09-04-2003 09:07									#1
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Does every US soldier now carry a bazooka/RPG launcher or whatever?

They all seem to have a tube strapped to their back (the pictures I've seen so far, although I admit that I'm not a coverage junkie).

Is this a standard piece of equipment for every man now, or is there only 1 per squad or something?

If it is standard, will this radically change the way the US fights infantry battles (not that they've fought many "real" infantry on infantry battles in a while)?

Are other NATO countries moving toward the same change?

	09-04-2003 09:10									#2
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http://www.hqmc.usmc.mil/factfile.n...0c?OpenDocument

	09-04-2003 09:13									#3
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That looks sort of like what I've seen (it's broken in two pieces and carried strapped to the back).

Does every frontline soldier in the USMC get one?

	09-04-2003 09:15									#4
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I donīt think so. Doesnīt make sense.

	09-04-2003 09:16									#5
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A "ready to fire" weight of 30 pounds is significant. That means that to even carry a single rocket the soldier is using up 1/3 of his packing capacity (correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to be overambitious to expect soldiers to hump anything more than 100 pounds of gear into battle, due to decreased mobility)...

	09-04-2003 09:17									#6
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quote: Originally posted by BeBro I donīt think so. Doesnīt make sense.

Okay...but it seems like I've seen a lot of them for only 1 in 5 to get one. Almost every picture I've seen has one in it...

	09-04-2003 09:18									#7
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its standard issue. I dunno if every single one of them has it but probably not. (guessing around 1:2 or 1:3)

	09-04-2003 09:20									#8
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quote: Originally posted by Frogger A "ready to fire" weight of 30 pounds is significant. That means that to even carry a single rocket the soldier is using up 1/3 of his packing capacity (correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to be overambitious to expect soldiers to hump anything more than 100 pounds of gear into battle, due to decreased mobility)...

i forgot what the paratroopers in WW2 carried but it exceeds 100lb

	09-04-2003 09:20									#9
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Well, perhaps MTG can answer this definately, but I think they split into different teams whith different kind of weapons (MGs, AT stuff etc.. In that way relatively small teams have a decent firepower against a variety of targets.

	09-04-2003 09:23									#10
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Idea of SMAW is infantry to be never caught w/o an anti-tank capablity, no matter the size of team, so I dont see why everyone shouldnt have one.

But equipping everyone with it does sound a bit too ambitious, I guess.

	09-04-2003 09:24									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Calc II i forgot what the paratroopers in WW2 carried but it exceeds 100lb

And Canadian soldiers in some battles in WWI took 120 lbs into battle too.

Then they got their asses shot off.

After that they dropped their own pack loads to 70lbs...

I just don't see it being effective to cart around anything over 100 lbs on the battlefield.

I've run carrying a 230 lb teammate on my back during rugby training (I weighed 145 at the time).

It's possible...but I wouldn't have wanted to have people shooting at me while I did it.

	09-04-2003 09:24									#12
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I noticed that too, though that link Calc II provided refuses not to open right now. They looked a lot like light bazookas (I don't you US equivalent for it, something simular I think) that are disposable, and can be only used once. They weigh next to nothing and are easy to carry with you, so I'd reckon it is possible. Fast and easy to use and you can dump them after firing.. they are not very effective, but then again they can be used for various different things and they are light and cheap and good with skilled soldier. Don't know if this is the weapon in case.

What set of equipment does basic soldier carry in combat? They seemed to carry lots of stuff, I can't see much of a use for them in combat, but then again the pictures might have been from moving from point A to point B. So I'm looking for the very basic stuff in combat. Possible scenario would be camps around Bahgdad, what will they take with them when they are planning on coming back the same day? I'm interested in weaponry, so I'm not so interested about '2 cans of water, personal armour, helmet, boots'..

Assault rifle (M-16), knife, secondary weapon (beretta maybe?, or is it only for officers?), few hand granades.. and what? those light bazookas? claymores? basic explosives of what kind? How many magazines? Smoke granades (not exactly weapon but..). Does every man have some kind of light basic communication kit, or is it one man with radios on stuff per group?

Also, how much do they usually carry ammo with them, if they're not going on a spesific combat mission, but rather patrolling or moving to other places by foot, reckon missions etc where enemy contact is possible but not likely? What about when it's likely? 6 to 8 magazines?

	09-04-2003 09:26									#13
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can only be used once, can be broken into two, looks like bazzoka = SMAW

	09-04-2003 09:26									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Calc II http://www.hqmc.usmc.mil/factfile.n...0c?OpenDocument

Hmm.

quote: Inventory: 1364

I don't think everyone has one.

