Stargrunt for beginners ?

Hello everybody

A question to those with more 'grunt experience than me.

Two wargaming friends of mine, Chris and Robert are interested in
Stargrunt and we wanted to do a first game this weekend. Both are
experienced gamers in other periods.

Chris has been busy painting up a platoon of Hobby Products SF
fighters, which he describes as follows:

> By looking at the figures:
> Light: (Body Armor, Respirator Packs)
>
> 7 w/Assault Rifles (of these 1 also has a grenade launcher, 1 has a
film
> camera (news crew?), 2 have data pads (officers), 1 is a woman)
> 2 w/flame throwers
> 3 w/laser rifles (or rail guns, plasma guns whatever fits your
genre)
> 3 w/extra-heavy laser rifles
>
> Heavy (Power Armor)
>
> 2 w/assault rifles (1 with grenade launcher)
> 1 w/heavy laser
> 1 w/automatic grenade launcher

> I thought about dividing them into three squads (2 light and 1 heavy
with
> a support vehicle):
>
> Light Squad 1: 3 Assault Rifles, 1 Lasers, 1 Heavy Laser, 1 Flame
> Light Squad 2: 3 Assault Rifles, 1 Lasers, 1 Heavy Laser, 1 Flame
> Heavy Squad 3: 2 Assault Rifles, 1 Heavy Laser, 1 Auto-Grenade
> Command Section: 1 Assault Rifle, 1 Laser, 1 Heavy Laser

This seems a reasonable organisation to me. Or would you suggest a
different, better organisation, GIVEN THE FIGURES ?

I wanted to suggest the following data values:
Regular quality, veteran for the power armour guys.
Assault rifle: FP2	IMP D10
Laser: FP D12 IMP D8
Heavy Laser: FP D12 IMP D8*

The figure with the camera could be a scout with an advanced sensor,
the data pad guy EW troopers. Does having 2 EW troopers make sense
against the opposition (see below) ?

Robert would use my Mercenary platoon:

Standard weapon is combat rifle FP2 IMP D10. 

Platoon HQ squad: 
5 soldiers: Platoon leader, medic, sniper with laser rifle, two
soldiers, Aided sensors (D6), Light combat armour D6.
1st "Regular" squad: 
8 soldiers, Hand-held grenade launcher, SAW; Light combat armour D6. 
2nd Regular squad:
9 soldiers, IAVR rocket, rotary SAW, No armour - D4 
Merc squad:
10 Soldiers, incl.medic, SAW, two Marksmen. No armour - D4 

I plan for a simple encounter fight in fairly close terrain - brush and
hills. No higher-level assets, artillery etc.
Would these forces be reasonably balanced ? 
Or should the mercenaries be given extra advantages - defensive
position, more snipers (I can re-define 2 of them to snipers) ?.

Chris is also working an a small support vehicle, a glider with a small
cannon. If he gets this finished, any suggestions for balancing it ?

Greetings