Wilf:

As far as Sabre went, I wanted a Light Tank that a Chinook Medium-Lift Helicopter could transport; as for the Land Rover, well I was out of tactical light vehicle ideas. But this Battalion would have a very great deal less than 200-250 vehicles; each Rifle Platoon, for example would only have a single light vehicle. Battalion HQ would only have about 4 light vehicles, and the Supply Platoon in the Headquarters Company would be likely to have only about 16-20 light vehicles. This Battalion gets to the Battlefield by Amtrac/Landing Craft/Hovercraft/Helicopter/Air-Landing/Parachute, and then it walks. As much as practically possible, this Battalion is to be relatively free of immediate dependence upon vehicles. There is no wheeled vehicle-mounted HMG/AT Troop/Platoon; a Heavy ATGM Platoon (on Wiesel 2-type tracked carriers) would be attached from Regiment/Brigade-level when tactically required, and the aforementioned Light Tanks would be attached instead of organic HMG/AGL-armed wheeled vehicles. Wheeled vehicles have trouble with some cross-country and bad-weather conditions; tracked vehicles are rather better.

And you spoiled my surprise (well, no surprise to those who've seen me rave about it here before) for the HAPC for the upcoming Heavy Infantry Battalion with the Namera link.

jcustis: As with so many things that the USMC has, the proposed 17-man capacity of the prototype AAAV does indeed make me drool, and profusely at times.

If the Light Infantry Battalion is to be "lightened", reducing the Weapons Company by ~25% is doable, but eliminates its available reserve of firepower.

The weapon for the Designated Marksman is the FN FAL 50.42 (Australian L2, Canadian C2) Automatic Rifle, but fitted with an ACOG-type sight. The original link was lost. Also, there were supposed to be 2 Mortar Fire Controllers in the Battalion Mortar Platoon, not in each Section! As each Infantry Company has its own MFC, more than 2 at Battalion is superfluous.

Medium Infantry Battalion - Table of Organization and Equipment

Principle Roles:

Long-Duration Holding of Ground/Key Terrain in General War; Clearing and Holding positions in Close Country, as well as Open Country when properly entrenched; Long-Duration Intervention Operations, including Small Wars, COIN, SSO/Humanitarian Crisis Relief/Counter-Genocide Operations. Carries supplies for 6-8 days within Battalion.

The Backbone Unit of any European and English-speaking Army. Can be partially or wholly mounted in APC/MICV/IFVs (attached from Regiment/Brigade/Division) if tactically or operationally required; can also be transported by Landing Craft/Amtrac/Hovercraft/Air-Landing/Helicopter.

Headquarters Company –

•Command Section (Battalion CO, Battalion 2i/c, Battalion Staff)
•Command Post (Company CDR, Company 2i/c, Regimental SGTMJR, 4 Clerks, 4 Runners/Drivers)
•Intelligence Section
•Police Section
•Signals Platoon (including Dispatch Riders on Motorcycles – Yeehaaww!)
•Supply Platoon (Stores, Transport, and POL Sections)
•Maintenance Platoon (including Recovery Section and Mobile Repair Team Section)
•Medical Platoon (including Aid Station)
•Mess Platoon (One Field Kitchen per Company)

Infantry Company – (X4)

•Company HQ (Company CDR, Company 2i/c, Company SGTMJR/1st Sgt, 4 Signalers, 2 Clerks, 2 Runners/Drivers)
oCommand Section
oCommand Post
oCompany Quartermaster

•Rifle Platoon (X3)
oPlatoon HQ (Platoon CDR, Platoon 2i/c, 2 Runners/Drivers, 4 Designated Marksmen)
Rifle Section (X3) – 14 men (Section CDR, Section 2i/c, and one RPG-7V2 per Section)
•Rifle Squad (X3) (Squad CDR/Grenadier, LMG Gunner, 2 Riflemen)

•Weapons Platoon
Platoon HQ (Platoon CDR, Platoon 2i/c, 2 Signalers, 2 Runners/Drivers)
Machine Gun Section (Section CDR, Section 2i/c, Gun Controller, 2 Signalers)
•4 Machine Gun Squads (each one 7.62mm MAG-58 and 4 men)
Mortar Section (Section CDR, Section 2i/c, Mortar Fire Controller , 2 Signalers)
•4 Mortar Squads (each one 60 mm M224 and 4 men)
Anti-Tank Section (Section CDR, Section 2i/c, 2 Signalers)
•4 Anti-Tank Squads (each one MBT-LAW and 4 men)

Weapons Company –

•Company HQ (Company CDR, Company 2i/c, Company SGTMJR/1st Sgt, 4 Signalers, 2 Clerks, 2 Runners/Drivers)
•Command Section
•Command Post
•Signals Section
•Company Quartermaster

•Machine Gun Platoon
•Platoon HQ (Platoon CDR, Platoon 2i/c, 2 Signalers, 2 Runners/Drivers)
•4 Machine Gun Sections (Section CDR, Section 2i/c, 2 Gun Controllers, 2 Signalers)
2 Machine Gun Squads (each one 40mm GMG and 5 men)

Mortar Platoon
•Platoon HQ (Platoon CDR, Platoon 2i/c, 2 Mortar Fire Controllers, 2 Signalers, 2 Runners/Drivers)
•4 Mortar Sections (Section CDR, Section 2i/c, 2 Signalers)
•2 Mortar Squads (each one 81 mm Mortar, and 6 men)

•Anti-Tank Platoon
•Platoon HQ (Platoon CDR, Platoon 2i/c, 2 Signalers, 2 Runners/Drivers)
•4 Anti-Tank Sections (Section CDR, Section 2i/c, 2 Signalers)
•2 Anti-Tank Squads (each one ATGM launcher, 5 men)

•Pioneer Platoon
•Platoon HQ (Platoon CDR, Platoon 2i/c, 2 Signalers, 2 Runners/Drivers)
•4 Pioneer Sections (each 14 men, as per Rifle Section)

•Reconnaissance Platoon
•Platoon HQ (Platoon CDR, Platoon 2i/c, 2 Signalers, 2 Runners/Drivers)
•4 Reconnaissance Sections (2 Reconnaissance Squads each of 4 Patrolmen/Surveillance System Operators, one Tactical Light Vehicle per Squad)
•Sniper Section (Section CDR, Section 2i/c, Signaler, 4 2-man Sniper Teams)

Note:

Typical Attachments may include Tank (MBT) Troop/Platoon or Squadron/Company, 155mm Towed Medium Gun Artillery Battery, Field Engineer Troop/Platoon or Squadron/Company, Anti-Aircraft Troop/Platoon, Heavy Anti-Tank Troop/Platoon, and an APC Company.

The Rifle Sections are a cross of the USMC Rifle Squad and Tom Odom's proposed Rifle Squad. While the Medium Infantry Battalion is certainly capable of Offensive Operations in Low- and Medium -Intensity War, and in Close Country in High-Intensity War, it is ideal for Defensive Operations - heavy firepower, with organic wheeled transport to move troops and supplies, and large numbers of Infantrymen to absorb Battle Losses; in sum, great Staying Power. The 155mm Medium Artillery, when attached, is lethal to enemy attackers, even causing some difficulty for attacking Armour. Even a Troop/Platoon of MBTs plus a Heavy Anti-Tank Troop/Platoon attached to this Battalion would make for a potent defence.