From: Glenn M Wilson <triphibious@j...>
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 12:02:40 EDT
Subject: Part 2B of Why...
Again - 2) You want an effective Anti-Infantry weapon that reaches beyond the 12" range of the APSW and preferably out to if not past the 36" of the infantry carried GMS/L. Okay, this was the original starting point for my analysis so it got the lion's share of the thinking - Very quickly the number of weapons possible were limited to the following NO HKP - not useful against Infantry No HVC - size 3 might have value but it was outside the original question parameters. No RFAC 'main guns' considered since I do not have any nations using RFAC as Main Guns. Certainly possible for a light Size 2 AFV to use (turreted RFAC/2 and a GMS/H) but no one in my group of nations does. Okay, You use HEL's - Hmm, you get 36" range and two Yellow chits already what could improve you Anti-Infantry value? Well no size 1 or 2 CoAx guns are going to increase you range (although Size 3 CoAx MDC will equal it at 36" but that again is outside the parameters of the original question) but what about damage chits? The first thought I had was DFFG (3 Red chits are approaching almost as powerful as an APSW 's 3 chits) but there is the issue of range (8' of the size 1 is less then an APSW and size 2 only equals that range) so that is not any better versus infantry then an APSW (Note a size 3 DFFG *does* reach infantry at 16" with 3 Red chits but that only seems marginally better then the 36 inch/2 chits of the main gun HEL itself or an APSW's 12" and any 3 numerical chits. And uses those 6 capacity points too. And is outside the original parameters) How about MDC CoAx? Size 1 - (24/16/8 range) and two (R+Y) chits - No... Well maybe... No. Too close. Not better enough (16" compared to 12" range) then the APSW (at 2 R+Y chits to 3 chits.) Size 2 - (36/24/12 range) and two (R+Y) chits - okay reasonable range and reasonable if weaker chits. Okay, this will work for this application. But between the 24" and 36" range you are back to the Main Gun... and at 12" you fall back on the Old Venerable APSW. What about if you have DFFG main guns? You already get 3 chits (red) at medium range so what CoAx could improve your anti-infantry fire power? Well, HEL's will give you 36" range - exceeds any size DFFG for anti-infantry fire and equals the range against a GMS/L. Only two chits (yellow) but you are trading for that range. The best any DFFG can do (at size 5) is 24". This seems to meet your improved anti-infantry need. MDC/1 also only goes to 16" for infantry targets and it gets only 2 yellow chits. No. MDC/2 also only goes to 24" for infantry targets (better then size 3/4 DFFG I admit) and it gets only 2 yellow chits. A weak Maybe. Although it exceeds the size 3 (16" range) and the Size 4 (20" range) reach it drops off in damage (2 Yellow chits versus 3 Red chits) - YMMV. MDC/3 would be better but (again) it was outside the original CoAx size parameter under consideration. I especially liked the Light Recon Size 2 AFV with a DFFG/2 Main Gun for close up work and a Size 2 HEL CoAx for LR 'sniping' work and anti-infantry use. Cheap, good for screening, capable of killing infantry at 36" and useful for hunting APC's attempting an assault. What about the HKP armed AFV? Well, a HKP equipped with a size 1 (or 2) HEL CoAx mounted had essentially the same analysis as a DFFG equipped AFV. The CoAx HEL (size 1 or 2) was not exceeded or equaled in range by a MDC (Size 1 or two) and the chit draw (2 Yellow) was unchanged. The DFFG size 1 and 2 were too short in range to allow the 3 Red chits to make a significant difference, an APSW was better then the DFFG CoAx choices. The HEL was a good anti-infantry CoAx complement to the HKP main gun. What about MDC equipped AFV's? Well the Size 3 MDC has an anti-infantry range of 36" (2 yellow chits) that makes it equal to a coax HEL. The size 4 and 5 have ranges of 42" and 48" respectively with the same chits, which make them superior to the HEL CoAx. No need for a CoAx HEL on the larger AFV's armed with MDC/3, MDC/4 or MDC/5. A size 2 AFV with an MDC/2 and a CoAx HEL/2 would be a comparable model to the DFFG Light Recon vehicle above with better range for the main gun (36" versus 18") and the HEl/2's would be equal in anti-infantry work. What about DFFG Coax? Well the range is pretty short and an APSW would be cheaper in capacity points and have better chits. 3) You have a short range and effective Anti-AFV weapon but you want a "sniper" gun for longer range shots at light vehicles, "TOW-Trucks" (class 1/2 and soft skinned vehicles armed with GMS/H's,) and scout/observer vehicles beyond main gun range calling down the Arty fire. This is generally a matter of DFFG using nations since Nations using primarily HVC, RFAC and (lesser?) HKP weapons will be using CFE or maybe HMT power plants. Else they would be considering the MDC if they used FGP's. Although a HEL/1 is certainly a viable option for them as I hope to discuss later. See part 2C Gracias,