Whiskyjack said:
Hi Guys, before Christmas I saw a media report that suggested that the NZ army had conducted a review of how it was going to organise its battalions. This review was a result of manpower shortages and new equipment. This review was finished the same time as the Defence Sustainability Initiative released in May 2005, but has not been released.
I have seen nothing since, but I know the Australian army is looking at changing its Squad/Platoon organisation to introduce heavy weapons into a Platoon, the Royal Marines have done something similar, and am wondering if it is connected with this. Or (more likely) it is looking at how to organise the battalion around a smaller number of personnel.
Appreciate any info that anyone may have.
For the Australian Army I think the re-org is being conducted for several reasons. 1. The existing structure of 3x platoons per coy and 4x rifle companies per battalion has essentially existed since before WW1. The Army thinks this format is a bit inflexible and is therefore conducting a trial, starting this year based on 6 Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, to trial the new structure along with additional weapons etc.
The Australian Army is finding it difficult to man 4x rifle coy's, plus support coy's and Battalion HQ's in each of it's battalions.
The new structure is therefore to include 3x rifle coy's and 3x platoon's per coy, but with platoon strength enhanced, though the addition of Maneurvre support (MS) teams per platoon. These will operate heavy weapons including 40mm Auto grenade launchers, 0.50cal HMG's, Carl Gustav 84mm anti-armour weapons, a "new" semi-automatic 7.62mm sniper rifle and 7.62mm MAG-58 GPMG's.
These weapons will be operated by the MS teams and used as required, depending on the tactical circumstances. Each MS team will be given additional vehicles for greater transport capability, due to the heavy weapons requirement (ie: quads, "supacats" etc).
The MS teams will also be used where, required to form MS platoon's comprising, basically an entire heavy weapons platoons to allow firepower to be concentrated on a target.
The remaining support capability, will supposedly remain the same, though perhaps with the existing direct fire support weapons platoon, reverting to an anti-armour platoon, equipped as it will be, with Javelin anti-armour weapons.