Motorised infantry

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Motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured half-tracks or armoured personnel carriers.

Motorising infantry is the first stage towards the mechanisation of an army. Civilian trucks and lorries are readily adaptable to military uses of transporting soldiers, towing guns, and carrying equipment and supplies. This greatly increases the strategic mobility of infantry units, which would otherwise rely on marches or railroads.

Motorisation provides no direct tactical advantage in combat, because trucks and jeeps are vulnerable to artillery and small arms fire. For winter and mountain use, light tracked vehicles were employed, the Swedish made Snow Trac and Bv202 both found service with the British military. But it does increase the infantry's flexibility, because motorized elements can travel with their own integral support weapons (heavy machine guns, mortars and artillery, anti-tank weapons, etc.).

The disadvantages of motorisation is that the formation becomes dependent on supplies of fuel.

The speed advantages of motorised infantry first became important in WW2 in the German Blitzkrieg. While in combat effectiveness not more robust than regular infantry (which was foot infantry), its speed component became decisive in the Blitzkrieg strategy, because it could follow the panzer forces and defend its flanks.

Currently in the post-Cold War world, motorisation of infantry is becoming more popular since humanitarian deployments are more prevalent with troops acting as quasi-police units. There is also a trend for motorised infantry to be up-armoured due to the experience of the post-invasion of Iraq.

Indian Army Motorised Battalions. The first Indian Army motorised infantry battalion was raised on conversion of the 17th Battalion The Grenadiers Regiment which was a Camel mounted unit, after 1971 Indo-Pak war.

[edit] See also

• Tank desant