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Marines Reorganize Infantry For High-Tech Warfare

  • Thread starter LightFighter
  • Start date
The US Army has the Javelin ATW.


https://www.army-technology.com/projects/javelin/
 
The SPIKE series of missiles might be something the regular infantry could look at.

1000mm of penetration against RHA (a little under TOW2) but with top attack I don't think you need much more than 300mm or penetration.
Lots of variants
1.5 km (Spike-SR)
2.5 km (Spike-MR)
4 km (Spike-LR)
8 km (Spike-ER)
25 km (Spike NLOS)

 
In the case of the Marines they will have aviation support ranging from the Cobra attack helo to f-18 fighters as well as gubfire support.The Marines even tested HIMARS fired from ships.
 
tomahawk6 said:
The US Army has the Javelin ATW.


https://www.army-technology.com/projects/javelin/

The missile (Javelin) achieved a higher range of 4,750m during a demonstration in February 2013.

I believe that means that it has the same range, now, as the TOW.  With less weight and a smaller crew, and less back blast.
 
As a bit of an aside, the longer ranges of ATGM's and increasing capabilities should have us rethinking the role and organization of direct fire, mortars and artillery. Javelin is potentially a platoon level weapon, but depending on the model can provide coverage out to between 2-4Km. Some versions of Spike have artillery like ranges, and provide surveillance en route with their on board cameras, essentially a tethered, "fire and forget" UAV. Other weapons not mentioned so far have capabilities like "Switchblade", which is an electric UCAV, capable of a 10 km flight, providing imagery downloads during the flight and, if a suitable target is identified, the operator can dive on it and deliver the weapon's 40mm warhead.

Now looking backwards a bit we used to have "Combat Support Companies" in each battalion with TOW and 81mm mortars. With larger versions of the SPIKE, it could be a "Fire Support Company" capable of providing DF and IF out to whatever the maximum range of the missile is (although some of the mortar effects like smoke or using volume of fire would need to be done either by artillery or using some sort of automatic mortar like the Dragonfire II proposal. Mortars can also have guided rounds, so we now have a hybrid capability form two different directions).

For a force like the Marines, or a Canadian expeditionary force making its initial entry into theater, having this sort of firepower directly embedded in the manoeuvre element seems to give them far more options, and the period between when they arrive and follow on forces like tanks, artillery and so on would be a lot less nerve wracking. There would defiantly be a need for more sensors to guide all the shooters, and a tightly integrated command and control net to connect sensors to shooters, so more organizational changes at the company and Battalion headquarters is probably needed as well.

Aside #2. The HMMVW is a very "80's" design, and would need to be substantially rebuilt with a more fuel efficient drivetrain and better suspension as a minimum if they are to last in service much longer. The JTLV seems pretty huge, I'd think we would need to look in between the range of the STK "Spider" to something like the "Flyer" (which is sized to fit aboard helicopters) to find the sweet spot of mobility and utility. As a third aside, the STK Spider can carry a 120mm mortar....

 

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Jarnhamar said:
I just find the C9 is just a heavy old piece of poo that's always breaking and always jams. But if we're sticking with suppression yea there's more out there for sure. We could swap C9s out with the 7.62x51 MK48s. The one I carried felt more maneuverable than the C9 and felt around the same weight. Added benefit of gunners carrying the same ammo the C6 uses and a section has a gun that can penetrate 10-11mm's of steel armor.

The Bren gun, rebarelled to 7.62mm, was a pretty sweet shoot. The Energizer Bunny of LMGs....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-CfuvCHq4I

Hint: don't hold the handle on the barrel... sigh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2_Ve0ksT_I


 
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