[High-Tech] Military Equipment: Global War on Terror edition

[Michael Thayne]

GURPS High-Tech seems to have noticeable gaps in TL8 military gear. Fortunately, it appears to be possible to fill those gaps by extrapolating from what we do have. I've decided I'm going to try to do that here, starting with US Armed Forces equipment currently in service.

Existing coverage of small arms appears to be excellent. High Tech already has stats for the M16A4, M4 Carbine, MK 17 Mod 0, M24, M107, Mk 14 EBR, M107, M870, M26 MASS, MP7A1, M240, M60, M249, M9, P226, and M1191. Tactical Shooting has stats for the HK416, M110 SSAS, and M27.

One gap in the coverage, based on this Wikipedia article, is a couple of "designated marksman rifles", but as far as I can tell those are basically just fine-quality (accurate) M16s*.

For anti-tank weapons, the Javelin, AT4, and M3 (Carl Gustaf) are covered. The SMAW (Mk 153) is not covered, but it appears to be very similar to the Carl Gustaf. (This is the piece of extrapolation in this post I'm least certain of, so I welcome correction.)

Specific US mortars in active service aren't covered by High-Tech, but as far as I can tell mortars haven't changed much since WWII, except for getting lighter. If it matters, I'd use weights taken from Wikipedia and combat performance from WWII-era mortars.

Vehicular machine guns and autocannons appear to be well-covered. Specifically, the M61, M134, M2 HMG, and Mk 19 grenade launcher are all accounted for.

So far, most of this has been just a preview. We'll have to do more extrapolating as we get further into vehicles.

Update: Edited to clarify the designated marksman rifles are fine (accurate). They may also be fine (reliable) but the main goal of their design appears to be accuracy.
*Update II: For reasons Icelander points out, at the level of granularity GURPS accounts for they may be essentially ordinary M16s.

[sir_pudding]

The existing rules for mortars (and artillery) in general are pretty inadequate for typical battlefield fires.

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

The existing rules for mortars (and artillery) in general are pretty inadequate for typical battlefield fires.

Has this been discussed before? Are there suggested replacements floating around?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Has this been discussed before? Are there suggested replacements floating around?

Yes, and nothing really specific, although I may be working on it.

[Michael Thayne]

Okay, here's my first go at stating a current US military vehicle:

A-10 Thunderbolt

ST/HP: 105
Hnd/SR: +1/3
HT: 12f
Move: 3/220
SM: +5
Occ: 1SP
DR: 3
Range: 2,580
Loc.: g3WWi
Stall: 69

ST/HP is a bit less than the "cube root times 4" rule would suggest, I'm using existing aircraft as a guide there. Hnd/SR is a wild guess. SM +5 is debatable, it's 53 ft. 4 in. long and I went with the lower number in part based on it being a 1 seater.

Weapons include the GAU-8/A Avenger, which has a number of advantages over similar caliber autocannons including the use of APDU rounds. Dmg. 6d×6(2) pi++ inc, Acc 6, Range 3,000/10,000, Rof 65, Rcl 2. Credit for these stats goes to HANS. Options for rockets include 70mm Hydra rockets (High-Tech) and 5” Zuni rockets (GURPS SEALs in Vietnam).

Missile options are Sidewinders (again in High-Tech) and AGM-65 Mavericks. The latter is a 30 cm (!) ATGM, whose damage stats should probably be something like Dmg 6dx30(10) cr inc + linked 6dx14 cr ex [15d], Acc 4, Range 350/8800.

Cockpit has DR 75 from the sides/below (thanks to HANS and Varyon for catching this).

Electronic gadgetry is probably similar to the Viper in Pyramid #3/53, "Dogfight Action!". I'll leave bombs alone for now.

Update: This was edited to clarify that the Thunderbolt's ATGM missile is the AGM-65.
Update II: Added HANS's GAU-8 stats.
Update III: Added cockpit armor.

[Phantasm]

Do we have stats for the AGM-65 Maverick Air-to-Ground Missile? It's my understanding that those are common on A-10s for hitting tanks, IFVs, and other heavy materiel.

