NationStates Jolt Archive

Govt. Documents:

Today, a division of Space Based Paratroopers have been created. The paratroopers will be based in 5 seperate space command stations orbiting the Earth and will be guided by spy satellites and/or coordinated by units already on the ground.

Reasons for Deployment:

*Covert Operations
*Mobility
*Destroying targets behind enemy lines
*Securing objectives in advance.

There are 2 potential methods for insertion:

*A single stage entry pod. This insertion method is risky, because it shows up on infrared scanners like Christmas tree lights.

* 2 stage entry pod. A pod falls for a certain distance in the upper atmosphere, then the pilot ejects out, and then peforms a HAHO jump from the pod itself. This method is quite hard to detect.

Equipment:
Generally, a BR-2 Carbine, a small SAW or an RCR-41 DMR. One time use high altitude parasuits are worn over standard infantry body armor. Sometimes, ATGM launchers or crew served infantry railguns can be dropped.

Cost: Cost per trooper should aroun $1 million.

If the cost is per drop then that would be a vastly impractical idea. Also unless you have managed to figure out how to generate artificial gravity your troops would start to become uselss after about 6 months due to lack of combat practice as well as the lack of gravity causing the beginning of muscular atrophy.
We would suggest as a far more practical idea the development of high-altitude/low-orbit craft from which to drop your men. It would have nearly all the same useages of orbital insertion at a fraction of the cost.

OOC: This is post modern tech, correct?

ooc: it would be possible to generate artificial gravity... but let's not go there.

Anyway, the troopers don't stay on the stations for long, maybe a month at the very most. That and bone density and muscle mass can be maintained through regular exercise and standing on a vibration machine (turkeys that stand on vibration machines develop considerably more bone mass).

ooc: fair enought just wanted to point out possible objections and problems

these kind of troops are commonly found in Traveller (the RPG) and are called Drop troops. They generally require easy space travel and a real need though, as they would be VERY expensive as they require drop capsules, parachutes (multiple) and we are talking doing a HALO drop from orbit essentially.

Based on the idea from the novel (not the bad movie) Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.

ooc: And also, spy satellites can see the launches of the sub-orbital vehicles, but can't see an insertion directly from space.

This should work for MT, as the Russians have analyzed the feasibility of making a spacebased unit, but didn't do so for cost reasons.