Battlemech Brigade in SLDF Jump Divisions

[Generalstoner]

The SLDF book states that a brigade of battlemechs is assigned to a jump infantry division.  What kind of mechs are these?

Literature out there says mechs like the Hoplite, Hussar and Thorn all supported the grunt infantry divisions.

My vote are for jump capable striker mechs.  I really can not see heavy or assault mechs assigned to the division save maybe something fast like a Lancelot.

[paladin2019]

I'd posit two Striker and one Battle regiment. Modern US deployments have tended to reinforce airborne brigade combat teams (an element an echelon smaller than an SLDF brigade) with a combined arms battalion (2 tank and 2 mech infantry companies) whenever possible. Some things still need a "tank".

[Metallgewitter]

The first thing that comes to mind would be Mechs like the Lynx or Phoenix Hawk. Fast and jump capable and in case of the Lynx packing a punch for shock effect. And of course don't forget the LAM Mechs. I would suspect they make great additions to Jumpinfantry divisions which are in essence the shock troops of the SLDF

[Liam's Ghost]

The thing to consider is what the jump infantry are supposed to be doing, and what they conceivably can bring along with them. I'm away from my books (or rather the computer where my books live) at the moment, but I seem to recall that Jump infantry tend to be first wave assault troops.

So I would assume they'd be equipped accordingly for such an operation. Now a jump infantry division doesn't have the logistical limitations of a real world airborne division, so if the SLDF had any sense, they'd exploit that aggressively. So I'd expect a heavy assault regiment, maybe entire battalions of Highlanders. Something to drop with the first wave troops and secure the landing zone good and tight. 

Assuming a jump infantry division also has transports to fill the air cavalry role, you might want a striker regiment (if I'm greedy I might ask for a pure LAM regiment) to serve as escorts and heavy cavalry support.

And then just a boring ordinary regiment to do all the ordinary mech regiment things.

Making all of the mechs jump capable is probably not essential in most cases, but if the command is constantly being sent into difficult terrain because its jump infantry can navigate jungles easier, it might be advisable.

[Alan Grant]

Jump Infantry Divisions weren't really seen as assault troops, as in kick in the front door on the most heavily defended worlds in the in human space. So a slow heavy assault regiment doesn't make a lot of sense here.

They were often seen as a strategic resource, often attached to Corps HQs, and they were deployed when speed and/or surprise were the primary factors. Think rapid reaction force. Good for reaching a particular spot quickly, or intercepting a fast moving enemy. Or achieving any mission really through speed and surprise. But they weren't renowned for their tremendous firepower.

Jump Infantry Regiments in the SLDF were often regarded as airmobile or semi-airborne units. They often had their own organic transports and tilt-rotor or VTOL transports for strategic movement. Those Jump Infantry Divisions also had 2 ground aero wings instead of 1, and that was to help offset the Division's lesser firepower.

So think lighter, faster, jump capable. My default thinking was always light to mediums. But if there is a 'mech that does push those qualities (speed, jump capable) to a higher degree in a heavier frame it can probably work in this kind of division.

Skimming through FM: SLDF, the 148th Jump Infantry Division is specifically called out as having all Light Horse and jump capable mech units. Another division was slowly replacing its second ASF wing with LAMs. Another Division, the 123rd, notes a recently deployment of one of their jump infantry brigades and their attached company of LAMs to intercept and destroy some pirates. The 101st Division's 1011 BattleMech Brigade are experts in combat drops.

The 189th Royal Jump Infantry Division sounds the most like an assault unit. They specialize in city assaults. Their jump infantry hop from building to building, scouting and bypassing enemy concentrations and letting their BattleMechs take them on. That Division sounds like it could have some heavier 'mechs.

The 116th Jump Infantry Division fights in deserts and likes to use their jet packs and the jump jets on their BattleMechs to kick up a up of dust to hide their movements.

The 92nd Jump Infantry Division is interesting. In a recent exercise against the 55th Mechanized Infantry Division, instead of a jump deployment, they ran more of a standard overland deployment with BattleMechs leading the way. The BattleMechs launched a frontal assault. The jump infantry engaging in hit and run attacks against mechanized infantry, which left the enemy confused and unable to respond.  This led to a surprise victory in a major training exercise that caused the command staff of the 55th to be replaced.

I think that does a good job of describing what is common for these Divisions in terms of on-paper doctrine and what's common. By providing an example of such a unit flipping the script and doing something completely unexpected.

