• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

As our Army transitions to the new Limited Conversion Heavy Division design, several issues are beginning to surface. One issue in particular is the decrease in size and equipment of armor and mechanized infantry battalions from four line companies to three -- from 58 combat vehicles to 45. During Rotation No. 98-10 at the National Training Center (NTC), the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) had the opportunity to observe one of these new three-company battalions for the first time.

NTC's Rotation No. 98-10 provided CALL an opportunity to observe some of the Force XXI enablers that will highlight the new organizational model. One improvement, the new Engineer-Bradley Fighting Vehicle (E-BFV), for example, is expected to significantly improve the combat capability of the engineer force. This newsletter examines the role of the E-BFV and how it can help to fill the combat power vacuum that is created with the loss of the fourth maneuver company.

This publication also illustrates how increased and improved technological superiority can come to bear at precisely the right time and place on the battlefield. For example, new command, control, communications, and intelligence (C3I) systems are currently being developed to provide greater situational awareness. The concepts for utilizing and integrating all the new enablers are still under review, and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) will continue to be developed as new concepts are further refined and new issues emerge during our Army's transition to the conservative Heavy Division.

The battalion observed during Rotation No. 98-10 served under a partially fielded Force XXI aviation brigade. To better understand the concept of the new three-company battalion, some background information on the Force XXI brigade is in order. The Force XXI brigade organization is shown below:

FORCE XXI BRIGADE

Force XXI brigade key points:

• Fifty-six Reserve Component (RC) soldiers will enhance RC integration by filling key headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) positions, such as augmenting the brigade battle staff.

• The HMMWV-equipped Brigade Reconnaissance Troop (BRT) complements the new Division XXI design, giving the brigade commander dedicated eyes on the battlefield.

• The striker platoon is attached to the BRT from the direct support (DS) artillery battalion to provide observation and subsequent attack capabilities on brigade critical targets as well as additional observation and surveillance capabilities.

• The bulk of CSS will remain with the FSB commander to create a system that distributes employment by CSS personnel.

The organization of the new Force XXI maneuver battalion is similar to the Army of Excellence battalion organization, with reductions in personnel and equipment strengths as a result of losing the fourth company. The chart below depicts an armor battalion. In an armor battalion, total tanks will decrease from 58 to 45, with the 45th tank actually serving as a float. The same will hold true for a mechanized infantry battalion -- the total number of Bradley Fighting Vehicles will fall from 58 to 45.

FORCE XXI BATTALION

Force XXI battalion key points:

• Loss of the fourth tank company on the premise that increased situational awareness will diminish, perhaps even negate, the need for flank security or a reserve.

• The reorganized Scout Platoon reduces the number of active scouts from 10 to 6.

• In the Mortar Platoon, the number of mortar tubes has decreased from 6 to 4.

• Infantry platoons lose their five-man machine gun squad and are now configured into three 9-man squads to enhance MOUT and SASO capabilities.

We've been here before!

It is interesting to note that the old FM 71-2, The Tank and Mechanized Infantry Battalion, 30 June 1977, mirrors the three-company battalion espoused in the Force XXI organization. Tank platoons consisted of five tanks manned by 20 personnel, and mechanized infantry platoons consisted of four Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and 38 infantrymen. The rifle platoon consisted of a platoon headquarters and three 11-man squads. The scout platoon consisted of a headquarters with two APCs and two scout sections with four APCs each.

The following is a comparison of Army of Excellence (old doctrine) and Army XXI (new concept) characteristics:

Bottom Line:

• The Force XXI organization will have a larger area of operation in which to maneuver and fight, and will have fewer combat systems available.

• Combat units will depend heavily on superior technology to provide enablers that will fill the gap created by fewer combat systems. These enablers, such as the tactical internet and distributed logistics, will become more important than ever before with the increased operational tempo.

• A smaller friendly force is still expected to defeat a larger enemy force. Under the new Army XXI organization, an Army XXI Division is expected to defeat one entire defending threat division, and defeat three attacking threat divisions through superior technology such as:
  • Situational awareness gained from the tactical internet.
  • Tempo maintained by sharper situational awareness and distributed logistics.
  • Combination of the effects of combat and CS systems (more MLRS, less Apaches, more RSTA).
  • Ability to fight throughout the depth of the battlefield instead of concentrating on the close fight.
  • Deployability of the force.

Foreword

Chapter 1: Combat Engineers in the Mechanized/Armored Fight