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. (Please click on the image for a larger version) SVC - 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. 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. In this older structure, U.S. Army mechanized infantry battalions and tank battalions, for tactical purposes, task-organized companies to each other, forming a battalion-sized task force (TF). Why did / do we need mass, as in large numbers of infantry boots on the ground ? It is estimated that a typical Armoured infantry or Mechanised Battalion will operate around 90 IFVs or MIVs and have an additional 60 support vehicles including MRVPs for command and liaison, MAN 44 trucks plus MAN 44 fuel trucks for resupply, and MAN Recovery vehicles. It is a proposal discussed at length already by a host of military commentators including UKLP. With all these components, a battalion is the smallest military unit capable of "limited independent operations".[1]. Three rifle companies with 190 men each. Morale is low (not unique to Guards but across the Army) for a number of reasons, a big one being that Guardsmen feel they are stagging on without the return of getting a tour in. My Army 2020 would see 1XX and 3XX each have an armoured brigade, mechanised brigade and motorised bridges. Each company is commanded by a major, the officer commanding (OC), with a captain or senior lieutenant as second-in-command (2IC). Rocket launcher artillery battalions consisted of a headquarters and headquarters platoon, a service battery and three firing batteries equipped with BM-21 Grads for a total of 255 personnel.[29][30]. They would free up the Battalions and companies now assigned to this role to shore up the numbers in real Battalions . A heavily loaded German infantry unit marching into a new position on the Eastern Front in 1943. The psychological impact of fighting against a platoon with immediate indirect fire capability should not be disregarded nor should the effect of hearing its noise and seeing its explosion. Medical Centre To differentiate them from field armies, groups are usually written with Arabic numerals (example - 12th Army Group) as opposed to having their number written out. The mechanised brigade would have Boxer 120mm TD, Boxer IFV, Boxer SPH. VFHVe xC=E>wPK gk R$~(k: CQuu9#MN mb)jNE1>SCBC+l 1 Of course, there will always be exceptions, be you Regular or Reserve, but to dismiss them as second-rate soldiers is unfounded and outdated. An MEB is one of the standard Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTF), is commanded by a brigadier general or major general, and consists of command element, a ground combat element (usually one reinforced Marine infantry regiment), an aviation combat element (a reinforced Marine aircraft group including rotary wing, fixed wing, and tiltrotor aircraft), and a combat logistics element (a Marine combat logistics regiment, which includes naval construction forces [Seabees] and naval medical elements). Platoon-size unit per Division 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. Outline Organisation Structure of a Standard Infantry Battalion The following image shows the organisation structure of a standard infantry battalion in the Indian Army. A battalion in the Indian Army is commanded by a colonel. 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. What I have a problem with is your suggestion to pull one guy out of the turret. US Army Infantry Battalion Structure & Attack Tactics World War 2 (1944) I advocate that dressing up and waving the Colours to the sound of the drums enhances and instils pride and camaraderie tremendously. Steven Aftergood I can understand not having an SF Pl in armoured and mechanised battalions because the loss of firepower is offset by 30mm but in light-role battalions it is a battle-winner, especially in the defensive battle! However unlikely it is, I think it is desirable though: replacing CVRT, Warrior and Bulldog with a common base platform would be hugely beneficial. And a Canadian infantry (rifle) battalion, in an armoured division, was organized, and consisted of: - a Battalion headquarters of six officers and 54 other ranks - a Headquarters company of five officers and 94 other ranks, within - a company headquarters - a signal platoon - an administrative platoon Yn a|FKtpW"[I'nJpbR].VB`8~q}RBTw'#g( Select A Unit From the Menu to Learn More: There are a few distinct exceptions in the structure of each military service. Two teams make up a squad, which has four to 10 soldiers. 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. A step in the right direction? ORGANIZATION OF THE LIGHT INFANTRY COMPANY . This is in the interest of reducing the standing commitment to one Guards battalion instead of two. The figures given for the number of soldiers carried, number of dismounts etc. If it isnt possible to reintroduce 51 mm, then a lightweight 60 mm mortar could be an option. What capabilities are needed? So it is a very flexible number. Losing this space (currently in the Pl HQ wagon) is a big problem. British Army Infantry Battalions are a hodgepodge of different unit sizes and structures. A sacred cow! Rifle Squad consisted of 9-12 men lead by one NCO(Sergeant) and a The order of battle shows 101 German infantry divisions and 139 Soviet rifle divisions. @UKLP I fully agree that the infantry platoon needs a manpower uplift. A battalion comprises two or more primary mission companies which are often of a common type (e.g., infantry, tank, or maintenance), although there are exceptions such as combined arms battalions in the U.S. Army. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 6 Battalions of Foot Guards (armoured infantry), 6 battalions of The Light Infantry 6 Battalions of The Fusilliers (Mech infantry in Boxer) and 18 Battalions of The Rifles ? There are four companies to a battalion and four battalions to a regiment. Ensuring that infantry units can be accommodated by their vehicles can also be a challenge. They can conduct independent operations of limited scope and duration and are usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel. The basic building block of military capability is the infantry section. U.S. Army Units Explained: From Squads to Brigades to Corps - THIRTEEN Infantry Organization : Juno Beach Centre Some would argue that the 40 mm low velocity grenade is a substitute for 51 mm mortars, but maximum range is 300-400 metres not 700-800 metres. You are spot on that dismounted mass should dictate the ORBAT rather than vehicle capacity. Interesting article on a subject I personally know little about. I think that wider structures, instead of ten BCTs we should look at the French and Australians. 