Equipping Federation Troops Intelligently

[Ted C]

Using only canon Trek technology, how would you equip Federation foot troops. I suppose we can throw support vehicles and equipment into the discussion, too.

1) Redesign hand-phasers to have a safe, ergonomic grip. Put the most useful settings on a thumb switch for easy changes.

2) Make the later model phaser rifles more robust. Consider an underslung support weapon like a grenade launcher.

3) Equip each soldier with a helmet and flak vest. NBC protection gear should be available as an option.

4) Equip each soldier with a transport inhibitor. It needs to have an easy-to-reach on/off switch.

5) Manufacture and distribute photon grenade mortars as support weapons; develop grenades with a variety of yields.

6) Develop some vehicles that can withstand light phaser fire for transport. Equip them with some support weaponry.

7) Develop and distribute some long-range artillery support weapons.

[Kuja]

That bazooka Worf used in ST:I has some potential. Pack some REAL explosives in one of those.

[Typhonis 1]

bring back the armor seen in ST3. use the old phaser pistol design just update it . look into tricorder goggles they could use a heads up display in the field

[Ted C]

Lessee...

Some passive sensors would be useful, like IR goggles and such.

Assorted camouflage uniform patterns.

Hand grenades.

[Knife]

1. Reorganize the troops into actual fighting units and not a hodgpodge of
ships security and non security forces. Lower the amount of officers
and encrease the enlisted elements of the force.

2. Suit them up in some sort of uniform that allows for free movements
and helps blend in with the enviroment they are in.

3. Equip them with some sort of protective gear. Doesn't need to be
phaser proof per say, but at least making a phaser hit survivable.
Also have protection available for NBC weapons and/or hostile
atmospheres.

4. Units will have combined arms at all levels. Basic levels (fire teams)
will have one variation or other of the MK III phaser rifle.



This will be the standard fire arm of the infantry units. Secondary weapons could be issued such as hand phasers, but that is situational.

5. Atleast one out of every four infantrymen (one in every fireteam) will
have some sort of Anti Armor weapon. Tenitively the so called
isomagnetic disenigrator.



6. The dune buggy of death will be deployed with the infantry as a recon
and light support vehicle.

7. All troops and the dune buggy of death will be air mobile with the use
of dedicated shuttle craft. Either the 'hopper' that is mentioned
repeatedly on screen but never seen, or some varient of existing craft.

8. Pray this will work long enough while some actual good gear for the
infantry is developed.

[Ted C]

I wonder how effective the armor was that security guards wore in Star Trek III, VI, etc.

We'll never know, but if it were worth the weight, they probably wouldn't have stopped using it.

[Crayz9000]

Or else they dumped it for cost reasons...

[paladin]

Assorted camouflage uniform patterns.

Given the fact the US Army is looking to develop a single uniform that can change colors to blend in, I think it should be easy for the Feds to develop something that is better.

[Uraniun235]

Or else they dumped it for cost reasons...

This is possible.

In Star Trek 6, IIRC Spock said that by entering a peace treaty with the Klingons and disarming along the Klingon Neutral Zone, the Federation would be more free to grapple with 'pressing social issues'. The Federation's resources are not infinite.

Plus, it's probably easier to equip 12 Constitution class starships and however many other starships the 23rd century Starfleet may have had than it would be to equip the larger number of starships Starfleet probably has in TNG.

[TrailerParkJawa]

I wonder how effective the armor was that security guards wore in Star Trek III, VI, etc.

I read in one of the Star Trek encyclopedias that they were like flak jackets. but I dont think the book would be canon.


1. Id equip all troops with a flak vest and helmet.
2. Reintroduce the shotgun for close quarters combat against Klingons and thier pointy sticks.
3. Issue actual gear someone in the field needs like, canteens, gloves, a rope, etc.

[EmperorMing]

Keep the damn flag officers and ships captains from going on away missions...

Ships security should be marines, like what is used today.

Troops shoudl be trained in at least some basic standard of hand-to-hand combat.

Vision enhancement/eye protection should be the norm, considering the situations they could get themselves involved in. Ala Predator or Aliens...

[Grand Moff Yenchin]

Assorted camouflage uniform patterns.

Given the fact the US Army is looking to develop a single uniform that can change colors to blend in, I think it should be easy for the Feds to develop something that is better.

Maybe the Feddies could use some tech based on those suits in Insurrection.

