Dontgonearthere
26-05-2006, 08:01
It has become increasingly clear in recent conflicts that infantry combat in an environment that involves giant robots, tanks, powered armour and orbital bombardments is both innefecient and wasteful. The average infantryman must undergo many hours of training, have large amounts of money employed to purchase equipment and supplies, and is then hurled out of a spacecraft to a planet where he will, in all likelyhood, die in the first few minutes of fighting.
With this in mind, the Dontgonearthere Government and GLACORP have begun working together to create an infantry-substitute capable of filling a traditional infantry role, and possibly exceeding it.
The first attempt, currently in beta testing is the ICSa Mk I Drone, that is, the Infantry Combat Substitute, model A, Mark I.
Stats:
Initial Concept
http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/img/creaturespic3.jpg
Length: 2ft (12ft w/legs included)
Width: 3ft
Max Ground Speed, Sustained: 5 mi/h
Max Ground Speed, Sprint: 12mi/h
Max Air Speed, Sustained: 28 mi/h
Max Air Speed, Sprint: 74 mi/h
Power Source:
3 GLACORP 2/a micro-anti-matter reactors (2 active, one reserve)
Mobility:
14 'legs'
2 GLACORP MyG-12 Light Utility Hovermotors
Armament:
12 hardened claws
1 Light laser or other light weapon
4 Light fragmentation bombs
Defences:
2in Tritanium Armour
Redundant systems
Minor self-repair abilities
Details:
'Head' Detail
http://www.shinynewmachine.com/gallery/sentinel-pose.jpg
Description:
The ICS' 'head' is its most prominient feature, containing the 14 various sensors it uses to navigate in the modern battlefield. Each invididual 'eye' contains a different sensor system, detecting, variously, infra-red, magnetic fields, visible light, etc. etc.
Linked directly to the head are the 14 legs/arms that the drone uses when navigating on the ground, these also hold its main weapons, the three-bladed claws.
Directly under the head are various fine manipulators, which can double as legs in an emergency, should the others be rendered inoperable to a degree where they can no longer support the body of the ICS.
Size:
Size was an important consideration with the ICS. First and foremost, it had to be able to fit anywhere a standard human could. Using some of the latest in miniturization technology, GLACORP developed the 2/a series of anti-matter reactors, which are detailed in the next section.
When fully extended the ICS measures twelve feet, however most of this is accounted for by the legs which are highly flexible and quite capable of fitting through any opening the body can make it through.
Power Source:
small enough to easily fit into the frame of the Mk I Drone. The reactors use a specially developed composite to contain the excess heat generated by the operating reactors while some is absorbed and used to power the containment system for the anti-matter itself.
The drone can run at reduced power for an extended period, long enough to return to base and re-arm in most cases, should the drone be crippled to the point where it must activate its reserve generator.
Each generator is capable of supporting an emergency containment field for the others, in the event of an explosion. If the last generator fails, the drone will most likely explode, although it uses a relativly small amount of anti-matter to power itself, thus the resultant explosion is not exceptionally large.
Mobility:
As with the 2/a series of generators, the MyG-12's are marvels of modern engineering. It took some time to develope an engine that could fit into the ICS' frame without forcing significant expansion, but it works well enough. However the drone cannot bear significant loads over long distances, which is why the secondary system (IE: the legs) were included in the design.
The legs are strong enough to support an extra ton of weight without undue stress upon the frame as a whole. This is partially due to the drones ability to spread out the weight of its burned over its legs and to extend its claws to spread the weight further.
As a result of this, the drone is also quite capable of ripping doors off of hinges and so forth.
Armament:
14 arms with three claws each is equal to a whole lot of pain. The claws are composed of a composite with a hardened artificial diamond edge, each has two joints. The claws are delicate enough that they can pick up an egg with relative ease, but powerful enough that the drone can punch through most tank armours.
