[GZG] Re: RE: 'Realistic' Mercenary TO&E

Hi Eli,

You could look at recent mercenary operations on Earth from the '80's
onward 
for some ideas.  I posted details on a book I had read on modern
mercenaries 
a couple of months back, one of the operations looked at was Sandlines
(?) 
ops in West Africa/Ivory Coast.

Basically, the unit deployed (battalion + from memory) had its own
freighter 
to carry heavy gear (how this was hired was not gone into but one
assumes 
the local government footed the bill - they were paying in mineral 
concessions to a holding company which just happened to be part of the
same 
organization the 'security' company belonged to so one of the 1st
missions 
the mercs had was to drive out the rebels holding the concession!  The
mercs 
seemed to have transport helicopters and limited gunship helicopter
support 
as part of their own TO&E, but they also subcontracted a fighter
aircraft 
unit for air support.  This aircraft unit was Ukrainian and had just 
finished a tour under contract for Eritrea!  Whether the Ukrainians were

still serving members of the Ukrainian military or on 'leave' wasn't
stated 
in the book.

Reminds me that NZ defense force personal during the late 70's and early

80's sometimes went on extended 'leave' or 'resigned' briefly and then
would 
pop up in places like Rhodesia for a period of time, before suddenly 
reappearing in the NZ army.  Wasn't official policy but served to keep a

cadre of combat vets on the books, one assumes.

In a time of not-war between the NAC and ESU, for instance, and given
that 
star travel is reasonably affordable, I would suspect there would
possibly 
be any number of dirty little bush wars going on, and any number of 
reservists, holidaying regulars and wannabes available for hire.

In times of peace, militaries get down sized.  If someone with an inside

line (a lot of ex US army senior officers became security consultants
during 
the 90's) can locate bored, experienced soldiers, and arrange for some
kit 
to become army surplus, then you have the makings of a little private
army 
(like the Contras) that can be used to advance foreign policy in a
deniable 
way.

For other Star Merc fiction, check out the early Dorsai books by Gordon
R. 
Dickson - 'Dorsai!', 'Lost Dorsai', 'Tactics of Mistake', and 'Soldier,
Ask 
Not'.  The latter has a fair bit on the Friendlies, lowish tech, wall of

crap, troops from worlds where the major export was cannon fodder.

I've used a load of Eureka Miniatures 15mm WWII Chinese as ESU
militia/line 
troops.  They look sufficiently different for people not to get hung up
on 
the 'but they look like Germans/Russians/whatever' thing.  They mix well

with Afrika Korp HMGs (I modded the MGs a bit, adding a big drum power 
pack/magazine thing) as the Chinese HMGs look too like WWI Vickers.  The

submachine gunners look a bit like they're armed with some sort of
bullpup 
type weapon, so that was good.
Regards

David
>
<snip>
> I've actually been eyeballing some Peter Pig WW2 Germans as potential 
> sci-fi
> troops.  MP44s work for ARs.	Panzerfausts make good buzzbomb rockets
and
> panzerschreks can be worked in as guided missiles.  Throw in MG
gunners
> porting their guns and SAWs.	I'm even looking at using Early War 
> anti-tank
> rifles as sniper weapons.

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