OBT Forum

Takiro - TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century  « on: September 13, 2009, 01:23:46 AM »

Okay gang the next phase of Threat Assessments 2785 is to detail the infantry of this time period. While the Nighthawk is out there and all sorts of specialized infantry exist what does the typical infantryman look like? What is he outfitted with? Weapons? Armor? Survival and Communication Gear? I'll have more details later I'm trying to do my research as I go here.   

Hessian Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century  « Reply #1 on: September 14, 2009, 05:21:19 PM »

I'd assume an infantryman's equipment consists of:
- a uniform appropriate for the climate and the surroundings it is used in
- sturdy boots
- a helmet
- a gas mask(perhaps even a protective suit)
- protective eyewear in the form of googles
- probably some kind of body armor(aka bullet resistant kevlar vests)
- an entrenching tool
- perhaps a small tent, but at least a sleeping bag
- basic medical supplies
- a few days food and water rations, the water perhaps as a camelbag
- a personal portable water filter
- basic communications gear(a small radio)
- a compass
- a rucksack to carry the equipment

- a combat knife that doubles as a bayonet
- the main weapon is probably some kind of assault rifle or perhaps a laser rifle  


That's all I can think of atm but there might be more

Ciao
Hessian

Takiro Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #2 on: September 14, 2009, 08:01:24 PM »

Thanks Hessian that is a good start indeed. I'm currently viewing all angles of the SL infantry trooper showed in SLSB. Hopefully I'll have some analysis soon.

Ice Hellion Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #3 on: September 15, 2009, 07:49:33 AM »

I think you have some info in TRO 3026.
I would not expect the "common" Terran Republic infantry to be less equipped than the SLDF one.
For special units with Nighthawk suits and so on, the problem is else.

If you have access to TRO 3026, it should give you information on field kits (survival, communication and medical) plus the standard SLDF weapon.

lrose Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #4 on: September 15, 2009, 11:18:43 AM »[/i][/u]

As Ice said the original TR3026 has a lot of good info-
equipment could include:
Ablative/Flak Vest or Suit
Night vision scope
Night Vision googles
Sniper scope
environmental suit and helmet (for hostile environment combat ops)
Field Kit- Pack, sleeping bag, heating tabs for good, utensils, matches/lighter, rope, survival knife, lantern, tent, stove, blankets, compass, etc.
Medical Kit
Flares
Smoke Grenades
Signal Mirror
Entrenching tool
webbing (for carrying all this gear)
Binoculars
motion/infrared sensors (more for scouts)
Gas Mask/Breathing units
Personal communicator

Rainbow 6 Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #5 on: September 15, 2009, 05:40:45 PM »

I seem to remember the original housebooks had some information on infantry kit.  

Takiro Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #6 on: September 15, 2009, 07:58:12 PM »

I was going through information in the old Sourcebooks today as well as what I had written for the Terran Republic in their FM. Not sure if I did anything for standard merc infantry?

Infantry Uniform (SLSB – 2780s –  page 111)
   Troopers in the Regular Army wore uniforms that seemed too light and thin for the battlefield. Gloves and standard-issue boots covered the cuffs of olive drab pants and shirt. A legless step-through jacket in standard camouflage fit over the shirt. The trooper's rank patch and unit insignia appeared on the shoulders of the jacket. A trooper wore a small backpack that carried a powerful battery for the soldier's laser weapon and the trooper's personal items. When the unit was traveling, the soldier's sleeping bag was tied to the bottom of the pack.
   The most obvious difference between the trooper of the Regular Army and the foot solder of today is the full helmet worn in the SLDF. From the few surviving specimens and from research, engineers have leaned that the helmet was a marvel of electronics and strength. The design provided an excellent field of vision for the soldier. The three panes of the visor were made of a secret polarizing, clear polymer that provided excellent protection against bullets and that turned to silver tone the instant it was hit with the light of a laser. Through voice commands to the internal computer, the trooper could switch to several modes of vision. Infrared allowed the soldier to see hidden heat sources, and EE (Electronic Emission) vision showed him the source of manmade electronics. The trooper also had sighting screens that projected on the visor of the helmet to help him aim.

Duty Uniforms (FM TR – 2785 – page 63)
   The everyday clothes of the Terran soldier have changed very little from the Star League’s standard field uniform. Just like dress uniforms they are divided into two different types that emphasize what branch of service the soldier is a part of rather than the individual’s rank.
   Troopers in the Terran Army still sport the olive drab pants and shirt of the Star League Regular Army. This light weight clothing is environmentally friendly and surprisingly durable thanks to advanced fabrics that seemingly adjust to various climates. Fitting over the olive drab shirt is a legless step-through jacket in standard camouflage. Appearing on the shoulders of this jacket is the soldiers rank. The Stars of the Republic appear on the left upper arm while the unit insignia appears on the right. Completing the look with standard issue gloves and boots is the helmet worn by the TRAS ground trooper. Many still retain the high tech Star League era defenses, visual enhancements, and integral communications that make these helmets far superior to their InnerSphere counterparts.