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). Total raised: $5,448,951.00 Total includes user, company, and offsite donations. The infantry brigade combat team, as of 2014, contains 4,413 soldiers and is organized around three battalions of infantry. I dont understand why the commando (no bipod) version of the 60mm mortar would be less accurate or more difficult to get rounds on target than a 51mm ? The LMG is a good belt-fed weapon up to 400m, perfect for D FT. Leave the general as a pl asset for depth targets and to join the suppressing section to give it big licks when needed. It normally has a headquarters company, support company, and three rifle companies (usually, but not always, A, B and C companies). I was throwing around the idea of top slicing the TA and just plugging companies into existing battalions with the intention that it would enhance their professionalism and that they could pull through the three regular companies as casualty replacements. GROUND WAR. TO&Es OF LARGE UNITS: GERMAN AND SOVIET ORGANIZATION IN 1941 Arty - Artillery Battalion sizes vary between branches. and engineer battalions for each Infantry Division. Part of a wider CRAM matrix? Are ~1,200 troops really needed?? 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. Light Aid Detachment If Warrior was to go, is there a reason for not looking at the KF41 Lynx rather than Ajax? 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. Company Headquarters I have manunauch silly ideas I can assure you. 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. 02 Infantry Platoons built around 36 soldiers. Thisproposal is in-line with what rifle companies already have. In the 1980s, BAOR armoured infantry units mounted in the FV432 APC routinely had 10-soldier sections. 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. consists of command and support personnel for the company. A Logistics Platoon (formerly the Motor Transport Platoon) will be responsible for operating resupply and replenishment trucks. Personnel will primarily be drivers. 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. Maybe reserve Infantry can protect reserve loggies delivering stores and ammo. In the U.S. Marine Corps, an infantry or "rifle" battalion typically consists of a headquarters and service company, three rifle, or "line", companies (designated alphabetically A through M depending upon which battalion of the parent regiment to which they are attached) and a weapons company. published by the Department of the Army, May 2018, published by the Department of the Army, April 2016, published by the Department of the Army, October 2016, MCoE Supplemental Manual 3-90 Force Structure Reference Data ". There are also support battalions in the Dutch Army, which specialise on a specific task: for example, supplies and transport or communications. British Army organisation | National Army Museum MP - Police. This means units/sub-units pinged would spend a colossal amount of time rehearsing at cost of other training and tasks. With the Army embracing other new technologies, such as drones and loading carrying autonomous vehicles, having sufficient technical personnel to operate and maintain them suggests that having sufficient REME personnel is essential. Often Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) officers are assigned to the battalion, to coordinate naval gunfire support. This is will mean better effect of weapons and better for load distribution. Its more the lack of balance than PD itself. The current active corps are I Corps at Fort Lewis, Washington; III Corps at Fort Hood, Texas; and XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Why is it that everyone thinks being a Medic is something easily relegated to a part time role? 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. Where does firepower fit into the manning equation ? Do MANPADS have a place in the future infantry battalion? The other support company would have the assault pioneers and the 2-3 anti tank platoons. The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. Reconnaissance Troop, company-size unit Are/were you Guards, Captain Nemo? The discussion has been first -rate too. 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. Does it have to be infantry? Instead of an ISTR platoon it there would be a mort company with 3 platoons with 120mm mortars, plus a patrol platoon combining the sniper and recon platoons, and finally a UAV company. Just realized your modular multi-role battalion has 42 people less than the current Armoured Infantry battalion establishment who are these 42 peeps and what do they do? 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. They are normally identified by ordinal numbers (1st Battalion, 2nd Squadron, etc.) 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. 100th Infantry Battalion | Densho Encyclopedia This amounts to 1 officer and 38 permanent enlisted personnel, as well as 3 usually attached enlisted personnel. Catering Platoon 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. 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. @Captain Nemo This means for the same total numbers as today we have a far more agile and deployable total force. Price. There is a case for a light mortar to be carried by each Platoon HQ. Light Machine Gun Section and a Mortar Section. The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the parent administrative regiment and corps of regular and reserve infantry battalions in the New Zealand Army.It was originally formed in 1947 with a singular Regular regiment and multiple reserve regiments. @MikeW This has the unfortunate side effect of not creating many TA officers above the rank of major. Did your article mention or show pictures of the benches being kept or are they being replaced by seats? Cramming ten blokes kit in is a nightmare. So providing extra seats at platoon level should be affordable. So back to my original question , can firepower and manoeuvre replace infantry mass, at least for armoured infantry units for the missions they will be used for, while maximizing boots on the ground for protected mobility Battalions which would have a different primary mission set ?? 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. Or fortunate, as you will. Mechanised Transport Platoon In addition to the primary mission companies, a battalion typically includes a headquarters staff and combat service support which may be combined into a Headquarters and service company.