Robot Fighter Aircraft

There were some informative articles this last week about the new X-47B robot fighter that the Navy is prototyping.  This thing is big and carries a payload of 10000 lbs or 4500 kg.  That's a lot of bombs and missiles.  The fighter is supposed to be autonomous (e.g. no human operator - even remote) and it raises a lot of questions about accountability (can the AI be at fault?) and the role of these weapons.  We know these things are coming - worst case scenario - Skynet and Judgement Day, so it should be a lively topic.

• http://www.businessinsider.com/bi-x-47b-2012-1
• http://www.stripes.com/news/navy/new-drone-has-no-pilot-anywhere-so-who-s-accountable-1.166805
• http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/nucasx47b/gallery.html 

I read the estimated timeline to operationalize these autonomous fighters in a decade so this is not science fiction any more.  It also brings into doubt all of our favourite science fiction with human pilots like:

• Macross
• Gundam
• Battlestar Galactica / Star Wars
• and any other novel or show

Humans can't really keep up with machines like this for endurance, high G maneuvers, etc.  Even now I've read about numbers like the U.S. military have something like 7,500 drones at the end of 2011, which is one third of their aircraft fleet.  We can swarm our enemies with robots.  Why are humans piloting these things in SF?

I think it is time to watch the movie Stealth again. I was reading the Wikipedia entry and it was cool to run across this "The film shares similar plot and situations with Macross plus. Cohen has admitted that his main influence for Stealth was Macross." COOL!

ALSO,

TOR is having military sci fi week and here are a couple of the posts that caught my attention.

• http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/01/starship-troopers-the-movie I like Scalzi's work and his commentary is pretty darn good.  I'd agree with his viewpoint (beautiful young people being chopped up by big bugs) on the movie too even though I hated the tech in the movie.
• http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/01/anime-on-the-front-lines Lots of military sci fi anime, but no Macross here.  Gundam is an great example though of Japanese military SF that involves mecha.

SCIENCE FICTION INFANTRY WARFARE

© Peter Lok, 1997.  All rights Reserved. 

 

NOTE: This article was originally written in 1997 and was current for the time.  Advances in conventional weaponry and communications have occurred in the 15 years since then.  At some point I'll write an update to this.

Starship Troopers - Flickr / PopCultureGeek.com

Introduction

For some reason, Hollywood has not done justice to warfare in science fiction. Science fiction writers in general do not do justice to warfare in the future. Most of the science fiction out there uses technology that is backward by today's standards. One of the best exceptions to this rule would be space operas like "Star Wars." Another exception would be intense world building books like "Dune" which uses military conflict only to as an aspect of building the fantastically strange culture within it.
 
Basically, the situation sucks in science fiction though. About the only thing that is done right is the fact that a grunt still has to go out and hold ground. It is about human courage and perseverence that carries the fight and the day. As humans we are typically outgunned to boot so we need all the firepower we can get, so this document will try to set the record straight.
 
This work will be broken up into three parts. The first part will be a listing of technology available to several types of science fiction infantry and conventional U.S. Marines of the 1990s. A discussion of the comparative effectiveness of the various types of infantry presented will then be done. The third part will cover what the military in the United States is trying to develop for the twenty-first century. The technology of the future battlefield will also be discussed, and the key point is about how lethal the environment will be.

Science Fiction Infantry Compared

Science fiction infantry covers a massive spectrum. For the purposes of this discussion, only 3 near future types of infantry will be covered. They are troop types that are identifiable to us, and are more easily dealt with due to their similarity to our current concept of a soldier.
 

Starship Troopers - The Book by Robert A. Heinlein

Heinlein was the first to portray powered infantry. "Powered" means infantry using armoured exoskeletons that are power/hydraulically assisted to enhance the strength of the soldier. This is the most powerful type of infantry to be discussed in this paper. These are highly trained, elite infantrymen who are the equivalent of today's elite troops like marines or paratroops.
 
Infantry Weapons/Armour

• Powered Armour Suit "you look like a big steel gorilla, armed with gorilla sized weapons."
  2000 lbs of steel forged to make a sealed NBC and vacuum protected environment.
• Suit enhances the natural strength of a trooper and and easily crush a gorilla.
• Suits can be controlled so a trooper can pick up an egg without breaking it.
• Suits are worn like a second skin so it is natural and subconscious to use it.
• Has ability to move fast in low bounds by leaping. Can leap onto low buildings.
• Has rocket assisted takeoff and landing for longer/higher leaps and landings.
• Has hand and heavy flamers - a heavy duty laser continuous beam laser weapon.
• Have back-mounted automated bomb launchers.
• Decoy grenades and real grenades.
• Troopers have a high explosive or nuclear rocket launcher.

Communications Gear

• Helmet mounted radios - at least 3 audio circuits.

Sensory Enhancement Gear

• IR Snoopers
• Rangefinders - probably laser.
• Audio enhancers.
• Radar mappers to see platoon dispositions and map.
• Homing beacon locator.

