Near-future US Ranger loadout

[Maz]

Originally Posted by Sarge

I'm not sure how much technology will have advanced in your campaign, but imagine if the SAW gunner had a powered exoskeleton that also had a mount for said Squad Automatic Weapon.

I wonder if your players will be able to resist the urge to yell out, "Let's Rock!"

Heh I was actually considering giving the LMG-guy a minigun just because. But what type of weapon would the focus on? Higher ROF or more damage?

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Maz

Heh I was actually considering giving the LMG-guy a minigun just because. But what type of weapon would the focus on? Higher ROF or more damage?

High Tech (pg136) has stats for the man-"portable" minigun assembly used in Predator and T2. With ammo it comes out to 122 pounds, though it still has a MinST of 16, so would likely need to be used with a full-body Exoskeleton (though it could be a weaker version than presented in UT.) Alternately, you could use the Articulated Weapon Harness from UT, which multiplies MinST by 2/3, so could let a ST 13 character wield a Minigun without penalty. However, the harness adds more weight, giving an empty weight of ~90 lb, plus ammo and batteries (easily another 60). That's doable for a strong character assisted by the Lower Body Exoskeleton, but it's probably more reasonable to just pick a smaller (though less awesome) weapon. Most LMGs are in the range of 30 pounds and ST 11-12, so could be used by a strong soldier without the articulated harness.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Maz

Heh I was actually considering giving the LMG-guy a minigun just because. But what type of weapon would the focus on? Higher ROF or more damage?

Miniguns make very little sense in the LMG role, especially if you need some kind of harness for it. LMGs need to have much lower ammo requirements and need to be fire-able from the prone, while rushing and in CQB.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Miniguns make very little sense in the LMG role, especially if you need some kind of harness for it. LMGs need to have much lower ammo requirements and need to be fire-able from the prone, while rushing and in CQB.

Yeah that's what I thought, but what if you put that exo-thing on him or the articulated harness? it seems a waste to just use a normal LMG.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by Maz

Yeah that's what I thought, but what if you put that exo-thing on him or the articulated harness? it seems a waste to just use a normal LMG.

Naw; a normal LMG is fine. What you want to add with that exoskeleton is an absolutely massive amount of ammunition (and extra barrels), so you can fire that LMG near-constantly.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Langy

Naw; a normal LMG is fine. What you want to add with that exoskeleton is an absolutely massive amount of ammunition (and extra barrels), so you can fire that LMG near-constantly.

Or something with higher penetration, like an M2HB.

[Cheomesh]

Originally Posted by Langy

Probably quite a lot; the maximum weight for the TL8 ram-air parachute in High-Tech (the one they'd use for HALO drops) is 400 pounds, and the extra gear for going HALO is pretty much just an air mask and air tanks, adding another 20 pounds. That still gives you well over one hundred pounds of gear potential, even for rather large soldiers.

EDIT: Note that prior to remembering 'hey, GURPS has books for this stuff!', I researched this using Google and got 360 pounds as the max weight for a random military parachute.

Well yes, the weight limit's easily available. I probably should have been more clear - how much room is there on your person to carry things? Do you carry a normal assault pack? Does the chute sit around the pack?

Also, what happens to that chute after you land? Is it cut away or repacked these days?

M.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Cheomesh

Well yes, the weight limit's easily available. I probably should have been more clear - how much room is there on your person to carry things? Do you carry a normal assault pack? Does the chute sit around the pack?

You carry your normal gear, but everything is slung differently to allow for the parachute to be placed correctly. You start by putting on that set of gear that experience tells you can fit under/around the parachute, prioritizing that equipment most vital on landing in combat. Then you put on the parachute. Then you take whatever else you need to take and sling it below the parachute pack - the exact position depends on the parachute and the gear being slung, but this is why you see military parachutists shuffling with big packs dangling off their backsides or even a bit between their legs. Then you jump.

As you get close to the ground, you will need your legs free. If your extra gear encumbers your legs, it will be rigged with a cord and a release - as you get close you pull the release and the extra gear drops to dangle off you by the cord. The gear hits first, and a few seconds later you land with only the minor encumberance of the now slack cord.

When you land your first priority is on safety and security - since you made sure your essential fighting gear was accessible and attached, you can immediately defend yourself if the landing is under fire. As soon as you can, you strip away the parachute gear and rig your remaining equipment for the rest of the operation - as always in combat, no more than half the group should do this at a time while the rest maintain security. Then go kick some names and take some ass.

Originally Posted by Cheomesh

Also, what happens to that chute after you land? Is it cut away or repacked these days?

Depends on the situation - the two big issues are expense and evidence. In training and those combat operations where it is practical and safe, the parachutes are recovered, inspected, repaired if necessary, and either reissued (if functional) or discarded (if irrepairable). This saves on expenses. In many combat operations it is not practical to recover the chutes - in this case they will be discarded in whatever manner is appropriate to the level of secrecy in the mission. Burying the chutes is a common practice for clandestine operations, but there are a few other options available.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

Depends on the situation - the two big issues are expense and evidence. In training and those combat operations where it is practical and safe, the parachutes are recovered, inspected, repaired if necessary, and either reissued (if functional) or discarded (if irrepairable). This saves on expenses. In many combat operations it is not practical to recover the chutes - in this case they will be discarded in whatever manner is appropriate to the level of secrecy in the mission. Burying the chutes is a common practice for clandestine operations, but there are a few other options available.

There was at least one case in WWII (possibly shown in Band of Brothers) of a paratrooper keeping his parachute though months of combat, to take home for his fiancee to have made into a wedding dress.

[Lord Carnifex]

Not much to add to what has already been said, but the following might be useful:

Ranger Unit Operations field manual. From 1987, but probably reasonable extrapolations could be made.