Infantry (HLSB – 3025 – page 74)
   Capellan infantry are denoted by their dark green uniforms reinforced by plasteel mesh arm and leg coverings. Insignia worn at the belt and along should and arms is typically a subdued green. Green shoulder packs with white shoulder straps are common, as are spare energy-weapon packs worn over the bottom half of the backpack. Each infantryman carries personal rations for two days, with additional stores maintained at the company level.
   In addition, each infantryman wears a standard protective helmet of plasteel reinforced by synthetic ceramic fibers, which provides good protection against enemy laser fire. Black, woven belts have pouches for carrying small arms ammunition, explosive clips, steel canteens, and mess kits.
   In Warrior House regiments, infantrymen also carry a personal katana blade (with which they are highly proficient), supported on a black sling worn over the right shoulder and attached to the waist belt. Officers likewise sport numerous dirks and throwing blades for use at close quarters. Warrior House troops are also denoted by dark green “flak jackets”, on which additional ordinance is typically carried.
   Rank insignia for all infantry is typically sewn on the lower arms and collar lapels, with name patches appearing on the right upper torso.

Conventional Troops (HMSB – 3025 – page 86)
   Artillery, armored vehicle crew, and infantry uniforms differ less between provinces than those of other branches of the military services. All such troops, regard-less of provincial affiliation, wear a full-length coverall covered by a combat vest, helmet, gloves, and boots. The outfit’s outer garments offer varying degrees of protection against enemy fire; the League Regular and Regulan troops wear full torso armor, while Marik, Andurien, and Oriente forces favor a hybrid that provides a triple layer of titanium around the shoulders and chest, combined with a much thinner layer of Kevlar around the lower torso and abdomen (substantially lowering the vest’s total weight and increasing the wearer’s mobility). The League-issue boots are made of leather or tharn-hide with thick rubber soles and extend almost to the knee; many models contain an ankle sheath for a dagger or throwing knife.
   Although lightweight and providing less protection than the helmets worn by Mechwarriors, the conventional helmet is still loaded with useful features. The chinstrap and side-panels contain short-range communication transmission and reception equipment, while the glare-reflective goggles contain infrared sights. The center stripe of the helmet is color-coded with the provincial affiliation of the unit: magenta for League units, deep purple for the Marik Commonwealth, yellow for Oriente, green for Andurien, and crimson for Regulus.  

lrose Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #7 on: September 15, 2009, 08:32:10 PM »

I expect that there would be a lot a variation between factions- I see the DC providing minimal equipment considering many of it's infantry to be canon fodder, while the FS with a higher regard for the soldiers might provide better armor/protection, while the LC having such wealth might have the best equipped infantry.  

You would probably also see variations based on tactics and roles- for example I think it in the TC you are more likely to find infantry with demolitions and such given the Concordat's use of irregular warfare tactics, while the DC and CC infantry may have a lot of anti-riot and crowd control equipment given their use to maintain order and control over the civilian populations.

Rainbow 6 Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #8 on: September 15, 2009, 08:37:26 PM »

From the 2 examples CCAF/FWLM its shows the tech availabilty of the 2 states very well.  

lrose Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #9 on: September 15, 2009, 09:22:25 PM »

HDSB has a bit on infantry uniforms (p. 131)- most notably that most soldiers wear a brown helmet, but some wear fabric caps and officers have "Comm-Gauntlets" thick steel and leather gloves that not only serve as weapons im jamd to hand combat but have com equipment built into them.  There are some good pics of what look to be infantry on pages 82 and 85.  

HSSB p. 111 shows a picture of an LCAF infantry soldier.  They appear to have a lot of gear.  P. 110 gives a description- they wear a combat vest over the uniform which provides protection and storage, as well as being a mounting point for a field pack or laser rifle battery. Also "with its ample supply of velcro strips, hookbars, eyes and straps, just about anything can be secured to the vest".  There is a belt for food, water & spare ammo and a holster for their side arm- usually a slug throwing pistol. The helmet is designed to defelct lasers shots and is coated with a shiny ablative material. It also has a thin layer of Plastisteel, integral comm sytems and a passive IR device for night vision.  Even with all this equipment it is quite light.

Takiro Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #10 on: September 16, 2009, 03:27:36 AM »

This does give a good look for 3025 not 2785 unfortunately. Certain improvements were no doubt lost or phased out but I will be copying the rest of the SB info from the other books to get a complete picture.  

Ice Hellion Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #11 on: September 16, 2009, 07:23:26 AM »

Maybe we could define what is the role of infantry in each State and consider what equipment they would be given to perform their tasks.

