Brazilian Army Platoon Organisation for MINUSTAH (circa 2005)

[von Lucky]

I'm looking for assistance in putting together a force representing a typical Brazilian army platoon during it's mission in Haiti around 2005.

I don't speak/read Portuguese, so my googling is limited. What was/is a typical platoon/squad (Grupo de Combate?)/fireteam made up of (weapon types and number of bodies)?

They'll be riding in EE-11 Urutus (I have 8 ), so it's from a few years ago (2004 - 2015). I have plenty of infantry, just need to know how I'm going to base them and arm them.

Thanks in advance (this'll be for Team Yankee games).

[carlos marighela]

Off to work but I'll dig out the organisation when I get home. Remind me if I forget. Essentially the old is nine man squads with a GPMG or two at platoon level. There is a slght variation between the army and Fuzileiros Navais. In the past year a new rifle and the Minimi have both been introduced. I believe the org hasn't changed though.

[carlos marighela]

Quick break from the salt mine....

This is the old  army organisation, which I guess is what you are after.

The basic platoon (pelotão) is made up of a six man command element (grupo de comandante), three nine man squads/ sections (grupos de combate or GC) and a nine man support squad (grupo de apoio de fogo)

The command element consists of a lieutenant platoon commander, his sergeant 2IC; a corporal radio operator/ signaller; a sergeant observer and his corporal 2IC and a medic. All carry the Para FAL. The observer sergeant is principally there to asist in fire co-ordination with cpmpany and battalion fire support assets.
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The fire support group consists of  a sergeant squad leader, two machine gunners (corporals) with FN MAGs, 2 assistant MG gunners (spare barrel, ammo etc) and two AT gunners ( again corporals) and their two ammo carriers. All with FALs except for the MG gunners.

The infantry squad is made up of a sergeant squad leader and two fire teams (esquadras) each with a corporal fire team leader, a rifleman/ AT gunner with the AT-4, a grenadier and squad automatic gunner, with the FAP, the heavy barrel version of the FAL . Everyone apart from the SAW gunner has an FAL. The grenadier is/was nominally armed with a M-79, although at one earlier point I believe it was rifle grenades.

For the newly re-equipped units, the FALs are exchanged for the new IA2s, the FAPs for Minimis and the grenade launcher is the IA2 with under-slung 40mm GL.

The IA2 comes in two versions a 5.56mm version and a 7.62mm version. They have different operating systems and are basically different weapons. The 7.62mm version is for some specialised infantry as well as the dedicated marksman role.

That help?

[von Lucky]

Perfect! I owe you a beer.

Based on what I'm putting together, I'll be short an AT-4 or two, but in Haiti I guess they weren't really needed.

This also helps with the weapons (at 15mm I can easily file/scratchbuild as required):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_equipment_of_the_Brazilian_Army

[von Lucky]

(I can't help it, it's the German in me. Let me know if/what something needs correcting.)

The basic platoon (pelotão)

1 command element (grupo de comandante) (6 men)
1 lieutenant platoon commander w/ M964A1 ParaFAL
1 sergeant 2IC w/ M964A1 ParaFAL
1 corporal radio operator/signaller w/ M964A1 ParaFAL
1 sergeant observer w/ M964A1 ParaFAL
1 corporal observer 2IC w/ M964A1 ParaFAL
1 medic w/ M964A1 ParaFAL

The observer sergeant is principally there to assist in fire coordination with company and battalion fire support assets.

3 squads/sections (grupos de combate or GC) (9 men each)
1 sergeant squad leader w/ M964 FAL
2 fire teams (esquadras)
1 corporal fire team leader w/ M964 FAL
1 rifleman/AT gunner w/ M964 FAL & AT4
1 grenadier w/ M964 FAL & M79 grenade launcher
1 squad automatic gunner, w/ FN FAP

1 support squad (grupo de apoio de fogo) (9 men)
1 sergeant squad leader w/ M964 FAL
2 corporal machine gunners w/ FN MAG M971
2 assistant machine gunners (spare barrel, ammo etc) w/ M964 FAL
2 corporal AT gunners w/ M964 FAL & AT4
2 assistant AT gunners (ammo, etc) w/ M964 FAL

Newly re-equipped units exchange:
M964A1 ParaFAL & M964 FAL for IMBEL IA2
FN FAP for FN Minimi
M79 grenade launcher for IMBEL IA2 with M203 grenade launcher

The IMBEL IA2 comes in two versions: a 5.56mm version and a 7.62mm version. They have different operating systems and are basically different weapons. The 7.62mm version is for some specialised infantry as well as the dedicated marksman role.