sound of the drums enhances and instils pride and camaraderie tremendously. .?UF&-b4W[u&SgJ`/24$4jfbH@\t,#QG^*)W&HTSE|:=:pl9xp}u KNv Company, a support unit of a Regiment Regimental pride is at stake. Prior they would have travelled in an M1165A1 HMMVW, although any mark of HMMVW that was available likely would have been used. The Army overall is about 5000 under authorised strength and an increase to about 7000 under strength does not seem a good change. To clarify, I dont think we should be finding a person in the turret, Im saying thats where theyd have to come from at four vehicles unless one lies on the floor. Cross Reference Table that lists the numbered regiments and artillery I like your idea: dismounted mass needs to be maximised. Whilst I absolutely do not think that that is the right way to go, perhaps a shake up of public duties manning is in order? This structure was used during Operation Banner in Northern Ireland for many years and proved to be extremely effective. consists of 9 enlisted personnel. I am not going into the argument about a Battalions manning however the REME manning is open to question. A second issue is the now universal threat of IEDs, which means that all deployed infantry units need some form of protected mobility. 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. There is also the fact that its not just about seating the troops but stowing all their personal kit and still having room for all the extra section kit and all the spare ammunition and stores and all the vehicle stores. My preferred direction is to to look at a common organisation for the Armoured and Mechanised infantry, and a different organisation for light infantry including air assault. 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. Thisproposal is in-line with what rifle companies already have. 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). Therefore, there may be a case to standardise all infantry battalions around a common structure with an identical headcount for each. A battalion is a regimental sub-unit of infantry amounting to between 500 and 1,000 soldiers. Id integrate a fourth rifle company from the TA into your battalion too, to train alongside it and to be fully conversant with its people and its methodology. Does this need a full battalion or just a Company? 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. 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). Catering Platoon @whitehaxkle I like this idea, keeps the flexibility of providing vehicle crews while improving the firepower ! Two teams make up a squad, which has four to 10 soldiers. corporal. If we have multi role divisions, then does this not theoritically make a third of your div redundant for any given operation? If it isnt possible to reintroduce 51 mm, then a lightweight 60 mm mortar could be an option. Following the mid-2010s, they typically ride in anOshkosh M-ATV mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle. The Table of Organization (T/O) of the Marine Corps lays out the organizational structure and the equipment required to function. Remember this guy? A division would consist of 2 Brigades and a CnC org (900) there would be 8 Divisions bringing the deployable combat force to 79.2k with an army HQ (4.5k) and Support division of 22.5k personnel inc. Army reserve backing this all up. Select A Unit From the Menu to Learn More: There are a few distinct exceptions in the structure of each military service. PHILANTHROPY. The infantry organizational structure existing in 1969 was well suited to the strategy and tactics of flexible . 2) Would it work for the role of the specialised infantry battalions? An infantry battalion, logistical battalion, combat battalion, and the Netherlands Marine Corps all have a battalion structure. 37mm In my world it would be EAGLE 44 and 66 to have commonality in light and medium protected mobility. I appreciate, cause I found exactly what I was looking for. Perhaps theres an article to be written somewhere in there, UKLP, especially being an ex veg head? With common ORBATs, marine battalions can quickly be prepared for the allocated mission. Your email address will not be published. 1945-1950. The newer light weight medium/ long range calibres ( eg. It was formerly used in the Royal Engineers (before they switched to regiments), and was also used in the now defunct Royal Army Ordnance Corps and Royal Pioneer Corps. Is putting the GPMG back Into the section enough to ditch 12.7mm or 40mm GMG from a heavy machine gun platoon in the Support Company ? How about a Corps of Infantry ? Getting rid of minimi/ LMG was a mistake based on the assumption that medium to long range contacts will dominate future conflicts. Such a capability is definitely still needed and there is a strong case to re-instate the 51 mm exactly as it was. So the question is does effective dismounted mass require an increase from four vehicles per platoon? 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. Battalion - A battalion comprised three or more companies and was commanded by a lieutenant colonel. I am not sure I would even attempt to provide reserve reinforcements to Warrior or Boxer based units. 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 battalion structure is designed to readily expand to include a fourth rifle company, if required, as described above under battalion organization. Various members of the platoon will also carry a 9 mm Glock 17 pistol. As I said in a previous comment, IFVs do require all THREE crew to be properly effective. However, two of the infantry regiments were reduced to two battalions each and their supporting artillery battalions had only two firing batteries. (b) In principal belongs to the auxiliary service. Same for Mech Inf, if you are happy to reduce dismounted infantry mass to 22 (36 + 4). endstream endobj 3744 0 obj <>stream If so, the Army Reserve has undergone an immeasurable transformation over the past ten years. The Rifle Battalion of October 1940 was superseded beginning in April 1942 by a new Infantry Battalion organization. its principal allies and enemies. Eight is hard enough (the driver helpfully stows his away in the tunnel between him and the gunner although that is likely a death sentence if the wagon brews up or goes underwater). 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. The UK has a problem with air defence. If youre looking to increase platoon strength without greatly increasing overall numbers Id eliminate the support company and draw its manpower and vehicles down from battalion, possibly adding two dedicated support sections to a platoon. 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. Infantry Regiments and Their Commanders 1792 - 1815 The Austrian infantry and their commanders. 