We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:21:24 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:50:57 -0600
Marine grunt companies have an inherent sapper capability built into them. The weapons platoon of each rifle company has a demolition assault/ light anti tank section. The weapons used by that section are very capable in both bunker busting and light/medium armor killing. The Marines in that section are also trained up in assault demolitions. The MOS is 0351

At battalion level, there's also the weapons company. That company has an anti tank platoon that has heavier, longer ranged anti armor/bunker busting rocketry. The Marines in that platoon are first trained as demolition assault anti tankers, then trained up as wire guided rocketmen. The MOS in such platoons is supposed to be O352 but are often 0351 with OJT in the heavy rockets. It was the process in the long ago that an 0352 could only come up from 0351. Donno if that's changed.

The munitions available to the sapper/anti tank elements have gone through some fairly amazing upgrades since the battles in Iraq started. There's now light anti tank rockets specifically designed to deal with bunkers.  SMAW-NE has a thermobaric warhead that is designed to act as an advanced form of FAE that defeats bunkers or hardened targets by not penetrating them and sucking the air out of them and flash frying the occupants or by penetration and over pressure/flash frying them.

The SMAW also has an HEDP munition available to it. That warhead is designed to penetrate hardened targets and explode inside of them. There is also a SMAW D.

Tougher targets get the Javelin which is available at btn level org. And when things get really ugly, there's not many walls or bunkers that will stand up to a 20lbs satchel charge of C4 placed against it.

Also, USMC Expeditionary units, be they battalion or regiment in ground force size are created as task specific organizations and are easily refitted to address needs as they develop on site. An Expeditionary unit is made up from the tripod of USMC force organizations. The divisions provide the ground combat element. The Wings provide the air element, both fixed and rotor. The FSSG provides the logistics support and sustainment element. Since all those elements are USMC property and answerable to the Commandant, it is much easier to get additional assets attached as needs show them to be required. Also, all three legs of the tripod work from the same doctrine so there's much less lost in translation than with organizations put together from different branches of the armed forces.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html#comment-85719 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html#comment-85719 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:34:38 -0600
I sent you a note on the high side.  But you already noted the 105mm difference between what (at least some) of our 8 wheelers have and the Canadian LAVs.  Note that the brigade AT company can launch wire-guided bunker-busters as well.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html#comment-85709 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html#comment-85709 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:47:02 -0600
[I did it once.  Like one solitary lonely time.  I know guys who have done it hundreds of times, so take what I'm saying for what it's worth (not super much).]

But when I went into an Afghan village with troops from the Kandahar PRT on a CIMIC needs assessment, I only had one moment of hesitation, and that's when we were walking in between these family compounds in the middle of the village.  You're walking down this - road, alleyway, whatever, it's about a dozen feet wide - and the mud walls rise on either side of you a good ten feet.  You don't know what's on the other side of them.  You do know that you're walking along a corridor that looks tailor-made for an ambush.  And while you're happy to have the LAV's and their 25mm gun, they're a few hundred yards away - and you have no idea how thick the mud walls are, and how many 25mm rounds it would take to punch through them.

Artillery's good.  CAS is good.  But direct fire from the Leos has been one hell of a fine arrow to have in the quiver over there, from what I've been told: powerful and precise.  And the road-clearance and vehicle recovery aspect can't be overstated either.
]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html#comment-85707 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html#comment-85707 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:29:06 -0600 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html#comment-85701 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/03/random_thoughts.html#comment-85701 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:39:33 -0600