M270/HIMARS MLRS-style launcher pod reload

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by GURPS Fox

[looks at the post, looks at the response, looks at the post again]
God damn, I dun goofed and didn't read it correctly.

So, I just stat it up as a multi-tube launcher and remove the i from the reload? Is it the same way with V2e?

Ve2 didn't anticipate this particular weapon system. It makes "rocket launchers" with all kinds of tubes and loading mechanisms but "replace all tubes with a new set of tubes" makes it kind of a "meta- weapon" rather than a simple weapon.

I'm sure that what Anthony did was use the Real World figures for how long it takes to replace the launcher module. Also, those probably should be for optimal conditions like "got the module carrying and lifting vehicle parked in just the right place".

[dcarson]

The US launchers actually have cranes built in. If a pod is sitting there on the ground they can unload the old and load the new. Apparently in Ukraine they pre position pods at planned points so a system can shoot and scoot to the next dropoff site. Swap pods and move to the next planned firing location. So the logistics truck and the launcher are not at the same location to be targeted and you can pre load a days supply without having to run steady and trackable supply runs during the fighting.

Video showing how they reload. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnUk4n7BElE

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by dcarson

The US launchers actually have cranes built in. If a pod is sitting there on the ground they can unload the old and load the new. Apparently in Ukraine they pre position pods at planned points so a system can shoot and scoot to the next dropoff site. Swap pods and move to the next planned firing location. So the logistics truck and the launcher are not at the same location to be targeted and you can pre load a days supply without having to run steady and trackable supply runs during the fighting.

Sorta the high tech version of the trope of hiding a bunch of muskets around an ambush point and then just moving from one to the next. Makes it look like there are more of you than there actually are, makes it difficult to determine where you're at, and lets you reload (New York style) without having to haul everything from place to place. Not sure if it was ever used historically, but it shows up in stories and movies from time to time (I think there was a notable instance of it in The Patriot).

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Sorta the high tech version of the trope of hiding a bunch of muskets around an ambush point and then just moving from one to the next. Makes it look like there are more of you than there actually are, makes it difficult to determine where you're at, and lets you reload (New York style) without having to haul everything from place to place. Not sure if it was ever used historically, but it shows up in stories and movies from time to time (I think there was a notable instance of it in The Patriot).

Only if you have more MLRS than you have logistics trucks so that pre-positioning manages to increase the rate of fire? Which isn't what was described.

What was described is more a matter of asynchronous ammo logistics instead of just-in-time.

[The Colonel]

IIRC MLRS doctrine used to be to fire it, and then change ground to avoid the counter-battery fire that was expected to be inevitable. I think the various launch vehicles would move through the reload point on their way to their next firing point. Of course since a big part of the MLRS role used to be counter-battery work, a very interesting sort of slap fight could result.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

IIRC MLRS doctrine used to be to fire it, and then change ground to avoid the counter-battery fire that was expected to be inevitable.

Pretty sure that's still MLRS doctrine. It's not like counterbattery fire no longer exists.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Pretty sure that's still MLRS doctrine. It's not like counterbattery fire no longer exists.

on the other hand, recent news shows people quite happily using towed artillery - and I recall when we got out of the towed artillery game because we were told it would never survive counterbattery fire in a modern environment. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time that any branch of any armed forces developed a truth based on a decision ...

[Verjigorm]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Sorta the high tech version of the trope of hiding a bunch of muskets around an ambush point and then just moving from one to the next. Makes it look like there are more of you than there actually are, makes it difficult to determine where you're at, and lets you reload (New York style) without having to haul everything from place to place. Not sure if it was ever used historically, but it shows up in stories and movies from time to time (I think there was a notable instance of it in The Patriot).

I'm not sure if it was historically used, but Alexander Dumas does have the heroes do the exact thing in the three musketeers. In order to find a safe place to plot their next move, the musketeers seize a small fort that is contested, they make it seem as if it's a foolhardy lark of theres, and they use lots of pre-loaded muskets to defend the fort against superior numbers. Dumas *is* closer to the time period than us, so...

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by dcarson

The US launchers actually have cranes built in. If a pod is sitting there on the ground they can unload the old and load the new. Apparently in Ukraine they pre position pods at planned points so a system can shoot and scoot to the next dropoff site. Swap pods and move to the next planned firing location. So the logistics truck and the launcher are not at the same location to be targeted and you can pre load a days supply without having to run steady and trackable supply runs during the fighting.

Video showing how they reload. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnUk4n7BElE

There's an old (Czech, I think) Cold War 122mm rocket system that used packaged rockets to get this sort of reload rate, with each launching vehicle supported by another vehicle that carried several reloads. The Soviets never bothered with anything like that for their 122mm rocket systems, as they were the 'cheap and cheerful' systems.

[weby]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Ve2 didn't anticipate this particular weapon system. It makes "rocket launchers" with all kinds of tubes and loading mechanisms but "replace all tubes with a new set of tubes" makes it kind of a "meta- weapon" rather than a simple weapon.

I'm sure that what Anthony did was use the Real World figures for how long it takes to replace the launcher module. Also, those probably should be for optimal conditions like "got the module carrying and lifting vehicle parked in just the right place".

It is more akin to multiple disposable tubes together. Vehicles talks about multiple disposable tubes. Also in the shots part it talks about how many shots you can do before reload and lists disposable tubes there too..