What the claws cant dent, the build in construction laser can usually take apart. Theoretically not a military grade weapon, the laser was designed by GLACORP to cut steel and tritanium construction beams, but has proven moderatly effective in testing. In combat simulations, drones could slice through six inches of steel armour in five seconds, creating a hole large enough to gain access to the interior of a vehicle within twenty seconds, although this would only be required in order to capture a vehicle, in most cases the drone can simply disable the vehicle by attacking its treads or weapons systems, or, in the case of lighter vehicles, pulling them apart.
Defences:
GLACORP opted for minimal armour protection on this model of drone because the primary focus of this line will be numbers. The armour is enough to stop light arms and an internal electronic warfare protection suite nullifies all but the strongest EMP and electrical blasts, as well as foiling most attempts to hijack the drones control.
The drone can supporting and moving itself on five of its fourteen legs, although at significantly reduced speed. If it loses more than that, it uses the secondary system to return to base.
The drones are capable of both minor self repairs, and somewhat more wide ranged repairs on each other.
Artificial Intelligence and Tactical Applications:
The drones AI is fairly sophisticated, as AI is one element that can be reproduced easily at low cost no matter how complex it is.
The drones are programmed with a curiosity to investigate things while their driving desire is to exterminate all opposition. The ICS makes no distinction between armed and unarmed, only recognizing 'Friend' or 'Foe'.
The reasoning behind this is that it would be relativly easy for an enemy to simply drop his weapon and tear up the drone with a wrench or similar item, thus the drones will simply kill anybody they see who is not identified by their own programming as a 'friend'.
The curiosity is an important part of the program, the drones will investigate everywhere for enemies, traps and other battlefield paraphenalia, and enjoy it. This means that clearing urban environments and ship interiors will be relativly easy compared to the level of difficulty present when attempting these operations with standard infantry.
The tactical applications of the drone are quite simply the same as those of infantry, plus some. As they cost relativly little, they can be applied in mass numbers in order to acheive greatest effect, it is estimated that GLACORP can produce 10,000 drones within four months once production is in full swing, that is, after the prototype and testing phases are completed.
The drone is not for sale and, according to GLACORP sources, never will be as part of its contract with the DGNT government.
With this in mind, the Dontgonearthere Government and GLACORP have begun working together to create an infantry-substitute capable of filling a traditional infantry role, and possibly exceeding it.
The first attempt, currently in beta testing is the ICSa Mk I Drone, that is, the Infantry Combat Substitute, model A, Mark I.
Stats:
Initial Concept
http://whatisthematrix.warnerbros.com/img/creaturespic3.jpg
Length: 2ft (12ft w/legs included)
Width: 3ft
Max Ground Speed, Sustained: 5 mi/h
Max Ground Speed, Sprint: 12mi/h
Max Air Speed, Sustained: 28 mi/h
Max Air Speed, Sprint: 74 mi/h
Power Source:
3 GLACORP 2/a micro-anti-matter reactors (2 active, one reserve)
Mobility:
14 'legs'
2 GLACORP MyG-12 Light Utility Hovermotors
Armament:
12 hardened claws
1 Light laser or other light weapon
4 Light fragmentation bombs
Defences:
2in Tritanium Armour
Redundant systems
Minor self-repair abilities
Details:
'Head' Detail
http://www.shinynewmachine.com/gallery/sentinel-pose.jpg
Description:
The ICS' 'head' is its most prominient feature, containing the 14 various sensors it uses to navigate in the modern battlefield. Each invididual 'eye' contains a different sensor system, detecting, variously, infra-red, magnetic fields, visible light, etc. etc.
Linked directly to the head are the 14 legs/arms that the drone uses when navigating on the ground, these also hold its main weapons, the three-bladed claws.
Directly under the head are various fine manipulators, which can double as legs in an emergency, should the others be rendered inoperable to a degree where they can no longer support the body of the ICS.
