Saturday 23 April 2022

Heavy Infantry

 
Whiskey Company of 45 Commando Royal Marines patrolling from Forward Operating Base Jackson at Sangin in Helmand Province in Afghanistan on the 11th of December 2008
 
 
Herein we shall compare the weight carried by an eight man British Army infantry section to that carried by eight infantrymen of An Independent Army For An Independent Nation,whilst ignoring accessories and items which are likely to be of similar weight and recognising that published weights often vary widely,as do the loads carried by infantrymen.
 
A soldier from B Company 2 Battalion the Parachute Regiment with an L85A3 rifle during Exercise Wessex Storm on Salisbury Plain on the 22nd of November 2020
 
 
Six L85A3 rifles,each with seven,thirty round,magazines and two hundred and ten cartridges,weigh about ninety-seven pounds.
 
Lance Corporal Thomson and the 12th Mechanized Brigade Reconnaissance Force in Shorokay during Operation Daas which means scythe in Dari on the 23rd of August 2012
 
 
Two L123A3 grenade launchers with EOTech aiming devices weigh about eight pounds (or ten pounds with Vectronix and Wilcox Rapid Acquisition Aiming Modules),the weight of ammunition for these may be ignored as it is similar to that of it's proposed replacement,the Half Pound Grenade.
 
A foot patrol of Royal Marines from Delta Company of 40 Commando passes near Kajaki Afghanistan on the 18th of June 2010
 
 
One L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun with one thousand linked cartridges weighs about ninety-three pounds.
 
Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan with an L129A1 Sharpshooter rifle and an L85A2 assault rifle on the 6th of June 2010
 
 
One L129A1 rifle with ten,twenty round,magazines and two hundred cartridges,weighs about twenty-five pounds.
 
A Paratrooper from 5 Platoon of B Company of 3 Para takes cover after throwing a grenade during Operation Oqab Tsuka in Helmand province Afghanistan on the 31st of August 2008
 
 
Sixteen L109A1 hand grenades,weigh about sixteen pounds.
The above items,including two thousand four hundred and sixty cartridges and sixteen grenades,weigh about two hundred and sixty-five pounds,an average of about thirty-three pounds per man.
 
The LoneStar Future Weapons and Beretta USA RM277R rifle proposed for the Next Generation Squad Weapon competition
 
 
Eight Quarter Inch Rifles,each with seven,thirty round,magazines and two hundred and ten cartridges,shall weigh about one hundred and sixty pounds.
 
A Japan Ground Self Defense Forces soldier from the 36th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Division with a Type 89 rifle and Type 06 rifle grenade on the 26th of March 2020
 
 
Sixteen Half Pound Grenades shall weigh about eight pounds.
 
The Thales SquadNet Soldier Radio
 
 
Four modern section radios shall weigh about two pounds.
 
Royal Marines with 40 Commando are engulfed in dust after disembarking from a helicopter and watching it lift off again on the 1st of January 2013
 
 
The above items,including one thousand six hundred and eighty cartridges and sixteen grenades,shall weigh about one hundred and seventy pounds,an average of about twenty-one pounds per man,twelve pounds less than British infantrymen carry at present,but adding another seven hundred and eighty cartridges (twenty-six boxes of thirty) to bring the total up to two thousand four hundred and sixty rounds shall increase the weight to an average of about twenty-six pounds per man.
Thus,an infantry section of An Independent Army For An Independent Nation shall be more mobile than the current British Army section,or carry more food and water,more ammunition or more heavy weapons,such as the proposed Three Inch Mortar and Six Inch Rocket Launcher,whilst also having lighter training and logistical burdens.
 

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