Future Weapons: New Nastiness on now 1 a.m. PST DiscChan

[John Kettler]

Don't know whether the one tonight is new or a repeat, but it had (saw most of it earlier) some remarkable stuff, to include SMAW live fire of latest rounds,

a near zero frag shaped charge design with a magnesium liner which burns up the burster charge before it can even detonate. Great for defeating IEDs without creating huge messes and loads of additional damage! There was a high ROF .50 cal. semiautomatic sniper rifle AS-50, a super flail Aardvark4 AFV with spectacular mine detonation footage, and the Fire Scout autonomous recon/strike helicopter

(for your CM:SF marine module).

Regards,

John Kettler

[ January 16, 2007, 01:02 AM: Message edited by: John Kettler ]

[John Kettler]

The SMAW NE (New Explosive) was nothing short of awesome. In the live fire test, this enhanced blast, delay fuzed weapon easily punched right through the concrete cinderblock wall of typical two story Iraqi house, at about 3/4 door height for the ground floor, detonated deep within, and leveled the place. One shot! The entire structure's shattered remains (not a wall standing) were contained within a radius of 30m of the original house limits. Primary use appears to be countersniper in MOUT, with secondary capabilities against AFVs, bunkers, etc. Fuzing senses projectile motion; if insufficient following impact, the weapon detonates.

Another projectile in development

will substitute a rearward ejectable mass (Davies/Davis? gun principle) for the present highly detectable rocket plume. SMAW dev work also includes integrated laser sighting.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Peter Cairns]

John,

So if the sniper holds a family hostage, it's a half dozen dead civilians ( plus their neighbours) and another "American attrocity" story on every Arab TV.....

Yeah John,.... "awesome".

Peter.

[John Kettler]

Peter Cairns,

In the scenario described, the alternative is to send in grunts to clear the buildings, exposing them to potentially deadly CQB and/or boobytraps. The idea here was to not only take out the sniper/resistance center but remove the firing position as well, while limiting the destruction to a relatively small area when compared to ,say, bombing the house. I absolutely agree, though, that if human shields are being used, the U.S. manpower preservation benefits from using the SMAW NE projectile could well be offset by the jihad DRM.

You probably would find the AS-50 .50 cal. sniper rifle a better weapon in such situations, with its ability to precisely hit a human target, through a wall, at 2000 meter range. If you're really serious about casualty limitation, there are 7.62mm frangible projectiles which will punch right through substantial cover but break up promptly in biological targets, with practically nothing in the way of collateral effects. Mind, they're illegal under the Hague Treaty.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Peter Cairns]

John,

Given that most insurgent snipers can't hit beyond 500m's and that they tend to operate in dense urban areas, a gun that can hit at 2,000m isn't going to be of great use if the sniper using it can't see more than 300m in any direction.

As to human shields (unwilling or otherwise) usually you don't see them until it is to late, and the Israeli's have been demolishing potential firing positions for nearly fifty years and it hasn't made the west bank or Gazza strip havens of peace and happiness.

I am just sceptical about the line of thought that says "We can solve this problem with a new weapon". The law of unintended consequences should make us at least stop and question if a new weapon will create a new problem.

Peter.

[John Kettler]

Peter Cairns,

If I had to conduct MOUT, I'd be thrilled to have the SMAW NE, as opposed to operating with the M4/M203 combo as my heaviest organic firepower.

Speaking of organic firepower, whatever happened to the RAW (Rifleman's Assault Weapon)?

That said, I take your point about the dubiousness of the panacea weapon scenario. The utility of a weapon has a lot to do with the conditions under which it's being employed. What might work, for example, under a general offensive, might not fly under a COIN environment.

Regards,

John Kettler

[Imperial Grunt]

We had NE rounds for our SMAWS in OIF1. SMAW teams had a mix of NE, HE, and AT rockets. The NE rounds need an enclosed space type target to reach full effect, otherwise the HE is better.

NE is not better than the AT rockets for armor, unless, of course, Rocketman gets the rocket through an open hatch or something.

Rocketman

[Dirtweasle]

Originally posted by Peter Cairns:

...

I am just sceptical about the line of thought that says "We can solve this problem with a new weapon"...

Best to go in close and club 'em with a log.

~~~~~~~~~

The SMAW NE (New Explosive) was nothing short of awesome...

[...]

...The utility of a weapon has a lot to do with the conditions under which it's being employed...

Of course you're correct John. If it performs in IRL as it it did in the show it's going to have great utility clearing buildings. Since CMSF is, AFAIK, not going to depict counter-insrugency and if as Imperial Grunt says it's already in the field I hope it makes it into the game.