Size:
Size was an important consideration with the ICS. First and foremost, it had to be able to fit anywhere a standard human could. Using some of the latest in miniturization technology, GLACORP developed the 2/a series of anti-matter reactors, which are detailed in the next section.
When fully extended the ICS measures twelve feet, however most of this is accounted for by the legs which are highly flexible and quite capable of fitting through any opening the body can make it through.
Power Source:
small enough to easily fit into the frame of the Mk I Drone. The reactors use a specially developed composite to contain the excess heat generated by the operating reactors while some is absorbed and used to power the containment system for the anti-matter itself.
The drone can run at reduced power for an extended period, long enough to return to base and re-arm in most cases, should the drone be crippled to the point where it must activate its reserve generator.
Each generator is capable of supporting an emergency containment field for the others, in the event of an explosion. If the last generator fails, the drone will most likely explode, although it uses a relativly small amount of anti-matter to power itself, thus the resultant explosion is not exceptionally large.
Mobility:
As with the 2/a series of generators, the MyG-12's are marvels of modern engineering. It took some time to develope an engine that could fit into the ICS' frame without forcing significant expansion, but it works well enough. However the drone cannot bear significant loads over long distances, which is why the secondary system (IE: the legs) were included in the design.
The legs are strong enough to support an extra ton of weight without undue stress upon the frame as a whole. This is partially due to the drones ability to spread out the weight of its burned over its legs and to extend its claws to spread the weight further.
As a result of this, the drone is also quite capable of ripping doors off of hinges and so forth.
Armament:
14 arms with three claws each is equal to a whole lot of pain. The claws are composed of a composite with a hardened artificial diamond edge, each has two joints. The claws are delicate enough that they can pick up an egg with relative ease, but powerful enough that the drone can punch through most tank armours.
What the claws cant dent, the build in construction laser can usually take apart. Theoretically not a military grade weapon, the laser was designed by GLACORP to cut steel and tritanium construction beams, but has proven moderatly effective in testing. In combat simulations, drones could slice through six inches of steel armour in five seconds, creating a hole large enough to gain access to the interior of a vehicle within twenty seconds, although this would only be required in order to capture a vehicle, in most cases the drone can simply disable the vehicle by attacking its treads or weapons systems, or, in the case of lighter vehicles, pulling them apart.
Defences:
GLACORP opted for minimal armour protection on this model of drone because the primary focus of this line will be numbers. The armour is enough to stop light arms and an internal electronic warfare protection suite nullifies all but the strongest EMP and electrical blasts, as well as foiling most attempts to hijack the drones control.
The drone can supporting and moving itself on five of its fourteen legs, although at significantly reduced speed. If it loses more than that, it uses the secondary system to return to base.
The drones are capable of both minor self repairs, and somewhat more wide ranged repairs on each other.
Artificial Intelligence and Tactical Applications:
The drones AI is fairly sophisticated, as AI is one element that can be reproduced easily at low cost no matter how complex it is.
The drones are programmed with a curiosity to investigate things while their driving desire is to exterminate all opposition. The ICS makes no distinction between armed and unarmed, only recognizing 'Friend' or 'Foe'.
The reasoning behind this is that it would be relativly easy for an enemy to simply drop his weapon and tear up the drone with a wrench or similar item, thus the drones will simply kill anybody they see who is not identified by their own programming as a 'friend'.
The curiosity is an important part of the program, the drones will investigate everywhere for enemies, traps and other battlefield paraphenalia, and enjoy it. This means that clearing urban environments and ship interiors will be relativly easy compared to the level of difficulty present when attempting these operations with standard infantry.
The tactical applications of the drone are quite simply the same as those of infantry, plus some. As they cost relativly little, they can be applied in mass numbers in order to acheive greatest effect, it is estimated that GLACORP can produce 10,000 drones within four months once production is in full swing, that is, after the prototype and testing phases are completed.
The drone is not for sale and, according to GLACORP sources, never will be as part of its contract with the DGNT government.