Enhanced MAGTF Operations- USMC's Small Unit Future

[COMMAR]

4) 155mm Howitzer Plt attached to the Inf. Company: In the future this could, & probably would change to a 120mm EFSS Plt. But for now they want to test the 155 to the extreme of whats possible & available to support a Company Operating on its own w/Plts spread over great distances.

Just released about a week ago, more confirmation of USMC plans to gradually shift to Coy-sized MAGTFs when Major Combat Ops wind down.

General: Artillery ops to become smaller (Military Times)

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jun 14, 2010 18:01:04 EDT

Large-scale operations requiring artillerymen to lay down blankets of fire across wide swaths of enemy-held territory are likely a thing of the past, according to a Marine three-star general.

The future of artillery will be defined by small, sea-based operations that will require precision fire and quick decision making at the platoon level.

This arty portion was one of the final pieces of the overall construct to ensure sustained all-weather in-direct fires, if & when they need to engage.

It has basically moved out of the Concept phase w/adhoc prototype Security Cooperation MAGTFs (SCMAGTF) already deploying to Nicaragua, Haiti, Greece, Senegal, Belize, Cameroon, DR, Liberia, even Romania to name a few.

That's to build & refine the day to day mission of staying constantly engaged w/the Partner Nations Liasoned thru the MCTAG now, so as MCOs wind down the Victor units can smoothly transition into this role.

[GI Zhou]

I'm all for firepower and tube launched PGMs, and understand that the 120mm EFSS will take over from the 155mm, but what about minmum safe distances and ammunition resupply. The 105mm guns and 81mm/60mm mortars still have their uses as they can provide more intimate fire support, especially if the enemy are 'hugging you'. A comapny sized untit cannot provide for all the fire support it needs by itself, but due to its size can be overrrun, or elements of it.

[COMMAR]

1st to establish a baseline, just how reinforced Coy & even Plt-sized elements are being used w/70-100miles dispersion in A'stan now, Coy-sized MAGTFs would only be used when its the format that's most advantageous.

Its a Construct geared toward rapid &/or prolonged engagement of Hybrid & IW threats, but can be aggregate to reform a Traditional BN-sized MAGTF if needed.

Also the Construct is designed to work in concert w/the MEU(SOC)s nearly tripling Combat Power in a matter of hrs.

I'm all for firepower and tube launched PGMs, and understand that the 120mm EFSS will take over from the 155mm, but what about minmum safe distances and ammunition resupply. The 105mm guns and 81mm/60mm mortars still have their uses as they can provide more intimate fire support, especially if the enemy are 'hugging you'. A comapny sized untit cannot provide for all the fire support it needs by itself, but due to its size can be overrrun, or elements of it.

Every Marine Inf Coy has a Weapons Plt that includes a 60mm Section T/O. Also an 81mm Plt is Organic to every Inf BN's Weapons Coy so embedding an 81mm Section per Coy MAGTF wouldn't be difficult.

W/the EFSS the 105mm wouldn't really be a valid option. The EFSS is much more mobile, has a smaller foot print, & I is believe lighter. Also plans are to eventually have an Automated EFSS which will cut the Loop fr/just under 2min to about 20sec.

[Infanteer]

Large-scale operations requiring artillerymen to lay down blankets of fire across wide swaths of enemy-held territory are likely a thing of the past, according to a Marine three-star general.
The future of artillery will be defined by small, sea-based operations that will require precision fire and quick decision making at the platoon level.

Wow - when did they start issuing crystal balls?

A few years ago, a very good General said that tanks were a thing of the past and signed off on their elimination (he was a tanker to boot). The only thing that saved him was that he recognized the gaffe, bought new Main Battle Tanks and shipped them overseas for use in a grapefield near you.

One thing soldiers should stay out of is the prediction business.

[COMMAR]

Wow - when did they start issuing crystal balls?

A few years ago, a very good General said that tanks were a thing of the past and signed off on their elimination (he was a tanker to boot). The only thing that saved him was that he recognized the gaffe, bought new Main Battle Tanks and shipped them overseas for use in a grapefield near you.

One thing soldiers should stay out of is the prediction business.

Its nice to cherry pick but thats not what he said. What he said was:

“In artillery you’ll need the ability to mass at times, but you’re probably going to need the ability to respond with precision with the ability to minimize collateral damage,” he said...

In the coming years, the threat of a nonstate enemy with access to high-tech weaponry, including precision fires, is sure to grow, he said.

Within that construct, Flynn said, the six-gun artillery battery will most likely remain the norm, but that battery might have to split up into three platoons, with two guns each to cover a dispersed battlefield...

In other words, "..you’ll need the ability to mass at times". But you'll also need the ability to disperse.

Do you have the Task-Organization built into your structure to do both?

Not only that but can you do both fluidly.. shifting fr/one to another when its advantageous for you??

