GEVs: Engineering and Recovery

Posit a GEV or grav vehicle as an engineering vehicle for mobility
reasons. Then say "but how can it do what it needs to?"

Mine plow: Polarized Grav Field (Grav-Blade) (also works as standard
dozer blade and brushcutter)

Mine flail: Turbulent Bi-polar Grav Field (Grav-Flail) - alternating
waves of grav and anti-grav (jumping up then reducing the G forces) rip
up ground and detonate mines (or destroy them)

Towing: Big Grav or GEV hovercraft flatbed. Or auxilliary "gravity
effectuators" - grav modules that reduce the apparent mass of the thing
you are towing so towing it behind a GEV _is_ practical and so the
deceleration issue isn't as big. Also note that in this instance the
towing GEV wants to have "over-rated" fan systems.

Excavation: A combination of a turbulent grav field and a grav bucket.
Or a mundane bucket. Use the turbulent field to break up the ground and
the grav bucket (or conventional bucket) to move the earth. 

Tamping: Grav field enhancer - makes the ground self-tamping. 

As to the ubiquity of these grav modules: I believe that this would be
necessary to make non-mechanical engineering solutions for Grav and GEV
engineer or ARV vehicles. Also, with only a small number of them per
force (not every vehicle needs to be grav), then you have a much more
viable maintenance and cost issue. 

Also the whole mines vs. GEV thing. If you have mines with exposed
sensors (as opposed to buried pressure switches), then various anti
minefield techniques suggest themselves - Directed EMP attacks, laser
attacks, etc. Neutralize the sensor, perhaps neutralize the mine or
force it back onto an alternate pressure fusing. Which reduces the
problem to what it was before, and perhaps the GEV can pass. 

If you used some sort of an induction fuse, you'd need one mother of a
system to get enough induction feedback from a GEV a foot or three off
the ground, which should make the mines more easily detected and swept. 

Obviously, John is right in that there is a whole discipline of combat
engineering tied up here. However, I find it an interesting diversion to
discuss. Additionally, if a minefield is composed of a mix of types,
then sweeping operations require a mix of techniques to deal with them
but we're into paper-scissors-rock. My point is that most minefields can
be dealt with in one fashion or another if you have the right equipment
and the time and the trained personel. Short yourself on any of the
three, and your breaching operation becomes more... "exciting!". 

Perhaps two warring colonial governments only have cheap locally
produced mines with basic fusing types. One government secretly imports
a mercenary unit with higher tech (grav/GEV) and suddenly can penetrate
a bunch of minefields that would otherwise threaten normal wheeled or
tracked (locally produced) vehicles. There are a number of situations
where disparate technology could make for an interesting situation. 

BTW, I do disagree with John. The ESU have a range of classic tactics
that vary from "Take that objective to become a Hero of the Soviet
Union.... Or Be Shot!" to "Defend Mother Solar Union.... Or Be Shot!".
The ESU (and the IF) can still use wave attacks to good effect. Isn't
this why the BMP-60 has strong front armour and weak rear armour to
discourage cowardice in the face of the enemy? :)

And as to the Legion Etrange not being French... yes it has Foreigners.
But the Officers are trained at St. Cyr and are clearly as French as
they come. Plus in this last few decades, I think you'll find a fair few
French Nationals, along with other nations, in the ranks. I think the
"no questions asked" policy is more PR than fact - they do check out
prospective soldiers fairly carefully. 

Of course, in 2183, it would be to their advantage to allow a lot of
Colonials in and the change from Legion Etrange to Legion Etrange
Colonial clearly suggests that there might be a heavy non-French
population in the LE at that time. Although I'm still sure the officers
are mostly French. And that the regular French army despises them.