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. To take, and then hold ground is the usual answer. And as i wrote here in this blog in an earlier article especially the UK forces should be as multi-purpose and as flexible and mobile as possible, especially on the stratetigic and operational level. Canadian battalions are generally commanded by lieutenant-colonels, though smaller reserve battalions may be commanded by majors. A battalion usually contains two to five organic companies (batteries in the artillery), with a total of 500 to 1,200 Marines in the battalion. The overall structure defined by sub-unit organisation reflects the fact that protected mobility is now needed more widely. The basic Weapons like the 12.7 mm HMG and 40 mm high velocity grenade machine gun are primarily vehicle-mounted systems. Weapons companies do not receive a letter designation. Both 12.7 mm BMGs and 40 mm GMGs are vehicle mounted systems. Light infantry Battalion The 60mm Mortar is a tremendous asset we retire at our peril: not only does it have impressive reach and devastating impact (for a man-portable weapon) but the Boss doesnt have to arrse about queuing (should it be cueing?) This amounts to 1 officer and 38 permanent enlisted personnel, as well as 3 usually attached enlisted personnel. Either way possibly improving retention and a quality of life issue for regulars who may need some acclimatization to civilian life. With all these components, a battalion is the smallest military unit capable of "limited independent operations".[1]. I know the 60 and LMG are going but if were doing something as radical as new infantry ORBAT then perhaps we can pretend it is done by enlightened headsheds. The Combat Medic and Platoon Sergeant are generally paired as the Platoon Sergeant is responsible for coordinating CASEVAC. @MikeW 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. It offered HE, WP, smoke and illuminating bomb types. The Netherlands have four battalions that are permanently reserved for the United Nations, for the purpose of peacekeeping duties. Each infantry brigade is equipped and capable of air assault operations. Outline Organisation Structure of a Standard Infantry Battalion The following image shows the organisation structure of a standard infantry battalion in the Indian Army. Steven Aftergood 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. REME do not just fix vehicles, an Infantry Battalion has a huge amount of other equipment that REME have to support. I cant upload pics but their SOIs are on AKX if you have access to it and are interested. A nominal structure of 1 officer + 19 other ranks is proposed. Battalion 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. 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. iRO$[>_kw(y@tpKJd+D82;^*K|3sld\,xAZ|hskBA For all modern technology, gunning and commanding really require two people, else you have an ineffective platform. British Army Infantry Battalions are a hodgepodge of different unit sizes and structures. 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. 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The Units As we addressed in an earlier article, any unit is a sum of its parts. I really like your idea of sharing public duties! 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. 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 Medical Platoon (which establishes a Regimental Aid Post when deployed) will be comprised of 1 medical officer + 19 other ranks. SVC - @Jed In my fantasy army its the best allocation of resources. 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. 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. Battalions consist of four to six companies and can include up to about 1,000 soldiers. A company consists of three or four platoons and is generally commanded by a captain. 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). It has also been suggested that rifle companies should acquire 81 mm mortars. Short answer: Ajax IFV has six seats (link at bottom). A company has anywhere from a few dozen to 200 soldiers. It is worth noting that the current model of the Army Reserve infantry actually achieves the endstate you seek already: generating an additional rifle company as well as generating an additional section per specialist platoon. The Infantry Battalion was the basic tactical unit of the ground forces of the Canadian military throughout the 20th Century. 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. Current divisions include airborne, armored, infantry and mountain divisions. The mechanised brigade would have Boxer 120mm TD, Boxer IFV, Boxer SPH. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Battalion sizes vary between branches. Other ranks will include the RSM, Drill Sergeant, Chief Clerk, plus 7 additional clerks / drivers. The problem the Army has is when it wants people to do two jobs at once in two different places at the same time . In the U.S. Marine Corps, the brigade designation is used only in "Marine Expeditionary Brigade" (MEB). It is important to include drivers and vehicle gunners in section ORBATs, because so often they are not specifically catered for in organisational structures. UK Infantry battalions have a Fire Support Company with five elements. A platoon of 1 + 35 divides neatly into four sections of 9 soldiers, allowing 7 dismounts per section or your magic number of 28 dismounts total per section. . This is in the interest of reducing the standing commitment to one Guards battalion instead of two. A Carl Gustav 84mm in the Coy. Intermediate ( think 300 blk or 7.62 AK) type calibres optimised for under 300m for carbines and/ or section belt feds. 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. I have proposed just what you suggest in your comment. The BTR battalion also featured an anti-tank platoon with four AT-3 Sagger or AT-4 Spigot launchers and two 73mm SPG-9 recoilless guns; BTR units on high-readiness status sometimes had six missile launchers and three recoilless guns. Forgive me if this is obvious but I dont know how much youve seen/been in a Warrior. Italy. Mollo, Tranquillo and Joseph Georg Mansfield The Austrian Army in 1798: the Uniform Plates of Tranquillo Mollo and Joseph George Mansfield Contemporary prints of the Austrian Army in 1798. Indeed, I can see Warrior being used for the next ten, fifteen, even twenty years. If they are vehicle commanders of two of the four section vehicles then when they dismount their vehicle gunner will have double workload. 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. Ser. 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. 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). 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. This would give the UK forces also more (and smaller and therefore faster, more agile, better deployable etc) units overall and would therefore increase their flexibility enormous.
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infantry battalion organization chart