Other Gear

• On-board recycling system for air and human wastes, built-in thermal signature suppresion, medication injectors, water nipples, nutrient dispensers.
• Gyro-stabilized suits.
• Built-in diagnostics in the suits, can be remote monitored by platoon leader.
• Self-sealing.
• Lights 

Squad Organization

• Squad leader - sargeant in command suit.
• 9 grunts - in marauder suits.

NOTES: Are command, marauder, and scout suits. There is a special weapons squad.

Starship Troopers - The Movie

Infantry Weapons/Armour

• Morita Smartrifle - conventional design, has a high magazine capacity (more than 30 rounds the way they fired in the movie - but it is hard to believe they could have had more considering it fires a 7.62 mm cased round and the small size of the magazines). Fires at 600 rpm. Seems to have a undermounted pump shotgun.
• MX-90 hand grenade.
• Tactical Nuke Launcher that fires the MN3 tactical nuclear warhead with smart guidance.
• M3 tactical helmet.
• Some kind of vest - probably ballistic cloth.

Communications Gear

• Beltcom on belt
• Com backpack

Sensory Enhancement Gear

• Some night vision scopes and telescopic sights
• Electronic binoculars.

Other Gear

• Bayonet

Squad organization

• Squad leader - armed with rifle.
• 9 grunts - 1 rocket launcher, all armed with rifles.

NOTES: Have access to heavy machineguns.  Assault craft have some kind of energy cannon or mortar.

Colonial Marines From The Aliens Movie

Infantry Weapons/Armour

• M-41A Pulse Rifle - bullpup rifle design, 99 round magazine, 10 mm HEAP caseless round has an integral undermounted pump action grenade launcher with 5 rounds. Fires on full auto around 600 rpm.
• Smartguns - light machineguns that are semi-autonomous in targeting, enhancing the gunner, large magazine capacities.
• Pistols - a mix of various calibers and magazine capacities
• Shotguns.
• Flame throwers.
• Chest plates made of alloy for front and back protection.
• Armoured boots + alloy greaves.
• Helmets

Communications Gear

• Helmet mounted radios
• Helmet mounted cameras to show squad leader what the squad sees.

Sensory Enhancement Gear

• Infra-red vision enhancers
• Electronic binoculars

Other Gear

• Motion Trackers
• Homers

Squad organization

• Lieutenant commands a squad
• 1 squad leader - sargeant
• 2 fire teams of 4. 1 smart gun, 1 flamer, 2 riflemen in each. 

NOTES: Have heavy machine guns - that can be operated as remotes with 1000 round magazines. and armoured personnel carriers with heavy weapons (light cannon?). Can call in tactical nuclear strikes from space, or nerve gas. Marines are dropped in within an APC from a dropship (crew 2) that is armed with guns, and rockets/missles. Lieutenant stays in the APC to monitor the vital signs of the troopers, checking maps, and giving guidance to his men.
 

Conventional US Marines of the late 1990s

Infantry Weapons/Armour

• M-16A2 assault rifle - conventional design, 30 round magazine, 5.56 mm jacketed SS109 ball ammo. Semi-auto and 3 round burst capability.
• M-203 grenade launcher mounted underneath an M16. Fires a variety of 40mm grenades including shot shell, HE, HEAP, Smoke.
• M249 Squad automatic weapon - light machinegun, 5.56 mm ammo, 200 round ammo box, and take M16 ammo magazines.
• AT4 Rocket launcher - Anti-tank rocket.
• Variety of hand grenades including M49 high explosive.
• Beretta M9 - 9mm semi-automatic pistol, 15 round magazine.
• Flack jackets
• Kevlar helmet
• Claymore mines

Communications Gear

• Backpack radios
• Flares
• Smoke grenades 

Sensory Enhancement Gear

• LI goggles
• Thermal sights for rifle
• Telescopic sights for rifle
• Binoculars

Other Gear

• GPS
• NBC gear
• Bayonet
• Entrenching tool

Squad Organization

• 1 Squad leader - sargeant
• 2 fire teams - 1 rifleman/grenadier, 1 SAW gunner, 2 riflemen each.

NOTES: Squads have access to call in heavier weapons such as heavy machineguns, SMAW bunker busting rocket launcher teams, anti-tank missle teams, automatic grenade launchers, anti-aircaft missle teams, and mortars. Close air-support is also a big bonus, along being able to call in fire missions from field artillery. In addition the marines have tanks and armour personnel carriers with a variety of weapons ranging from machine guns, light cannon, and heavy cannon.

