Armies Section (military unit)

1 armies

1.1 australian army
1.2 british army

1.2.1 second world war , after
1.2.2 current organisation


1.3 canadian army
1.4 danish army
1.5 french army
1.6 singapore army
1.7 united states army
1.8 united states marine corps

armies












australian army

under new structure of infantry platoon, australian army sections made of 8 men divided 2 four-man fireteams. each fireteam consists of team leader (corporal/lance-corporal), marksman enhanced optics, grenadier m203 , lsw operator f89 minimi light support weapon.

typical fire team structure:

at start of world war i, australian army used section consisted of 27 men including section commander, sergeant.

during world war ii, rifle section comprised ten soldiers corporal in command , lance-corporal second-in-command. corporal used m1928 thompson submachine gun, while 1 of privates used bren gun. other 8 soldiers used no.1 mk.3 lee–enfield rifles bayonet , scabbard. carried 2 or 3 no.36 mills bomb grenades.

post–world war ii, , during vietnam war, rifle section consisted of ten personnel comprising: command & scout group (three people – 2 sub-machineguns/m16a1 , l1a1 slr); gun group (three people – m60 machine gun , 2 l1a1 slrs) , rifle group (four people – l1a1 slrs).

british army

the british army section consists of 8 soldiers made of corporal section commander, lance-corporal second-in-command ( 2ic ) , 6 privates. 3 sections form platoon. in conventional warfare, section split 2 four-man fireteams ( charlie , delta ), commanded corporal , lance-corporal respectively.

second world war , after

the rifle section of second world war infantry battalion formed of 10 men; corporal section leader 6 privates lee–enfield rifles forming rifle group, , light machine gun group of lance-corporal, gunner bren gun , loader carrying spare barrel , ammunition.

with switch .303 7.62mm nato in 1950s until introduction of 5.56 mm calibre weapons in late 1980s, typical section armed , organized around 7.62 mm l7 gpmg (general purpose machine gun). section typically divided 2 groups : rifle group , gun group.

the rifle group comprised section commander (corporal) l1a1 slr, anti-tank gunner 84mm carl gustav , 9mm smg, anti-tank no 2 spare 84mm rounds , l1a1 , 2 riflemen l1a1s. gun group commanded section 2ic (lance corporal) l1a1, , comprised gunner gpmg , gun no 2 l1a1.

all section tactics designed bring gun bear on enemy , support gun; once gun had suppressed enemy ( winning firefight ), rifle group assault , destroy enemy position gun providing fire until last safe moment.

this organization abandoned in favour of fireteams when 5.56 mm assault rifles , saws introduced in late 1980s. these l85 iw , longer-barrelled l86 lsw ( light support weapon ). firepower of team has been extended l110a1 lmg. lsw used designated marksman s rifle , lmg belt fed weapon laying down suppressing fire. each fire team has 2 iw, 1 underslung grenade launcher, 1 lsw , 1 lmg.

current organisation

an infantry section consists of:

charlie fireteam:

corporal, armed l85a2 5.56mm rifle.
rifleman, armed l85a2 5.56mm rifle 40mm underslung grenade launcher.
rifleman, armed l110a1 5.56mm light machine gun.
rifleman, armed l129a1 7.62×51mm sharpshooter rifle.

delta fireteam:

lance corporal, armed l85a2 5.56mm rifle.
rifleman, armed l85a2 5.56mm rifle 40mm underslung grenade launcher.
rifleman, armed l110a1 5.56mm light machine gun.
rifleman, armed l129a1 7.62×51mm sharpshooter rifle.

some units operating in afghanistan reintroduced gpmg section gun, on scale of 1 per fire team, meaning 2 l85a2s carried per section , both fitted ugl. practice may altered following introduction of l129a1 sharpshooter rifle, bringing 7.62mm weapons section level in recognition 5.56mm proved inadequate in afghanistan. l86a2 lsw entirely unused infantry sections, due implementation of l110a1 (fn minimi) , l129a1 sharpshooter rifle, laws option secondary weapon anti-structure roles, , javelin can carried anti-armor. fireteams can split smaller sub-divisions if needed, , these designated alpha , bravo respectively. of march 2016, british army reviewing need minimi lmg @ section-level in dismounted units.

canadian army

the canadian army uses section, same british counterpart, except led sergeant, master corporal second-in-command or master corporal in command corporal 2ic absence of sergeant. section further divided assault groups, equivalent british fireteams (four soldiers). designated assault group 1 , assault group 2. assault groups broken down smaller fireteams, consisting of 2 soldiers, designated alpha, bravo, charlie , delta. alpha , bravo make assault group 1; charlie , delta make assault group 2.

the section commander have overall control of section, , assigned assault group 1, alpha team. 2nd in command in command of assault group 2, , assigned delta team.