As for the mercenaries, there might be info in Field Manual Mercenary.

lrose Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #12 on: September 16, 2009, 10:11:32 AM »

Quote from: Takiro on September 16, 2009, 03:27:36 AM
This does give a good look for 3025 not 2785 unfortunately. Certain improvements were no doubt lost or phased out but I will be copying the rest of the SB info from the other books to get a complete picture.


But I don't think the Infantry suffered as significant losses in equipment as the other branches.  Yes some of it may be less advanced- a 2785 medkit is probably far more effective, but they still carry a medkit in 3025.  A 2785 com system may be smaller & lighter, but they still probably have a com system in 3025. They may carry a slug thrower instead of a laser, but they still have some sort of rifle, etc.  But it's not like the infantry had power armor and then lost it by 3025 (yes the SLDF had the Nighthawk but I am referring to the IS states here).  The main differences between 2785 and 3025 is the performance and weight of the equipment that is carried, not the actual type of equipment that is used.

Takiro Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #13 on: September 16, 2009, 04:24:32 PM »

Yeah I think your right Irose. Power packs for energy weapons would be less efficient. Anything else we are missing?

Conventional Troops (HKSB – 3025 – pdf page 128)
   Soldiers in the army’s conventional branches (infantry, armored vehicles, artillery, and so on) wear a rugged, full-length, light tan jump suit. On the chest of the suit is the soldier’s branch pin. Shoulder and elbow padding keep the soldier from hurting himself when he falls or crawls around, or when he carries a heavy weapon on his shoulder.
   The conventional hat has a short visor and ear flaps, which may be turned down during cold weather or fierce winds. Artillery personnel have extra insulation in the ear flaps to muffle the sound of Long Tom artillery.
   Many infantry units, especially those that use flamers, are issued helmets, gloves, and thick jerkins to protect them from blunt weapons and flamers.
   Vehicle personnel also receive jerkins, but there are designed to absorb shocks from bumping around inside a vehicle. In addition, their helmets are designed to prevent injury to the head. Both have cooling elements inside them that help keep the confined crew comfortable.
   Because the color of the uniform is important in recognizing the soldier’s branch, conventional soldiers are not issued camouflage uniforms. They must wear their tans while on arctic worlds and jungle worlds.

Infantry (HSSB – 3025 – pdf page 112)
   The LCAF infantry wear a standard field uniform, combat vest, and a helmet. The standard field uniform comes in six colors: white, black, Skye green, camouflage-vegetation, camouflage-urban, and the standard grey-green. In addition to helping the soldiers blend into their surroundings, the colors have a symbolic use. Any of the three Royal Guards units in the Triad on Tharkad wear a ceremonial white uniform. Guards at the Honor of Skye are from a Skye Rangers regiment and wear uniforms in the dark emerald green of Skye. In the Duke of Tamar’s palace, the guards are from an Arcturan Guards unit and wear black uniforms.
   The infantryman wears a combat vest over his uniform. The vest provides some protection to the wearer’s chest as well as providing pockets for storing various items. The vest’s main function is to provide a simple frame to which large and bulky objects, such as a standard field pack or the battery of a laser rifle, can be attached. With its ample supply of Velcro strips, hookbars, eyes, and straps, just about anything can be secured to the vest. Worn around the waist is a belt with pouches for carrying food, water, and space ammo as well as any other objects the solder needs. The belt also supports a holster for the trooper’s sidearm, which is usually a slug-throwing pistol.
   The design of the infantryman’s helmet is effective. It has no flat edges to catch laser beam fire and is covered with a layer of shiny ablative material. An enemy’s laser bolt will usually either ricochet off the helmet or be safely absorbed. Beneath the shiny exterior is a thin layer of plastisteel, a synthetic material of great strength and absorbency. Inside the helmt, there is plenty of room for communication equipment, as well as a passive IR device to provide night-sight for the soldier. For all the protection it provides, the helmet is quite light.
   Unit insignias have traditionally been riveted onto the sides of the soldier’s helmet. Recent studies indicate that placing the insignias there compromises the effectiveness of the helmet, and so soldiers have begun placing their unit patches on the sides of their backpack instead. The center panel of the helmets are color-coded to the various units, which constitutes an insignia.
   White is for members of the Royal Guards. Blue means the soldier is from either a Lyran Guards or Lyran Regular unit. Green is the color for soldiers attached to a Skye Rangers regiment. Plae grey means the soldier is from an Arcturan Guards unit. Yellow is reserved for infantry units attached to Winfield’s Brigade. Mercenary units usually wear unpainted, dull brown helmets.

lrose Re: TA 2785: Infantry of the 28th Century « Reply #14 on: September 16, 2009, 04:30:10 PM »

Quote from: Takiro on September 16, 2009, 04:24:32 PM
Yeah I think your right Irose. Power packs for energy weapons would be less efficient. Anything else we are missing?

Electronics may be less integrated- during the SL era you may have a helmet with coms, IR/Night Vision, Hud Display for electronic compass and map, etc.  In 3025 you probably still have all of those items but they may be individual devices.