Future structure of the heavy paratroop company

At Infantry Day 2019 in Hammelburg, the rough structure of the heavy paratrooper companies was made known to a public audience. Since then, further details of the future structure have been publicly communicated, enabling a detailed drawing of the company structure.

Even if the exact date of the adoption of the new structure has not yet been communicated, a named article by General Eberhard Zorn - General Inspector of the German Armed Forces and officer of the paratroops - in the 06/2019 issue of the "The German paratroopers“(Association magazine of the Association of German Paratroopers eV) shows that this should happen by the middle of this decade at the latest.

The heavy company

With the heavy paratrooper company, the light infantry companies of the regiments will be decisively supported in operations with extremely effective and long-range weapon systems and, in the future, reconnaissance equipment. Efficient direct and indirect fire support directly subordinate to the leadership of the regiment increases the survivability and assertiveness of the paratroopers and is a necessary skill in all operational scenarios.

Both paratrooper regiments have a heavy infantry company with their 7th company. These companies have the task of supporting the regiments with long-range flat and vertical firearms. In addition, with their fire support trains, they make use of all available means of action within the framework of theArmed Forces Joint Tactical Fire Support(STF) sure.

The new structure also includes reconnaissance platoons in the two companies, which can be used by the regimental leadership for combat reconnaissance, reconnaissance and monitoring of spaces, gaps and flanks as well as for establishing and maintaining communication.

Feuerunterstützungszug

STF is the ability to provide mutual fire support at tactical levels by land, air and naval forces as well as special forces in all dimensions of the operational area.

The fire support platoon of the heavy paratrooper company directly supports the light companies and platoons of the paratrooper force. The future fire support platoons will have a Joint Fire Support Coordination Team (JFSCT) and five Joint Fire Support Teams (JFST) – four in the current structure. This would mean that a JFST would be available to support each combat company.

The JFSCT works at the unit level and advises the regimental commander on the use of STF assets.

It consists of the ground/ground squad and the air/ground squad, each consisting of an officer, a sergeant and an enlisted soldier. The air/ground squad is primarily responsible for close air support from attack helicopters and fighter aircraft. The ground/ground squad is primarily responsible for the use of artillery and mortars, the use of sea-based weapons and for the close combat attack procedure of the attack helicopters. In the work structure of the regiments, the JFST are - whenever possible - put together and trained in such a way that both skills can be demonstrated not only at the team level but also at the squad level.

The teams can carry out their assignments dismounted or mounted - currently divided between two wolves from the mid-twenties on two wheeled vehicles on the new airborne platform, the tender for which is currently being prepared.

mortar trains

Also the Structure of the mortar trainswill be adapted. The mobility of the trains should also be ensured using the airborne platform. The heavy paratrooper company will then have two mortar platoons, each with four mortar squads (120 mm). The company currently has a platoon with eight squads. The 1st platoon will be led by an officer and will have more personnel than the 2nd platoon, which will be led by a sergeant. Both platoons will continue to have reconnaissance capabilities that will take over the tasks of the current reconnaissance squads. The mortar teams should continue to consist of a squad leader, gunner, loader and ammunition gunner. In addition, each platoon will also have a fire control team.

The special feature in the 1st platoon will be that the additional personnel will be used to set up an additional mortar group (60 mm) in the basic structure. This means that the 1st Platoon will have eight mortar squads (four 120 mm and four 60 mm). The 2nd Platoon will also be equipped with four 60mm mortars, but these will serve as an optional secondary armament for the 120mm mortar squads.

Armourbearer trains

The heavy company currently has three cannon and one anti-tank platoon. Consisting of four squads each, with the fourth squad being formed by the respective platoon squad. The mission of the cannon platoons is to support the combat companies with long-range and effective flat fire. Depending on the situation and mission, the anti-tank platoon strengthens the anti-tank capability of the light companies or serves as a mobile anti-tank reserve for the regimental commander.

Both the structure and the order of the respective platoons are retained, with the exception of the ammunition squads. However, there will be changes in the equipment. The current trains are equipped with the weapon carrier Wiesel MK 20 mm or Wiesel TOW. Both Waffenträger versions are currently being developed as part of aLife Extensionmodernized. As part of this measure, the Wiesel MK will receive onepowerful Optronics. Furthermore, the aging anti-tank guided missile TOW is replaced by the more powerfulMELLS(Multi-role Light Guided Missile System) replaced by EuroSpike. The modernized Wiesel should be able to remain in use until 2030, until they are replaced by the so-called air mobile weapons carrier (LuWa).

There are currently few reliable details about the specific design of the LuWa. According to reports, the LuWa, like the Wiesel, is controlled by a driver and a commander - who also acts as a gunner - is guided. Both soldiers should find space in a "monocoque" which has a higher level of protection than the Wiesel 1. The requirement of air transportability in a future heavy transport helicopter is also decisive for the design of the LuWa. It is due to the weight limit – in contrast to theheavy weapons carrier(Machine cannon boxer with integrated MELLS) - there are two versions of the LuWa: One with a machine cannon and one with a MELLS weapon system, since a "combined" weapon carrier would probably not be feasible in terms of weight. As far as we can hear, greater effectiveness was also required for the automatic cannon, which could probably be solved pragmatically in the form of a 27 mm weapon system, such as the one used as a light naval gun on Navy ships. A new development would entail too many risks and would mean a new logistical chain - at least the weapons system, if not also the ammunition.

recon

Always present in the heavy fighter and mountain infantry companies, the reconnaissance platoons in the airborne troops were sacrificed for staffing reasons to set up the special parachute and service dog platoons. In the new structure, the heavy paratrooper companies will now also have a reconnaissance platoon again.

The main mission of the reconnaissance platoons will be combat reconnaissance. For this purpose, the platoon will have a total of six reconnaissance squads, one of which is shown in the platoon squad, which can be deployed vehicle-supported or dismounted. In addition, two drone squads will provide a technical reconnaissance capability.

Conclusion

From the middle of this decade, the existing capabilities of the heavy paratrooper companies will be strengthened or quantitatively expanded with the addition of new equipment (fire support platoon). With the influx of light 60 mm mortars and the formation of reconnaissance platoons, new capabilities are even being added.