AS Equipment and Tactical Characteristics
AS EQUIPMENT AND TACTICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The AS’s biggest advantage is its human-like shape. With its four limbs and numerous rotational axes, the AS can imitate most of the movements a human can make. Targeting adjustments can be more flexible than with rotating turrets, making it easy to aim at lower targets (which can be difficult for a tank). This is extremely beneficial for ambushes that rely on the lay of the land.
The AS walks on two legs – an inherently unstable form of locomotion. That very instability allows the AS to make very rapid momentary changes in attitude (back and forth, left and right). This quick response time is more than adequate to evade incoming fire from weaponry typically used by foot soldiers, such as portable rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launchers or recoilless rifles (which have comparatively slow bullet speeds). The AS is able to evade firs from these types of weapons even after confirmation that a shot has been fired. If the AS has to duck down, fall to the side or perform other such maneuvers to avoid incoming fire, it can use the distribution of its weight to move at speeds that regular combat vehicles can’t compete with. Since it’s so maneuverable, it has a survivability far superior to tanks and combat helicopters.
Another advantage of the AS is its ability to change weapons to suit the situation, without requiring any third-party assistance. The main weapons used by the AS include:
a) 35mm – 40mm assault rifles and machine guns for use against other AS units, armored vehicles and combat helicopters
b) ATD’s for use against tanks
c) A wide variety of missiles such as the HELLFIRE and LOSAT, and a large-caliber disposable rocket launcher
d) Monomolecular cutters for self defense
This variety of weaponry makes the AS suitable for almost any conceivable mission.
Besides boasting an overwhelming maneuverability on the ground, far surpassing tanks, the AS has more powerful armor and firepower than a combat helicopter, and the ability to maintain control of the battlefield for an extended period of time, which is impossible for an aircraft. The AS is basically a foot soldier with reinforced armor. It should prove to be a major player on the modern-day battlefield.
PRACTICAL AS EQUIPMENT
So what exactly is practical AS equipment? The definition changes a lot depending on the mission the AS is sent on. For example, in a battle against mostly tanks, a 35mm – 40mm assault rifle would be ineffective so the AS should carry either an anti-tank HELLFIRE or LOSAT missile launcher, or a large-caliber rocket launcher. On the other hand, if the mission is to wipe out guerrillas, and there aren’t going to be many armored targets, the AS should carry weapons such as a 40mm grenade launcher or flame thrower, which are good for clearing out the ground ahead. If the battle is against other AS units, then one should consider carrying an assault rifle or machine gun, which has higher accuracy, more rounds, as well as plenty of power for the job.
Naturally, one of the difficulties of the battlefield is that it’s not always this easy to decide which weapons to carry. For example, there are many times when guerrillas have tanks or AS units, despite the fact that you wouldn’t expect them to. There’s no doubt that a group of tanks will have supporting combat helicopters, AS units and other such weapons as well. Of course, it’s become standard for AS units to work in groups of three, so equipping each one with different weapons is one way of handling the problem. However, caution is still required.
The anti-AS outfitting for the Rk-92 series displays main weaponry includes a 40mm assault rifle, three ATDs and a monomolecular cutter. It’s doubtful that this would fare well in a battle against very strong, solid targets like tanks or concrete bunkers, but if the goal is an attack against other AS units, armored vehicles or combat helicopters, this AS is adequately equipped. In addition, if the consort plane cooperating with the AS is also equipped with a sniper rifle, anti-tank missiles or other such long-range attack equipment, then it’s possible to respond to a number of situations using just this outfitting.
The 40mm assault rifle fitted with a grenade launcher is commonly used by the M6 series. The grenade launcher has a lot of firepower for clearing out the ground ahead, so it’s a force to be reckoned with on the wide-open battlefield. The machine gun that the 96 model carries as standard equipment in Japan has some still lingering doubts about its reliability, but its round capacity makes it an attractive weapon. It has a folding stock, which makes it highly portable. The large-caliber rocket launcher for the 96 model has the power to demolish hard targets such as concrete bunkers.
