Lord Jim wrote: ↑09 Aug 2022, 22:04
We must not forget that by 2030 the British Army is looking to become a fully digital and networked force, allow ISTAR date to be freely moved around its units. Assuming we did purchase a new NLOS weapon system, with the latest version of the Spike NLOS missile being the most mature and avasilable off the shelf, any firing unit will be able to hand off any missiles it fires to another unit, be that an unit under attack or one that has located enemy units near it, for example. If each Infatry Battalion had a weapons Section equipped with NLOS weapons it would not just be looking to see how deep it could engage the enemy but also cover the increased frontage that unit will have to occupy in future. Under the current planned organisation, a Heavy BCT could have three "Batteries of NLOS Missiles , in the Recce Regiments and each Infantry Regiment.
Alternatively, these units could have a missile system with a lesser range, say 10km, but retaining the networked and Man in the Loop Capabilities, leaving the longer ranged NLOS Missile System to the Royal Artillery .
Whatever option that could in theory be taken the Boxer would make a reasonable platform on which to mount such a system.
So there is both the Mounted Close Combat Overwatch requirement and the RA has the Precision Land Strike requirement.
The latter is the Exactor replacement (I think) and is required to be able to hit moving, armoured or otherwise valuable targets out to 80km and is supposed to make use of the MLRS tech (one platform, many payloads)
That then should stay with the RA and will need Watchkeeper or its replacement or RAF to give ISTAR
The MCCO capability is supposed to give a >10km overwatch capability. I agree that should be Brimstone and you could either mount that on Boxer, or something smaller like an MRAP type vehicle as the Poles are proposing to do.
I think for ISTAR, a hand launched or rail launched drone would provide sufficient capability and that should be organic to the battalion/battlegroup. If you look at the new formation recce regiment organisation, a while squadron is dedicated to anti armour over watch so you could easily have multiple troops using MCCO there as well as a troop within the mech infantry.
So instead of the tactical UAVs being used by the RA and detached out to those that need them, it should become an organic platoon within the mech infantry support company alongside overwatch platoon.