Discussion of the the Troop Types

The troop types presented above show some typical science fiction and conventional late-20^th century infantry. From a firepower perspective the Starship Troopers from Heinlein's novel are miniature tanks easily capable of taking on a platoons of the other types of soldier presented. The power-suited troopers are fast, mobile, and coordinated with devastating firepower at their disposal. The next most powerful troops would the the Colonial Marines from Aliens. These tough hombres pack a reasonable facsimile of near future firepower, but still falls short of the potential firepower available to the 21^st century soldier. Their large magazine capacity rifles with integral grenade launchers, sensor gear, and smart guns give them an edge in fire power over 20^th century troops. The late 20^th century marine troops have the next most available firepower with the soldiers in the Starship Troopers movie being the most badly undergunned. It is no wonder the soldiers in Starship Troopers got annihilated as they couldn't bring enough firepower to bear against attacking bugs. The use of nukes by lightly protected infantry is also pretty bad and it reminds me of a cartoon I once saw where a puzzled soldier tries to figure out how to throw a nuclear hand grenade far enough away when it has a lethal radius of a kilometre. This ranking of the troop types would also apply if they fought against each other, with the Colonial Marines and the current day marines being fairly on par.
 
Against waves of enemies charging across open ground the Heinlein Starship Troopers of the novel would be able to maneuver and fire an amazing amount of firepower. They would be able to use nuclear weapons at much closer ranges than the other troop types, have high-energy weapons capable burning swaths of enemies. To clear out an area near them they can also auto-dispense bombs to buy breathing space, not to mention jump out. The Colonial Marines would make a good showing, especially with the heavy weapons on the the APC and close air support from the drop ship. These marines could put out a lot of lead in short order. The current day marines would have slightly less personal firepower, and would have access to as-lethal close air-support, armour support, and artillery. The Starship Troopers in the movie seemed to be badly undergunned and on their own.
 
In close quarters the Heinlein Starship Troopers of the novel would be at an increased disadvantage as their superior firepower and mobility would be limited. They would be unable to get the full potential from their battle suits or use the big weapons as they could collapse buildings on themselves or hit each other. The other types of troops would be at a lesser disadvantage as their personal firepower is still mainly a bullet firing gun and their mobility and cover is at a maximum.
 

The Twenty-first Century Soldier and His Battlefield

The battlefield of the 21^st century is going to be a very lethal one. The introduction of computers into all weapon components, making "smart weapons", will make life short and deadly on the receiving end. Very few science fiction settings present technology that is close to what the near future will likely hold in store for us.
 
The typical gear of the 21^st century infantryman will be a head to toe sealed combat environment suit of armour plates and kevlar. This suit will have built in environmental control (to handle conditions from the arctic to the tropics), IR signature suppression, be sealed against chemical and biological weapons, and offer at least some full body protection from bullets/shrapnel/mines. The soldier will have a tactical helmet with a map display, built-in radio link, GPS positioning from satellite, with enhanced hearing, and night vision gear. The rifle will still be the standard weapon with a high capacity magazine firing high velocity caseless ammunition with telescopic sights and laser range finder. Both the range finder and telescopic sight can transmit data from the weapon to the soldiers helmet and to headquarters. An integral grenade/mini-rocket launcher will be part of the rifle. The grenades/mini-rockets will be possibly be smart enough so a soldier will be able to laser designate a target and have the grenade fly right at it with pinpoint accuracy or even detonate a meter behind it to get any soldiers using the wall for cover. In addition, the soldiers will have backpack mounted smart missles that are fire and forget to destroy larger targets like tanks and bunkers. Large armoured vehicles in this environment are very vulnerable and need lots of point-defence protection from smart artillery rounds, and missles to avoid obsolescence. Smaller robot tanks that have AI or are remotely operated may have a better chance at surviving. An infantryman in this environment may have a better chance at survival as they are more stealthy, but would be rapidly finished off if spotted and enough firepower is brought to bear. The infantry will now be more dispersed for survival and their biggest problem is still one of mobility, something that will still require a solution. Officers will also have more information on the exact position of their soldiers, be able to see what they see, and have unprecedented command and control abilities on the battlefield.
 

Conclusion

Speculation about the future is speculation. In military technology, you can only assume the battlefield gets more lethal and that combat becomes more intense. The face of combat will change, and may even become obsolete due to technological progress. While men are still involved in fighting, they will always want the best weapons available and blood will be spilled. Let us make sure they are not armed with second rate weapons, especially if they fight an alien menace. This is going to make storytelling a little harder, but storytelling is about creativity.
 

Appendix A. Stupid things involving weaponry in Sci Fi

1. X-File novel "Ruins" - Use of a mortar to level a pyramid of rock. This should only take about a year to do so.
2. Lasers - In general these weapons usually pack a punch, but they sure seem to fire slowly on TV. A submachinegun and a couple of grenades would clean out a pack of Klingons or stormtroopers advancing down a hall in no time. Lasers are almost never properly implemented. If they fire a pulse, it'll be more like a flash - like the pistols from Battlestar Galactica. No one also ever uses a high energy continuous beam - probably useful for slicing and dicing everything.
3. Grenades - Are almost never used in science fiction, but a real infantryman uses them whenever they can to clear a room, knock out a strongpoint, etc.
4. Carebears wiping out the Emperor's crack legion in "Return of the Jedi". How does a miniature bow with a stone arrowhead penetrate hard body armour?
5. Starship boardings - Use directional mines such as claymores to fill the whole corridor with lethal shrapnel. Guaranteed to stop pirates or navy boarding teams.