Royal Artillery/Royal Horse Artillery future developments

[mr.fred]

Yes, support teams have to rest and rearm, but are they on the same cycle as the rifle companies?
Keep the support at a higher level and you can attach to lower level or come together for more concentrated effect Disperse the teams throughout the rifle companies and you can’t redeploy them en masse. You’ve locked yourself into an arrangement that may not be effective.

[Voldemort]

Yes, support teams have to rest and rearm, but are they on the same cycle as the rifle companies?
Keep the support at a higher level and you can attach to lower level or come together for more concentrated effect Disperse the teams throughout the rifle companies and you can’t redeploy them en masse. You’ve locked yourself into an arrangement that may not be effective.

I'd say the answer is have them at all levels, company, battalion and brigade.

[Lord Jim]

I have always felt the British Army was skinny when it comes to firepower. Regarding what we are talking about above with the Strike Brigades, you would have three 120mm Mortars in each Company and the three Combat teams would be able to support each other. The Artillery Regiment in the Brigade could in theory have one Battery of 155mm guns allocated to each Infantry Battalion with 1 in reserve and have the MLRS Battery available when needed.

What hasn't been discussed is what the Ajax Regiment would have and in the RUSI paper they would be supported by a support Company equipped with Exactor or similar weapon system, which would provide an over watch capability and precision fire support. The difference in how the Ajax Regiments would operate in a different mode to the Mechanised Infantry, more like the Traditional Recce Regiments means they would not have integral artillery as such.

What the paper really does highlight is how much more equipment the Strike Brigades are going to need to be effective and operate as envisaged, form additional variants of the core platforms to new Artillery platforms. It is the latter that are going to be the really change for the Royal Artillery. They like the Armoured and Infantry units are going to have to learn to use a hew category of equipment and in new ways in order to maximise their effect.

Another role the Royal Artillery will have regarding the Strike Brigades is providing air defence. The current Land Ceptor is not really going to be capable enough to provide cover for the brigade over the area it will operate. A system with a longer range is really needed. One option would be to join the Italians in the development of the ER version of the Land Ceptor, or we could adopt a more off the shelf system like the Ground based AMRAAM. Any system chosen must be relatively mobile, and be able to relocate when needed. Larger Systems like Patriot are too large and static for this role but I doo believe such a system would be of value to the UK but at a high level, and such systems are already in use by our Allies when it comes to joint operations. Land Ceptor would then be used to protect fixed locations like Airfield and such like. To this end I would transfer the Land Ceptor systems to the RAF Regiment and re equip the Royal Artillery Regiment with the new longer ranged systems.

[Voldemort]

My sort of dream team Strike artillery:

2-3x turntable 120mm mortars per coy
6-9x turntable mortars per Bn, not a platoon but a mortar company with loggy platoon
18-24x turreted 155mm, akin to G6. Artillery battalion with all the whistles and bells and first and foremost logistical battery!! You can forget all the fancy pancy CB radars and guided ammunition if this box isn't checked.

[Lord Jim]

I agree that we need to ensure sufficient logistics support for the artillery, and this is even more important in the planned "Strike" Brigades because of the operational doctrine they are likely to follow. One of the reasons it has been suggested that any 155mm guns used with these Brigades should be mounted on a platform that shares the same chassis as the majority of 6x6 or 8x8 logistics vehicles used to support the formation, so in the British Army's case these would be based on the current MAN series, many equipped with the successor to DROPS. I also think there needs to be a logistics variant of the Boxer to operate within the Mechanised Battalions providing support to the entire formation. This should be a relatively simple task as I am pretty sure there are designs for a logistics module already in existence. In the RUSI paper the three 120mm Mortars in each company replace the Mortars held at Battalion Level, but the Brigade gains at least one GMLRS Battery, which gives the Brigade the ability to effectively strike at enemy concentration identified by units form the Brigade as well as providing a capably counter battery capability, especially with the planned long range munitions being developed.

Looking more carefully at the type of 155mm SP Gun that could be used, whatever is chosen must be able to operate at the tempo of the Boxer units, be simple to maintain and operate, and not be restricted by its weight and dimensions in what infrastructure it can use, such as bridges and tunnels. It must be able to self deploy over large distances, operate in a widely dispersed manner even down to batter level, yet be pat of a joined up ISTAR network to allow for rapid target identification and fire mission execution. Platforms like the G-6 Rhino, Archer and even the SP 155mm version of the Boxer are really too large for this role, though many will disagree with my opinion here. They will also, with the exception of the Boxer variant, increase the logistics burden on the Brigade which needed to be kept as streamlined as possible. Moving the Ajax Regiments is already going to be a heavy burden on these. A possible doctrine for these Artillery Batteries might be to have them each be comprised of four, two gun sections. during any engagement, these sections would be, whilst widely dispersed be coming into action, firing, coming out of action and relocating, minimising the batteries vulnerability to counter battery fire. Opposition ISTAR capabilities would be a prime target for the Brigades own ISTAR units to limit the opposition ability to identify target easily, again reducing the vulnerability of the Brigades assets including the Artillery. As mentioned above the GMLSR attached to the Brigade would also be looking to reduce the opposition artillery capability at the same time. As will all units that comprise the "Strike" Brigade, the way they manoeuvre and operate is going to be far different from how the British Army has traditionally carried out combined arms operations. But all of the above will be for naught if the MoD does not purchase the right platforms in sufficient numbers to allow the Brigades to operate as they will have to if they are to be effective in the worst case scenarios as well as those more likely.