Pilot Class, Tanker Class, etc

[Talon]

Originally Posted by [R-DEV

JS.Fortnight.A]IRT TAW_Doedel:

Regarding your point 'H', we have some great ideas for this 'issue', and are pretty sure that it will work for BF2. All of our stuff will be tested to make sure that it is fun, effective, and of course realistic.

Sounds great, I got slammed on Planet Battlefield for making the same type suggestions. Although I didn't go into classes and stuff I don't think. Great ideas all, I would really love to see a pilot, tank, support(ammo), and parajumper class.

Will there be fastroping? IE Special Forces would need some way for fast transportation without the use of a parachute, unless SF are the only ones with parachutes other then pilots?

[solodude23]

TAW_Dodel, I agree with everything but H. I do think Binoculars are VERY useful on guarding areas on guns and such, (especially in FH and XWWII) as well as seeing what your up against before you actually attack.

They are very useful, but I want them to go to the realistic ones. I have no idea really but im guessing squad leaders, Officers, Platoon leaders, and other big positions in the structure.

Nice suggestions!

PS, how common is the M60 now? Wouldn't the M240 be more accurate for the modern era?

[Tacamo]

By now the M240B/G probably are more common than the M60E3. Only problem is that they're heavier, but still a better weapon overall. Then there's the M60E4 with the vertical grips made to be used by single person vs. the typical crew served role. That's likely to be replaced by the Mk. 48. It looks just like a big Mk. 46 but has some common parts with the M240.

[Eddie Baker]

Originally Posted by Tacamo

By now the M240B/G probably are more common than the M60E3. Only problem is that they're heavier, but still a better weapon overall. Then there's the M60E4 with the vertical grips made to be used by single person vs. the typical crew served role. That's likely to be replaced by the Mk. 48. It looks just like a big Mk. 46 but has some common parts with the M240.

According to my info, the Ranger Regiment has phased out the M60E4/Mk-43 with the Mk-48 LMG to supplement their M240Bs. I say supplement, because the Mk-48 has its own strengths and limitations and won't be used for all of the same tasks as the M240B.

[m0ldym1lk]

If this idea is added in, lone infantry can NOT be able to take on a tank by themselves. The tank needs to be feared--something that will make the basic gruns run for cover and hide. If the AT class is going to be powerful, it needs to have a limit on it. If you want to see good use of tank classes, play Red Orchestra, a mod for UT2004. It worked out great for them.

[TAW_Doedel]

Actually, I was under the impression that a set of binoculars (just simple, cheap ones even) were very common.. I can go buy a pair of binos for like $1 at the dollar store and I would think that the US Army would want to give as many soldiers as possible the ability to increase their vision distance, not just the commanders.. but, I don't know much about the equipment micromanagement of the US Army.

[solodude23]

I definantly agree with mold, as I had said in an earlier post of mine filled with some suggestions. Im tired of seeing tank maps where 80-90% of the team is anti-tank. How realistic is that? How fun is that when your in the tank?

[TAW_Doedel]

Yeah I agree with that 100% as well. How many anti-tank weapons does the average platoon have in its stocks? A squad of say, 5-10 men should really have only 1 anti-tank weapon, and even then, probably a SMAW or RPG or some other low-end.. those big massive things like the Eryx would really be specialized weapons and should be VERY rare, while RPGs and SMAWs etc should be a spawnable kit.. otherwise, like solo says, tank maps will have 80% AT guys launching guided missiles all over the place and it'd be death to any tank.

[solodude23]

How common are AT-4's compared to SMAWS in the modern day?

[Eddie Baker]

Originally Posted by TAW_Doedel

Yeah I agree with that 100% as well. How many anti-tank weapons does the average platoon have in its stocks? A squad of say, 5-10 men should really have only 1 anti-tank weapon, and even then, probably a SMAW or RPG or some other low-end.. those big massive things like the Eryx would really be specialized weapons and should be VERY rare, while RPGs and SMAWs etc should be a spawnable kit.. otherwise, like solo says, tank maps will have 80% AT guys launching guided missiles all over the place and it'd be death to any tank.

Average US platoon varies according to type of unit (light infantry, airborne, air assault, Ranger, mechanized, BCT and Marine). Some platoons have organic ATGMs / reusable rocket launchers or recoilless rifles, but others have those assets attached to them as needed from the company and sometimes as high as battalion level. A US rifle platoon rarely, if ever, fights "pure;" remember, medics and hospital corpsmen come from the battalion medical platoon.

Airborne and air assault rifle platoons have an organic weapons squad with 2 x Javelin teams. Light infantry rifle company headquarters has a Javelin section with 6 x Javelin teams; if evenly detached to all three platoons in the company, once again, that's 2 x Javelin teams per platoon.

Ranger companies have a weapons platoon that includes an anti-armor squad of 3 x teams, which may employ the M3 MAAWS (84mm Carl Gustav M3 recoilless rifle) or the Javelin. Evenly detached, that's 1 per platoon. Marine rifle companies also have a weapons platoon with an assault section; 6 x SMAW teams, which can be evenly detached to each platoon, if the company commander desires. The Javelin platoon is found in the battalion weapons company.

Mech infantry (including SBCT) is where it gets ugly; depending on METT, there could be a Javelin in each of the three dismount squads of a rifle platoon. Each squad has a designated anti-armor specialist (a rifleman who has been trained to use the Javelin, rather than a dedicated MOS like the Marines), who might normally carry an M136 (AT4) and a rifle, but can be assigned a Javelin CLU.

And of course, a few men in each squad, depending on METT, may carry either the M136(AT-4) or the XM141(SMAW-D) Bunker Defeat Munition. So, perhaps two of them per rifle fire team. But these are last ditch weapons against a significant armored threat.

So, as you can see, depending on the type of unit and the situation, US anti-armor capability is feast or famine.

Old soviet organization has an RPG-7 or 16 in each dismounted rifle squad of the motorised infantry platoon, with a gunner (launcher and pistol) and an assistant (rifle and backpack with additional rounds).