[43Supporter]

You put some deep thought into your setup; if I'm to try to defeat it, I must also put deep thought into *how* -- if I "just go storming in", I'm going to get my head handed to me on a platter (and deservedly, for being so foolish). However, all the myriad possibilities would result in a work the approximate size and literary density of _The Winds Of War_ -- and no one wants to read *that* again.... :)

OK, to be fair, I'll start with a non-smart-alec-y answer: _Metal Magnum_ semi-tractor, with WGs converted to Metal, and 240 lbs. hull armor converted to FPP hubs (not like it's going to hurt handling any); _Hellfire_ trailer, also with WG to Metal, and FPP hubs. Sub-$200K; essentially invulnerable to non-AV weapons; the only drawback is, of course, pre-laid dropped weapons, and that only because there are no rules for clearing the things (a *major* flaw in the rules, BTW).

Which leads to the smart-alec-y answer:

_Super Aerohauler_ [based on unit from _Badlands Run_ Enc. 4]

Transport Heli.; Su. PP [20,000 PF]; Pilot, Gunner. 2-sp. Univ. Tu. [U]; 2x MG (link) [Tu.]; cargo: 2(17) sp./10,040 lbs. Armor (Pl.): all facings: 30. $116,850; 20,000 lbs. [ld.]. Acc.|TS: 5|150 [l.], 10|200 [u.]; HC: 1.

[waves politely as he flies by at 5,000' AGL]

If the mission is to eliminate the gang, there's the Bomber Option: replace 15 sp./4,500 lbs. cargo with CB150s; add IRTL, LGL [IRTL - CB150s], IRSS, HRSWC [Gn. - IRTL]. +$15,250.

Teleguided CB150s are another option, but those are *really* pricey.

Fly over the area; use the IRSS to mark where the bad guys are, and are going (camo nets do not have anti-IR functionality); bombs away -- and the way CBs work, dispersing bomblets *above* the target, the trenches and berms will *not* save them. (And as the Gunner will be aiming at a fixed point on the ground, the TH bonus should be about the same as aiming at a building....

Or, another possibility, the "sauce for the goose" approach: Load the _Aerohauler_ with 17 Infantry: IBA($1,500); SMG w/ ext. mag ($570); BV ($75): 2x SMG Ext. Mag. ($640), 2x Expl. Gre. (Imp. fuse) ($150), MP (ext. mag.) ($570), Knife ($50). $3,555 ea. ($60K and change, but that's Sturmtruppen for you). I suppose the budget-minded might swap the IBA/BV for BA/ABV and a no-paint gas mask ($525), bringing the cost down to $42.5K or so.

Looking at the various "convoy" adventures published: ~$150,000 is what a beginning convoy would run in the "modern era", esp. with semis running upwards of $300K in _VG2_. This is why I became the "architect of air power" in NOVA; the price tags for convoys were getting *STUPIDLY* high, and it became cheaper to use acft., helis and fixed-wings. I'm looking at my folder right now; one pure-cargo design is a Cargo Airplane with 42 cargo spaces, and 13,080 lbs capacity (plus Wingtip-Turreted MGs, CDs, and HSSs for defense) at just under $200K (when I have time, I'll detail it here). That's as much as a good semi, and doesn't have to worry about toll gangs (unless one has a very low opinion of FBOs :) ).