|
|
|
Subject:
Marine Artillery
ambush
5/30/2004 7:54:33 PM
|
| The Marine Corps is looking toward changing how it is equipping it artillery. In the past the Marine Corps used to have a lot of Artillery of different types: Self propelled 8 inch, 175mm and 155mm along with towed 155mm and 105mm. This was organized into Field Artillery Groups and Artillery Regiments. It went through various reorganizations and after the defeat of the Soviet Union was greatly reduced in search of the ?Peace Dividend.? It was cut back to only one type towed 155mm (M198) with a few 105mm kept on hand just in case.
The M198 was never my favorite for amphibious ops because of its weight. I also like the 105mm because you can drop the rounds closer to friendly forces when the bad guys are in the wire.
The Marine Corps has recognized the current organizations short comings and it is reorganizing and re-equipping. Current plans include the HIMARS and new 155mm howitzer and 120mm mortar.
What should the Marine Corps buy and how should it be organized?
In my opinion the Marine Corps Artillery should be designed for two purposes: deployment with Marine Expeditionary Units-MEU and deployment with larger Marine Air Ground Task Forces-MACTFs involved in longer sustained ops like the Gulf Wars.
The Artillery component for a MEU normally consists of one battery of M198, 155mm Howitzers, a heavy beast. The MEU is designed as a kick in the door/roof force designed for 30 days of self sustained combat to secure entry in the theater of operations (among other missions) for the follow on heavy forces of the Army and/or a. MAGTF. I think that the MEU artillery component should be changed to two batteries. One Battery should be a 105mm howitzer battery, perhaps along the lines of the excellent light 105mm L119 (UK) M119 (US). The second battery should be equipped with a towed 120mm Mortar like the Army?s M120 or a towed version of the Marine Corps Mobile Fire support system that is under development. Both these systems are light enough to ease the problems of getting them ashore with the assets available to a MEU.
The minimum safe distances for the 105mm and 120m are about 100 meters closer than a 155m allowing for tighter support of the troops if needed. Advances in technology also allow for more varieties of ammunition to be developed like thermobaric ammo for the 120mm mortar.
Granted you loose firepower andrange by givign up the 155 but I think the gains in logisitics, rate of fire and in th ecaseof th rmortar high angle fire, offset this.
The MACTF artillery component should be heavier because it can be a much larger force and find itself in situations like Gulf Wars I and II. Exact composition should be based on size and mission of the force but the following equipment should be available:
HIMARS
A wheeled 155mm howitzer like the French Caesar but on a LAV or HIMARS vehicle bed.
A LAV based 120mm mortar.
These three systems should be transportable by Marine KC-130.
Figure on a Battalion of each system with each Marine Artillery Regiment. Four firing batteries per Battalion for the 105 howitzer and 120mm mortars to support MEU deployments and 3 firing batteries for the HIMARS and 155SP. Have one battery of the LAV mounted 120mm with each LAV Battalion.
|
| |
|
|
|