in normal rifle section, focus around pair of c9 lmgs(light machine gun) carried bravo , delta teams, 1 in each team. results in formation of bravo, alpha, charlie, delta, bravo , delta providing fire support c9s, alpha command element , charlie assault team.

danish army

in danish army, section consists of 2 squads, commanded sergeant first class. sections highly specialized support units providing heavy weapons support, eod support etc.

french army

in french army, section equivalent english-language platoon , subunit of company, in military contexts. (in cavalry or armoured units, subunit of company peloton [platoon].)

a subunit within modern french section groupe de combat ( combat group ), divided into:

a 300 metre fireteam armed famas 5.56 mm assault rifles , carrying at4 anti-tank weapon and
a 600 metre fireteam , armed fn minimi, famas , personal grenade launcher.

singapore army

singapore army s infantry section consists of 7 men led third sergeant , assisted corporal 2ic. each section divided 1 3-man group - including section commander, , 2 2-man groups. weapons carried each section include 2 light anti-tank weapons, 2 section automatic weapons (saw), , 2 grenade launchers.

united states army

historically, section of infantry half platoon (the platoon being half company ). section led sergeant assisted 1 or (later) 2 corporals , consisted of total of 12-24 soldiers, depending on time period. in cavalry, section equivalent squad in infantry. in armor, armored cavalry, mechanized infantry, , stryker infantry units, section consists of 2 tanks/armored vehicles, 2 sections platoon. platoon leader, leads 1 section , platoon sergeant leads other. branches, such air defense artillery , field artillery, use term section denote squad-sized unit may act independently of each other in larger platoon formation. (i.e., firing platoon consists of several gun sections, basic firing elements of unit.) section used administrative formation , may bigger regular squad formation overseen staff sergeant.

united states marine corps

the usmc employs sections intermediate tactical echelons in infantry, armored vehicle units (individual vehicles being base tactical element), , low altitude air defense (laad) units, , base tactical element in artillery units. infantry sections can consist of few 8 marines (heavy machinegun section) many 32 in 81-mm mortar section. in headquarters, service, , support units throughout usmc (ce, gce, ace, , lce), sections used functional sub-units of headquarters or platoons. example, intelligence section (s-2) of battalion or squadron headquarters; communications-electronics maintenance section, communication platoon, regimental headquarters company; armory section, marine aviation logistics squadron. in marine aircraft squadrons, section used designate flight of 2 or 3 aircraft under command of designated section leader. sections, such weapons platoon sections led staff non-commissioned officer (snco), staff sergeant. tank , other armored vehicle sections, service , support sections, may led either officer, lieutenant (or cwo, in case of service , support units), or snco ranging staff sergeant master sergeant. headquarters , aircraft sections led commissioned officer. rifle squads contain 13 marines.

in infantry units, weapons platoons have sections consisting of squads , teams man crew-served weapons.

weapons platoon, rifle company:

a machine gun section, consisting of section leader , 3 machine gun squads, each containing 2 machine gun teams of 3 men each
an lwcms mortar section, consisting of section leader , 3 60mm mortar squads, each containing 1 mortar , 4 man crew
an assault section, consisting of section leader , 3 assault squads, each containing 2 assault teams of 2 men each

weapons company, infantry battalion:

an 81mm mortar platoon, consisting of five-man platoon headquarters , 2 81mm mortar sections, each section containing 4 81mm mortar squads of 6 men each , eight-man section headquarters.
an antiarmor platoon, consisting of three-man platoon headquarters , javelin section, containing section leader , 2 javelin squads, each having 2 teams of 2 men each, , antitank (tow) section, containing section leader , 4 antitank squads, each having squad leader , 2 tow teams of 2 men each
a heavy machine gun (hmg) platoon, consisting of four-man platoon headquarters , 3 hmg sections, each having 2 hmg squads of 4 men each.

in armored vehicle units, platoons consist of sections consisting of individual vehicles , crews:

tank , light armored reconnaissance platoons consist of 2 sections, each containing 2 tanks/light armored vehicles , crews
assault amphibian vehicle (aav) platoons consist of 4 sections, each containing 3 aav s , crews
combat engineer assault breacher sections consist of 2 cev assault breacher vehicles , crews

in low altitude air defense (laad) batteries, firing platoons consist of 3 sections, each consisting of section leader , 5 two-man stinger missile teams.

in artillery batteries, firing platoon consists of platoon headquarters , 6 artillery sections, each containing section chief (staff sergeant) eight-member gun crew 1 howitzer, , driver , prime mover (i.e., truck tow artillery piece , transport gun crew , baggage). gun crew consists of gunner (sergeant), 2 assistant gunners (corporals), , 5 cannoneers (lance corporals and/or pfcs).