	09-04-2003 09:28									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Pekka They weigh next to nothing and are easy to carry with you

That's my problem with this. The "ready to fire" weight is 30 lbs. What else do you lose? Especially in the desert you need water, even if you're only away from your supply for an hour or two. Ammo is frigging heavy. Add body armor, com gear etc.

	09-04-2003 09:29									#16
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"Last updated 12/5/95"

	09-04-2003 09:29									#17
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quote: Originally posted by Frogger That's my problem with this. The "ready to fire" weight is 30 lbs. What else do you lose? Especially in the desert you need water, even if you're only away from your supply for an hour or two. Ammo is frigging heavy. Add body armor, com gear etc.

Carrying weight is about half that, though.

	09-04-2003 09:29									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Asher Hmm. quote: Inventory: 1364 I don't think everyone has one.

God. Are the US soldiers deliberately posing with those things? I've personally seen at least 20-30 different people carrying them on TV.

	09-04-2003 09:30									#19
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wether or not its a short mission, I think they have to carry rations as well.

	09-04-2003 09:30									#20
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quote: Originally posted by Asher Carrying weight is about half that, though.

That carrying weight means tha you don't have a rocket with you...

Unless you think it magically gains weight when you put it together?

	09-04-2003 09:32									#21
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quote: Originally posted by Frogger That carrying weight means tha you don't have a rocket with you... Unless you think it magically gains weight when you put it together?

Well, true.
I'd assumed the ammo would be in their humvee in crate type things mostly.

	09-04-2003 09:33									#22
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quote: Originally posted by Frogger God. Are the US soldiers deliberately posing with those things? I've personally seen at least 20-30 different people carrying them on TV.

Most likely supply increased within 8 years and there arent many marines to be assigned this weapon. (how many marines are in frontline Iraq? less than 10,000? if so 5000 would mean 1/2 has it)

	09-04-2003 09:35									#23
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30lbs? Heavier than I remembered then.. or then the one I was thinking is actually a lot lighter, in 'ready-to-fire' mode. Oh well..
Anyway that is too much for everyone to carry, maybe every third man or so would be better? But then again I don't know the weight of basic combat gear so.. but I'd think it's around 70 pounds max, 50 pounds preferred?
But that would be the minimum gear, only necessary things with you (and dumping the body armour).

	09-04-2003 09:35									#24
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quote: Originally posted by Calc II Most likely supply increased within 8 years and there arent many marines to be assigned this weapon. (how many marines are in frontline Iraq? less than 10,000? if so 5000 would mean 1/2 has it)

I thought there were ~20K in the Iraq frontlines. Dunno though.

	09-04-2003 09:35									#25
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quote: Originally posted by Asher Well, true. I'd assumed the ammo would be in their humvee in crate type things mostly.

Why not just carry the launchers in the humvee then? Better there than taking up space on your rifleman's back.

	09-04-2003 09:37									#26
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quote: Originally posted by Frogger Why not just carry the launchers in the humvee then? Better there than taking up space on your rifleman's back.

I dunno, are the launchers hard to store?

I think there's a reason they defined it as "carrying weight" and "ready to fire" rather than "empty" and "loaded".

I believe you don't actually load these things until you want to fire, you don't carry it around loaded.

	09-04-2003 09:37									#27
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quote: Originally posted by Pekka 30lbs? Heavier than I remembered then.. or then the one I was thinking is actually a lot lighter, in 'ready-to-fire' mode. Oh well.. Anyway that is too much for everyone to carry, maybe every third man or so would be better? But then again I don't know the weight of basic combat gear so.. but I'd think it's around 70 pounds max, 50 pounds preferred? But that would be the minimum gear, only necessary things with you (and dumping the body armour).

50 lbs. is light.

IIRC "light infantry" get 65 lbs or so, and they're expected to be highly mobile. A MGer in a standard unit carries ~90lbs IIRC, and everybody else has 10 lbs less or so.

Those numbers are all vaguely remembered. Not quite pulled out of my ass, but almost.

	09-04-2003 09:39									#28
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quote: Originally posted by Asher I dunno, are the launchers hard to store? I think there's a reason they defined it as "carrying weight" and "ready to fire" rather than "empty" and "loaded". I believe you don't actually load these things until you want to fire, you don't carry it around loaded.

I really don't see having people cart around weapons for which they need to go back to a vehicle to get even 1 round.

Plain stupidity, even for a gov't operation. Any way I look at it, this seems strange.

	09-04-2003 09:40									#29
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Ok.. sounds reasonable. 90lbs is getting a little heavy in stripped down combat gear though..

	09-04-2003 09:41									#30
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quote: Originally posted by Frogger I really don't see having people cart around weapons for which they need to go back to a vehicle to get even 1 round. Plain stupidity, even for a gov't operation. Any way I look at it, this seems strange.

Maybe, I don't recall seeing too many of these on TV though.