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Do we have stats for the AGM-65 Maverick Air-to-Ground Missile? It's my understanding that those are common on A-10s for hitting tanks, IFVs, and other heavy materiel.

That would be the Thunderbolt's ATGM. Edited above post to clarify.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

A-10 Thunderbolt

Using Spaceships, the A-10 Thunderbolt's weight is on the low end of SM +5, but too heavy to count as SM +4 (it's roughly 10 tons empty, which is SM +4, but Spaceships vessels are calculated based on loaded weight, which for the A-10 apparently can range from around 15 tons to 20 tons; nominal weight for SM +5 is 30 tons). Note being streamlined means it's targeted as SM +4 when targeted from the front or the back, SM +5 otherwise. SM +5 implies ST/HP 200, although the lower weight of the A-10 might justify around 160 (HP is higher than you've calculated because Spaceships uses a multiplier roughly halfway between Unliving and Homogenous; your number matches better with existing examples, so just go with that). It apparently only has a single armor system, but that's all you need for a streamlined craft anyway. Titanium implies Light Alloy (DR 15, although it's concentrated so might justify a higher DR over less area), although Metallic Laminate may also be an option (DR 20). Hnd/SR is nominally -1/3 (TL 8 is -1, otherwise it would be 0/4), but the thrust/weight ratio (which apparently ends up giving you acceleration in G's) is low enough for -1, for -2/2. Being winged and streamlined* means its atmospheric Hnd/SR (which is all that matters) is actually 2/3, however (+4 Hnd, +1 SR).

*Its low top speed (439 mph) implies less streamlining than nominal Streamlined (which would have a top speed of 1500 mph), but more than nominal Unstreamlined (which would have a top speed of 150 mph).

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Using Spaceships, the A-10 Thunderbolt's weight is on the low end of SM +5, but too heavy to count as SM +4 (it's roughly 10 tons empty, which is SM +4, but Spaceships vessels are calculated based on loaded weight, which for the A-10 apparently can range from around 15 tons to 20 tons; nominal weight for SM +5 is 30 tons). Note being streamlined means it's targeted as SM +4 when targeted from the front or the back, SM +5 otherwise. SM +5 implies ST/HP 200, although the lower weight of the A-10 might justify around 160 (HP is higher than you've calculated because Spaceships uses a multiplier roughly halfway between Unliving and Homogenous; your number matches better with existing examples, so just go with that). It apparently only has a single armor system, but that's all you need for a streamlined craft anyway. Titanium implies Light Alloy (DR 15, although it's concentrated so might justify a higher DR over less area), although Metallic Laminate may also be an option (DR 20). Hnd/SR is nominally -1/3 (TL 8 is -1, otherwise it would be 0/4), but the thrust/weight ratio (which apparently ends up giving you acceleration in G's) is low enough for -1, for -2/2. Being winged and streamlined* means its atmospheric Hnd/SR (which is all that matters) is actually 2/3, however (+4 Hnd, +1 SR).

*Its low top speed (439 mph) implies less streamlining than nominal Streamlined (which would have a top speed of 1500 mph), but more than nominal Unstreamlined (which would have a top speed of 150 mph).

I'm not really using Spaceships at all here on the grounds that existing published stats for vehicles don't. Instead, they seem to go by length.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

Okay, here's my first go at stating a current US military vehicle:

A-10 Thunderbolt


Weapons-wise, the stats for the 30mm autocannon from Pyramid #3/53: Action ("Dogfight Action!") should work for the main gun. .

I don't have that issue so I can't tell you if this is right but unless the 30mm there is pretty explicitly the GAU-7 it's not. The GAU-7 is a unique weapon with barrels twice as long as common 30mms and it uses those long barrels to fire also unique full caliber DU rounds that weigh twice as much as normal 30mm rounds.

I believe there may have been a 3e write up but without much looking I can't tell you where. I may also just have seen Hans give stats for it once.

But if your stats are for the 30mm from the AH-64 Apache of just for a "generic" 30mm the GAU-7 is a much more formidable weapon.