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Greetings to all who enter my domain. Death to all who would disrespect it.
[edit] About Me
I am Lord-General Aurum Augustus Victrix of the Golden Armies of Aurumnia. I consider myself an excellent military strategist, and as proof have led my men to countless victories. I love studying the tactics of various fighting forces throughout history, the Romans in particular. I am an avid fan of Rome: Total War, and frequently play it online, when circumstances permit. As such, I also eagerly await the release of Medieval II: Total War and will probably play it religiously when it does grace us with its presence.
[edit] My Thoughts on Military Conduct and Strategy in the Oncoming 21st Century
[edit] Laser Weaponry
I forsee that in the future, lasers will be a standard armament on most U.S. aircraft. Lasers will probably be the counter to the exceptionally lethal laser-guided weaponry that now dominate the modern battle field. Lasers could easily target and destroy ballistic missiles and other explosives. On the terrestrial plane, lasers might have a slightly degraded use. While they would still be very lethal, the ability to use them effectively would be difficult. Lasers are purely line-of-sight weapons, so they would have no use in destroying entrenched positions.
Whether or not lasers will be used as infantry weapons is questionable. Since the laser is invisible in the normal spectrum, one could surmise that this weapon would make the ideal sniping tool. Hwever, the amount of power required to fire the weapon would necessitate the transport of some sort of external power source, such as a battery. This would be of great hindrance to the sniper team, whose duty requires complete stealth. If the power source were shrunk to a manageable size, then it might make a good infantry weapon, but until then, we'll just have to watch Star Wars.
We all would like to see and/or own a giant pilotable robot, but their military application in today's world would be a very abstract one. Powered exoskeletons will definately make their debue on the battlefield sometime in the furture, but probably in the form of a soldier's uniform.
To my eye, a mech could only be used if it was able to move exactly like a human, but only larger. A mech could not be a 10-story tall machine as depicted in much media. Such a vehicle would not be able to move more than a couple miles from its activation point before it had about 20 precision munitions hitting it at once. Mechs would have to be smaller, perhaps no more than 18 feet tall. However, this would require many complex mechanations it order for the vehicle to move. And, for any mech to truly be a viable weapon in today's world, a number of technologies need to be developed first.
Such technologies would include a new method of power generation, some sort of armor for the vehicle, and drastic advances in the field of robotics. Some of these robotic technologies could include "artificial muscle." Such a fibrose substance could be wrapped around the metal "skeleton" of the mech, and provide it with locomotion much as the human body does, that is, contracting certain fibers to pull the skeleton in one direction or another.
As for armament, a mech could concievably carry any modern-day combat system, be it an armor-piercing cannon, or an automatic weapon. I could see, as crazy as it sounds, mechs supplementing their armor with a "shield" that they could carry and use to direct defense to where it is needed.
However, the logistics involved with creating and maintaining a force of mechs of any size are incredibly intimidating. The costs of developing these technologies at present time would be astronomical, and implementing them more so. These technologies would also take decades to develop even if development started this very day.
As disappointing as it may sound, mechs are not viable at present time and may not be for a great many years, although it is an amusing thought.
-For more information, see Mecha.
[edit] What then of the ordinary ground-pounder?
The individual soldier will never be replaced until we have created robots that can think and adapt to every different combat situation. Up until that point, the soldier will continue to be a deciding force on the battlefield when combat switches to urban operations and in extreme environments where armored vehicles cannot go.
As such, the soldier's armament and armor will continue to advance, becoming more of a combat system. Soldiers will all be linked to one network of communications and control. Very soon in the furture, commanders will have a system that resembles an RTS control board, that is, commanders will be able to issue instantaneous orders and will have a full view of the battlefield. Such a system will give its possesor a massive advantage over his opponent.
[edit] Where to Find Me
If anyone is a Rome: Total War fan and would like to test their mettle against me, you can find me online at just about any reasonable time. I'll usually have my own game set up, which is always called "Face the Gold Army!" I encourage anyone to try, especially if you're good, or at least THINK you are (yes, that was a challenge).