Several jump infantry divisions have in their fluff stories about them responding to a terrorist cell or terrorist activity, or being the unit to respond when criminals taking a VIP or group of VIPs hostage (like a planetary leader or noble). Or being the unit called upon when the SLDF cracks down on some criminal activity. As well as fast response to pirates.

But the general vibe you get, reading unit after unit, is that they are the crisis response unit, rapid deployment unit, and strategic reserve within their Corps. Some version is this language comes up repeatedly.

[truetanker]

I'd assign something that can be used as both fire support and direct.

For me, a Company should have 2 Lances Combat and a Support element, but each to their own.

Homogenous Lances were the norm for SLDF, I'd use Wyverns with Dervish mechs.

But mostly, I'd say massive quantity usage of Sentinels.

Lots of them... so much in fact I'd use them exclusively, giving them the Hoplite-4A as support.

A wall of Dakka-Dakka...

TT

[Iron Grenadier]

I might be completely wrong, but I thought I had read something about it being a brigade of light mechs. Again not sure, maybe it was a particular unit.

[2ndAcr]

 Regular Infantry Divisions are equipped with a light mech brigade. Stated in SLDF Field Manual page 13.

 For a Jump Infantry Division, I could see the Mech Brigade equipped with possibly 1-2 Striker Regiments and a Battle Regiment for extra staying power. 5/8 minimum speed, all jump capable. The Division Command Mech Battalion I could see being jump capable assault sized formation. Danged if I can find it, but IIRC, most Infantry Brigades also had a Mech Battalion assigned to each also. I could see those being fast jump capable or even LAM's to keep up with the VTOL transports within the individual brigade for immediate support.

 Standard SLDF was same type at company level. But a Battalion could be mixed. Mainly independent Regiments or the SAS got lance level types or mixed lances due to the "special" needs they might encounter.

[Hellraiser]

I might be completely wrong, but I thought I had read something about it being a brigade of light mechs. Again not sure, maybe it was a particular unit. 

Regular Infantry Divisions are equipped with a light mech brigade. Stated in SLDF Field Manual page 13.

 For a Jump Infantry Division, I could see the Mech Brigade equipped with possibly 1-2 Striker Regiments and a Battle Regiment for extra staying power. 5/8 minimum speed, all jump capable. The Division Command Mech Battalion I could see being jump capable assault sized formation. Danged if I can find it, but IIRC, most Infantry Brigades also had a Mech Battalion assigned to each also. I could see those being fast jump capable or even LAM's to keep up with the VTOL transports within the individual brigade for immediate support.

 Standard SLDF was same type at company level. But a Battalion could be mixed. Mainly independent Regiments or the SAS got lance level types or mixed lances due to the "special" needs they might encounter.

My hard drive got corrupted so I don't have my FM:SLDF to verify the above.

That said, it sounds like there are a couple things blended here.

1.  Per the OG SLSB each Infantry BRIGADE was assigned 1 BATTALION of LIGHT Mechs.

2.  I seem to recall from the FM-SLDF that one of the Divisions I was researching (Mechanized Infantry) mentioned that the Mech BRIGADE had lots of "Panthers, Hunchbacks, & Locusts"   At least I think it said that.
IIRC that unit was 70th ID & the Mech Brigade was 701st Brigade w/ 3 Strike Regiments. 

3.  I can't imagine THAT many Light Mechs if every single Infantry Division supported nothing but Light Mechs.
That wouldn't be a very good break down of forces at all.

4.  A Jump Infantry Division is going to have a minimum of.....
1 HQ Mech Battalion  (Medium)
2 Light Mech Battalions  (Light)
3 Regiments of Mechs  (Striker?)

That's 4 regiments of mechs not counting any in the Recon Unit on the TO&E which for some reason I thought had some LAMs from the OG SLSB.

I wouldn't say that 100% of mechs in a JID are Jump Capable or that they are all Lights.
But, I probably would say something like, "Not a single unit slower than 4/6/0 or over 80 tons"   (Victor would be top end IMHO)

Instead of the typical 30-40-20-10 3rd SW Split..... Or a theorized 17-33-33-17 SLDF split (assuming all regiments are equal in # & 50/50 in size split)......
I'm probably think that a JID is something more like 40-50-10-0*    *(Or 9-1)
And over 50% JJ equipped mechs.