Re: Scouts

At 11:45 AM -0400 8/13/02, kaladorn@magma.ca wrote:
>I'm interested by the suggestion scouts need armour. I can see this
>versus small arms, but since pretty much every infantry force in DS
>terms (and in SG often) bears either IAVRs, GMS/P, GMS/L or a
>combination of the above (and some have APSWs), I don't think armour
>1 or even armour 2 scouts are protected that well.
>Ferrets/Dingos/Scimitars/etc.... they might stop small arms, but they
>won't stop an IAVR or GMS/P.

Its a question of being so vulnerable that even a guy with a machine 
gun can fire at you from a pretty good distance. IAVRs, well, you've 
got to be 400 meters (4") for those to be a problem. GMS's well, 
there are far fewer of those out there. And they have to get through 
your ECM. With a size one and really good ECM, a scout vehicle is 
going to be a tough target. Getting them to shoot a little bit isn't 
always bad. It reveals their position.
>

snip

>Don't give them anti-armour capability - you don't want to encourage
>them to try to take on tanks. Don't give them heavier weapons than
>self-defense ones to engage infantry. Their purpose is to see the
>enemy and not be seen, to call arty or air assets into play, to
>execute sniper missions against enemy personel and equipment, etc.

Well, one of the roles of scouts is sometimes anti-scouting. Or 
counte-recce. You want them to be able to ambush the red force scouts 
so you have to give them something more. In a heavy force, it really 
makes sense as then you can always have a detachment of tanks backing 
them up if they really need support.

>Their light size/capability also reduces the odds of them being used
>as a "commander's guard".

It also makes it harder for them to do their job in the first place. 
Training is a far better means of preventing bad use of equipment 
than hamstringing the equipment. After all, they've got their asses 
hanging out in the wind for all of red force to shoot at. They've got 
to have some capability. I prefer a light heavy format so that the 
really small light stuff can search and spot with out being seen with 
a slightly larger vehicle to help fight when things go into the 
toilet.

-- 
--
Ryan Gill	       rmgill@SPAMmindspring.com
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