Comparative Lethality

 

Michael K. Robel

 

This short article compares the lethality values as found in TACOPS for the following organizations:

 

 

These battalions rate in comparative lethality (as compared to the Mech-heavy task force of 2 mech companies and 1 tank company) as shown in the table below:

 

Organization

Lethality

Force Ratio

USMC LAI BN

5198

0.84

MECH BN TF (2M/1T)

6171

1.00

USA MED BN

7357

1.19

M8/M113

7471

1.21

Balanced TF (2M/2T)

7671

1.24

MECH BN TF (3M,1T)

7904

1.28

Figure 1:  Comparative Lethality and Force Ratio

 

The Mech Heavy TF is selected as the study baseline because the three-company battalion is the objective organization for US Army heavy units in the near future.  (Some have already begun to convert.)  It is based on the premise that digital communications and C4I systems will provide a combat multiplier equal to or greater than the actually combat power lost by the deletion of the fourth company.  The lethality index is graphically portrayed in Figure 2 and the weapon system strength is shown in Figure 3.

 

The USMC LAI Battalion, while it has a large number of LAV-25, has relatively little combat power when compared to the other forces due to the lack of dismounted ATGMs and small dismounted infantry element (only 3 scouts per vehicle).  While it has great mobility and is excellent for reconnaissance and security operations, it probably should be augmented before being assigned attack or defense missions.

 

The Mech Heavy TF, with three company teams, is the next lowest rated organization.  While it has extensive long-range killing power, centered on its tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, it lacks the close in killing power of the Medium Infantry Battalion as a result of the 45 Javelin systems and the larger number of dismounted platforms. 

The Medium Battalion, in this study being based on LAV III+ vehicles with armor greater than that of the M2/M3 BFV.  Its high rating is due the high number of Javelins, large number of dismounts, and the 10 120mm mortars in the battalion.  This organization, while it only has three companies is, due to its four platoon structure, essentially a four company unit and is accordingly quite powerful.  The medium battalion could reasonably expect to include 4 LAV-AT systems, which increase its lethality, but is not included in its totals here.

 

 

The Medium Battalions converted to the M113 and the M8 AGS is only slightly more powerful than the LAV based Medium Infantry Battalion.  While there is a significant lethality difference between the .50 caliber machine gun and the 25mm cannon, this seems to be offset by the slightly increased armor protection of the M113 and the significantly improved survivability of the AGS when compared to the LAV-AG.  Otherwise, these two battalions are structured the same.

 

As expected, the four-company heavy task forces are much more lethal than the medium battalion, due to the inclusion of more tanks and more TOW missiles, which more than compensates for the fewer number of dismounted Javelins in these units.  The balanced TF (2 tank and 2 mech companies) was, in the author’s experience, the favored task organization in heavy divisions for battalions.  It provided a reasonable balance between tank heavy killing power and infantry dismounts.  The Mech-heavy, four-company task force is included to compare its lethality to that of the medium infantry battalion.

 

Note the very close score of the Medium Battalion, the M8/M113 Battalion, and the balanced heavy TF.

 

Observations based on this comparative study are:

 

 

Figure 2 Comparative Lethality




Figure 3 Weapon Systems