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Re: do GMS/P troopers carry ARs?

From: Michael Sarno <msarno@p...>
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 10:28:49 -0500
Subject: Re: do GMS/P troopers carry ARs?



Los wrote:

> > Especially since the weapon might petulantly refuse to recognise
your
> > thumbprint or retina pattern as an authorised user, and won't fire
at
> > all.
> >
>
> I don't think that would be an issue, a military weapon that would
only fire for
> one guy would be pretty useless in military terms. I'm sure there
would be some
> sort of "group ID" or user access list genned up for the squad platoon
whatever,
> else it would be more a hinderance than an assett.

    At least, this will be the case.  More likely though, military
weapons won't have
any of these authorization features.  In combat, there are just too many
things that
could go wrong with the system and then you're left with a very heavy,
expensive
club. <g>  Checking for thumbprints and retina patterns would get in the
way of
grunts wearing gloves or even sunglasses/goggles.  It might apply to
some
backgrounds, sure, but that's more a matter of whether or not it's
possible to
interchange weapons, and not the time/actions argument.

> > I can easily imagine many otherwise low-tech weapons in
low-intensity
> > conflicts that have some sort of personal IFF embedded in them.
Reason
> > being that the main source of weapons for guerillas is often the
other
> > side, either captured or bought from unscrupulous supply sergeants.
This
> > would cause some disadvantage, as personal weapons are just that -
> > personal. But the advantages could outweigh the costs.
>
> I guess the Gs would need to hack the access code, or  or have some
capability to
> disarm it. The whole idea of personal  IFF to slave a weapon to any
one
> individual sounds nice for civilian use but has somehwat limited use
in military
> operations where the key watchword has always been and will always
remain
> "contingency."

    I'd have to agree.	It would seem that the best security against
unauthorized
usage would be to make sure that possession of the weapon is simply
denied to
unauthorized users.

> I'd more concerned with making sure my force stay viable than I am
> worrying about G's grabbing our weapons, and there are probably other
work
> arounds for that such as some sort of god signal to self destruct
weapons left
> behind ala sportytspam's idea. (though that leads to all kinds of
other
> interesting "hacker" possibbilities.

    Indeed, the destruct codes would then be the ultimate power in the
galaxy. <g>

-Mike

--
Michael Sarno

http://vietnam.isonfire.com
Check out the Charlie Company Discussion Group:
Info, resources, and links for RAFM's miniatures
skirmish wargame of infantry combat in Vietnam 1965-1972

"Tradition refuses to submit to the small and
 arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen
 to be walking about."
 -G.K. Chesterton

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