Light Air-Mechanization Key to Salvaging Modularity Reorganization

The 82nd, 101st, 173rd and 1-501st Airbornes have "Delta" heavy weapons (TOW anti-armor and heavy machine guns) COMPANIES that are easily re-equipped with M113 Gavins instead of 35 x Humvee trucks to give A, B and C companies armored mobility on the battlefield. A stretch hull MTVL can carry 10-15 men so 35 x M113A4 Gavins could carry 350-525 men per sortie. Airborne/Air Assault units have support platoons with 6 x 2.5 ton cargo capacity FMTV and 2 Humvee trucks. If you replaced these 8 unarmored, unarmed vehicles with 8 Gavins, we gain an ARMORED resupply capability that is cross-country mobile that can fight its way to reach the infantry to resupply them. This also increases the number of men that can be transported in one lift to 430-645. This takes care of 22 battalions in the U.S. Army today, giving them situational light mechanized capabilities.

What about the 10th, 25th and 172nd Light Infantry Battalions?

However, the 10th, 25th and 172nd Light Infantry (16 battalions) have a different organization where they just have a single anti-armor PLATOON of 6 x Humvee trucks. Re-equipping them with M113A4 Gavins would move either A, B or C company-at-a-time. Therefore, we propose that the 81mm mortar platoon in 6 x Humvee trucks be re-equipped with Gavins to move another rifle company. To simultaneously move the last rifle company, we propose that the 19 battalion scouts be equipped with 4 x M113 Gavins to do their reconnaissance missions better as well as move a rifle company as needed. This would give them a total of 16 Gavins. Their Support platoon's 13 x Humvee trucks if replaced with M113A4 Gavins would render armored and armed resupply capabilities and increase the total of Gavins to 29 to be roughly equivalent to the Airborne/Air Assault unit's Delta Weapons companies and MANEUVER A BATTALION.

What about mortars?

The 82d and 101st infantry battalions have a single 81mm mortar platoon with 8 Humvee trucks and 6 mortars.

The 10th and 25th infantry battalions have a single 81mm mortar platoon with 6 Humvee trucks and 4 mortars.

If we replaced their Humvee trucks with M1064 series Gavins, we improve the armor protection, cross-country mobility and indirect 5 km firepower because they can shoot instantly from the vehicle using a turntable without having to run out and set up a mortar baseplate. We can increase range to over 7+ km and HE firepower (vital in long range desert and mountain warfare) by using the 120mm mortar in the M1064A3 variant [www.combatreform.com/120mortars.htm]. If we stretch the hull there will still be troop space inside to carry 10 men for an additional lift of 60-80. If the mortars are dismounted then 105-120 men can be transported. We may want to not initially go with a turntable mounted mortar and just use the 81mm mortar laid flay in the back and keep the full 105-120 man transportation room; essentially the M113A4 Gavin as a "tracked truck".