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Scouts and drone/robot disabling

From: kaladorn@m...
Date: Thu, 8 Aug 2002 09:23:38 -0400
Subject: Scouts and drone/robot disabling

Beth mentioned that it is hard to generate an EMP. I'd agree that OO 
knows his stuff, but I've seen an EMD (Electromagnetic disabler) 
which is a sort of EMP mine used to take out car engines during high 
speed chases. It generates enough of an EMP that it just kills the 
car engine BANG! And does so from the ground underneath. Now, that's 
_nearly_ a contact mine. It could be for disabling robots. Generating 
an EMP that carries is probably tougher as I suspect the energy of 
the pulse wavefront probably declines as a squared or cubic function 
of radius. So, I think it probably IS portable to make EMP mines for 
killing ground vehicles or robots, and is very HARD to make airborne 
EMP weapons (that are non-nuclear).

Re: Scouts
The Canadian tracked ARV is the Lynx. Like a flattened out 113 with 
some sensors and only an HMG I think. But in the other kinds of 
armoured formations, they're using the 8x8 Coyote (think LAV-III but 
made with a heavy duty sensor suite that has some impressive range 
but retains IIRC the autocannon and MG). (all from memory, might not 
be quite right). 

To my mind, scouts have to be able to scout from the vehicle and on 
foot (urban areas favour foot movements of small units), have to be 
capable of calling artillery/ortillery/air assets, should be capable 
of limited offensive operations in a crunch (and diversions), and 
must be capable of fast movement. 

I think in DS2, fast (stealthed) tracked vehicles, high-mob 
(stealthed) wheeled vehicles, or grav vehicles (ACV being too noisy 
even with stealth IMO) would be the answer. 

And perhaps not all scouts are equal. Grav bike scouts work well over 
swamp, forest, and as an adjunct to infantry (light horse!), but 
larger armoured scout vehicles have far better sensor suites and 
should have more weapon guidance options perhaps. Maybe a scout 
platoon for a mechanized force should be more of the latter type, and 
one for a more traditional infantry force (or for a force designed to 
operate in jungle, swamp, or mountains) should be more likely made up 
of scout PA, small infantry walkers that can lie down (fold legs 
up?), and grav bikes.

Tomb. 

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