The Black Watch(Royal Highland Regiment)

The Regiment's 81mm Mortar Platoon is also based at Dundee. With a maximum range of 5650m these Mortars are available at all times to provide fire support (OS) exactly where the Commanding Officer (CO) requires it, and at the time that the CO requires it. The Mortars are controlled from within Battle Group Headquarters (the Fire Support Co-Ordination Cell - FSCC) and the Mortar Platoon Commander can normally be found hanging onto the CO's shirt tails in BG TAC.

Although a Regular Unit would normally have a platoon with a minimum of nine barrels, our Regiment has only three. Our mission is to provide a pool of trained personnel to Regular Units at time of mobilisation. The platoon man not just a Mortar Section (the guys who fire the Mortar) but also a full FSCC and two MFC Parties consisting of a Sergeant (Alpha MFC) and a Corporal (Bravo MFC). The MFC parties are farmed out to the Rifle Companies of the Battle Group, and are tasked with advising the Company Commander how best to utilise the Mortars in support of his particular mission. The Alpha MFC is normally found in Coy TAC (Tactical Headquarters), whilst the Bravo MFC can be located either in an anchor OP (static position, observing a given area) or with one of the forward Rifle Platoons, dependant on the phase of operation.

The Anti-Tank platoon is based in Forfar and currently use the MILAN weapons system which is a wire guided missile with a range of 1950m. The MILAN missile will penetrate the armour of most MBT's (Main Battle Tanks) - although as technology advances this statement is becoming less true. The missile will not however penetrate the frontal armour of modern AFV's, and therefore one of the main planning headaches for commanders is ensuring that fire from a defilade position can be achieved.

The platoon is organized into 2 sections of two firing posts. Each Section is commanded by a Sergeant and each firing post (or Det) is crewed by a three man team under a Corporal. The platoon is normally commanded by a Captain who can be found either in BG TAC or the FSCC (Fire Support Co-Ordination Cell).

This is arguably the senior fire support command as the platoon commander is responsible for the construction of the Battle Group Anti-Armour plan. He is the main player in fire support co-ordination as each of the other support platoons position's and plans will be dictated by the positioning of the Armoured Killing Areas.

MILAN plays an important part in BG dispositions, not only due to it's Anti-Armour role, but also the thermal imaging capabilities of it's MIRA (Milan Infra-Ref Attachment) sighting system. MIRA is a major component of the STAP (Surveillance and Target Acquisition Plan).

Although not normally part of a Manouvre Support Company Group, A Company has two Rifle Platoons as part of its ORBAT. The Rifle Platoon is the basic infantry organizational component - these are the guys that fix bayonets and engage the enemy at short range. Our platoons follow the standard organisation of three eight man rifle sections under the command of a junior officer (Lieutenant). Soldiers who complete recruit training are normally posted to the Rifle Platoon first in order to allow them to build on their basic training, and learn the job of an infantryman fully.

On mobilization, the Rifle platoons will be detached from the Manouvre Support Company and blistered onto Rifle Companies. Their current attachment to MS Coy is a Territorial Army anomaly, and exists purely to allow manpower to be trained in the vital basic skills of soldiering.