Re: [GZG] [OFFICIAL] Question: was Re: [SG3]: What if?

["K.H.Ranitzsch" <kh.ranitzsch@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ground Zero Games schrieb:
> Following on from last week's interesting discussions, I want to pose 
> a question to the list-mind; this is something that has already been 
> talked over on the test list, but I wanted to widen the discussion to 
> include everyone on the main list, especially those of you who have 
> done this stuff "for real".....
> 
> In reasonably open terrain, assuming clear lines of sight, do you 
> foresee the advance of INFANTRY weapons technology having much effect 
> on engagement ranges against personnel targets?

I doubt it. AFAIK the basic reason that engagement ranges agaisnt 
infantry are just a few hundred meters is that beyond that it is hard to 
  make out individual infantrymen clearly enough to shot at them, and 
suppressive fire beyond that range just scatters too much.

Existing rifles etc. all can shoot and do damage well beyond those few 
hundred meters. It is just that you can't hit much at that range.

In fact, the period when the longest engagement ranges were used was in 
the late 19th century up to WWI, when infantry still moved in fairly 
dense formations, walking upright. Such formations could be engaged at 
longer ranges (up to a 1000 m or so). After that, infantry learned to 
disperse.

What technology changes could increase engagement ranges ?

- better detection and aiming gear (better optics for everybody, 
surveillance drones with links to every squad or even every soldier etc.

- giving "everybody" indirect fire ability, e.g.by adding a light 
grenade thrower with sufficient range to every rifle - the US OICW was a 
step in this direction, but it had a fairly limited range.

These can be countered, of course - by better camouflage / stealth 
technology, electronic countermeasures, body armour for example.

As is often the case, these effects may well cancel out to a fair degree.

Greetings
Karl Heinz


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