Mortars vs Artillery

[unkated]

Originally Posted by kalos72

Good point about the gl's...

Maybe move the MG's straight into the squads, GL's to the weapons squads, 60 mm to the mortar section at the platoon level, 120's at the company level and 4 towed 105mm at the battalion level?

I never really got the SAW v MG line, not being infantry. Sure different calibers, rof and such but are they that much different to need a special section for them?

You're not thinking in terms of weight. Somebody has to carry this stuff. Infantry should always plan in terms of having to walk to where it will fight - meaning carrying stuff.

Mortars usually break down into three parts (tube, base plate, bipod)

The M224 60mm mortar weighed some 21 kg altogether, and that was a light weight design. That's 15 lbs for 3 guys, before you start adding shells.

A simple 81mm mortar, say the M252 of the late 1980s (a copy of the British L16), is 40 kg; each shell is 3-6 kg.

Heavier mortars need a vehicle, either to tow a wheeled or have on board. The M120 (current 120mm) mortar is 145 kg - 300 lbs; the shells are some 12.5-13.65 kg apiece.

The weight difference between an MMG and an SAW is less pronounced than it used to be, but, for teh same weight, you can carry a LOT more ammo with a SAW; and for NATO-compatible armies, it means that the SAW and your longarms fire the same ammo.

Uncle Ted