To do that effectively you'll need to add this into your training, organization, & mindset:

• Multiple platoons that can scatter over large battle spaces
• A need for leaders who are well-trained to operate on their own while disconnected from the central grid
• It will require a more rigorously coordinated targeting cycle and quick computations done by people at three locations
• & Security for the various platoons

The Marine Corps is losing nothing, every capability they had they will continue to have. But their gaining more training, authority, expectations, & capabilities @ a lower level.

[William F. Owen]

Just released about a week ago, more confirmation of USMC plans to gradually shift to Coy-sized MAGTFs when Major Combat Ops wind down.

Is this a cunning plan to make the Corps operationally irrelevant?
Why would any force give up being able to do formation level combat operations, unless you want to be beaten into dust by some bunch of clowns with a some combined arms military capability.

Infanteer

Wow - when did they start issuing crystal balls?

Yes. Very good ones apparently.

[Tukhachevskii]

Perhaps the X27 would solve the over the horizon assualt problem and render the EFV defunct

[COMMAR]

Is this a cunning plan to make the Corps operationally irrelevant?

Why would any force give up being able to do formation level combat operations, unless you want to be beaten into dust by some bunch of clowns with a some combined arms military capability.

Sure if that makes you feel better.

BN-sized MAGTFs are the dominant deployment construct. While in Theater that BN MAGTF will now have the ability to disperse into multiple Coy-sized MAGTFs to cover more of the Theater.

In a time of Crisis a decision will be made based on threat levels, to immediately respond & send in a C-MAGTF while still being able to Re-Aggregate into a BN MAGTF to do "formation level combat operations". Either way the MEU(SOC) will quickly move in for support.

The key strength given to the Theater Commander is Flexibility, Speed, & Escalation of Force.

Crisis Response is a routine mission for the USMC. Some previous USMC CR missions were:

• Securing Embassies/Engaging Rebels in Liberia, Sierra Leone, & Somalia to name a few
• Withdrawing American Citizens in Lebanon under fire
• Show of Force in Rwanda
• Counter-Piracy & supporting Counter-Terrorism in HOA
• Forcibly removing Haitian President Aristide fr/power

The list goes on... All missions that had an initial force of a Marine Coy or less. The Coy-MAGTFs are designed to engage in similar missions quickly w/out leaving a large footprint.

The purpose is to give the T-Comm the exact stated mission of the MAGTF: To provide Scalable, Task-Organized Forces...

[William F. Owen]

BN-sized MAGTFs are the dominant deployment construct. While in Theater that BN MAGTF will now have the ability to disperse into multiple Coy-sized MAGTFs to cover more of the Theater.

So it did not have this ability before? Really?

[COMMAR]

So it did not have this ability before? Really?

MAGTFs demonstrated the ability on many occasions as shown, but it wasn't standardized.

This studied how to Leverage the Power of the MAGTF to support Ops fr/the BN down to the Squad for use in Crisis Response & Low Intensity Conflict. W/out losing the ability to reconstitute to perform HIC.

So yes they have sent Coy even Plt & smaller elements to conduct various LIC/CR missions in the past. But No they did not have anything like this ability in past b/c they could optimize the Leverage of the MAGTF like the can now.

Its like doing everything thru Algebra & then discovering calculus, its makes operations much more efficient.


Also to be a MAGTF it would have to self-contained for sustained periods, which was not the case until now, otherwise it would be considered a Landing Team.

[William F. Owen]

So yes they have sent Coy even Plt & smaller elements to conduct various LIC/CR missions in the past. But No they did not have anything like this ability in past b/c they could optimize the Leverage of the MAGTF like the can now.

OK and how exactly does the "optimize the Leverage of the MAGTF" work as concerns equipment, training and organisation? - which is different from before.

[COMMAR]

OK and how exactly does the "optimize the Leverage of the MAGTF" work as concerns equipment, training and organisation? - which is different from before.

Take the piece above on Distributed Arty, that piece alone took about 3yrs to get right.

• Standardizing Coy-Level Intel & Ops Cells-CLIC & CLOC.
• Distributed Comms DTCS- PDAs that allow Intra-Squad/Plt Comm & Voice/Data reachback of 250miles.
• The reorganization of the Rifle Coy to include a Scouts & Recon Section for CAS & Indirect Fires as well as close-in reconnaissance.
• Standardizing training in tactics, leadership, & responsibility that allows for dispersion & independence on all levels.
• Streamlining a Coy MAGTF HQ & data equipment to be Expeditionary-The "Expeditionary Forward Operations Base, ExFOB".
• The UAV & UGV components are also critical-the MV-22 will be centrally located w/the BN HQ, the Cargo-UAS will be w/the Coys along some Coys having access to the CH-53s or Naval Lift.
• Not every Coy MAGTF will be outfitted the same, it will depend on their region and mission.

There are a lot of moving parts but i'm half sleep. Look up Limited Objective 4 (LOE 4) Kahuku, Hawaii, EMO- Enhanced MAGTF Operations, ECO- Enhanced Company Operations, you should find enough info.