Holo-army (Something like that holo-race in Voyager).

hmm.....sounds like I'm Trekkie-tech wanking

[Ted C]

Maybe the Feddies could use some tech based on those suits in Insurrection.

Holo-army (Something like that holo-race in Voyager).

hmm.....sounds like I'm Trekkie-tech wanking

Yes, it does.

The holographically camouflaged suits required the main base to operate, so they wouldn't be useful in the field. They might be helpful for security around Fed installations (although there are obviously sensors that can defeat them), but useless for invading enemy territory.

Side Note: Anyone else notice that the Federation violated the Treaty of Algernon again by using a cloaked ship in ST:I?

Holographic soldiers would also be dependent on emitter systems in the combat zone, something you couldn't rely on in enemy territory. It might have limited utility for defending installations, but it wouldn't be as reliable as real troops.

[TrekWarsie]

I would use the technology that they have now. I would add in a basic army unit to Starfleet, or make a Federation ground assault srmy that worked with Starfleet. I would add in basic H2H combat training and weapons training.

I would also have a pulse autofire setting added to the Phaser rifles. I'd also make a widebeam kill setting for the hand phasers, assuming that they don't already have one. I'd also build some tanks, assuming they don't already have them (I heard somewhere that the Klingons have tanks so I think that it would be stupid for the Federation to not have them).

Lastly, and most importantly, I'd have them teach combat tactics to these soldiers. Federation soldiers have the weapons technology to be devastating against ground opponents if only they used their weapons properly. Tell the front soldiers to fire a widebeam to either stun or kill the enemy, and keep mowing down the enemy. I can't overestimate how effective this tactic would have been against the Jem'Hadar in the Siege of SR 588. The Federation would have probably only had a hand full of casualties at most.

[HemlockGrey]

The Federation tech we've seen so far would work best in a light assault/recon force.

[Smiling Bandit]

Side Note: Anyone else notice that the Federation violated the Treaty of Algernon again by using a cloaked ship in ST:I?

As long as they didn't actually pilot the ship, its OK. I don't think the treaty said anything about non-federation races using it, even them using it in Fed space.

My question is: what's the mission. Give me the technology and I can equip your forces, but you have to tell me what each service needs.

[seanrobertson]

Yes, it does.

The holographically camouflaged suits required the main base to operate, so they wouldn't be useful in the field. They might be helpful for security around Fed installations (although there are obviously sensors that can defeat them), but useless for invading enemy territory.

Right.

The same might be true of personalized shields, in addition to the shortcomings of having an emitter on your body.

[Grand Moff Yenchin]

Yes, it does.

Points

I think another thing the Feddies should do (which is a little OT) is to change their military structure to include at least a REAL marine-like division, the Starfleet (and most races in Trek) have almost zero sense on land combat, this part of them really needs some development.

[Grand Moff Yenchin]

Troops shoudl be trained in at least some basic standard of hand-to-hand combat.

I think they already have some according to 'Way of the Warrior' (DS9), Sisko & Co. had a fine time kicking Klingon ass.

[Smiling Bandit]

Troops shoudl be trained in at least some basic standard of hand-to-hand combat.

But only for physical ability ioncreases and to get used to fighting. They should NEVER actually be expected to use it, barriung some strange alien menace that, for no apparent reason, wants to wrestle.

Very well, here are my plans:

They need to have a Marine force equipped and trained to guard the ship and to breach and destroy enemy defenses. They will be arranged into 4 man patrols, 13 man squads, 40 man platoons, 122 man strike forces, and 368 man regiments on ship. On the rare occaisions that they should need more than that, 1106 man brigades and 5540 man divisions are available, but the command structure is not set up to handle higher numbers of troops at once. Note that the structure is essentially increased by a multiple of three for each level, plus some command staff.

Each man wears a flak jacket, available in camoflauge color patterns easily replicated to match the environment. A helmet, designed to maximize protection for the face and eyes with a clear visor and HUD with communicators built in is provided. Each man will be equipped with three grenades, usually two standard frag grenades and one flash-bang and a sidearm phaser limited to stun. Most combat troops will carry the new Phasor Rifle, pending development of much lighter combat models. The largest trooper in each squad will be equipped with an automatic non-energy weapon or an explosive launcher or a flamer. Group tactics revolve around this weapon. Squad leaders carry more advanced com gear. They can respond quickly, but do not carry enough gear and food to stay in the field long.

When in trouble, they can call upon more serious ground combat troops. These are equipped with drone tanks and drone planes, are more heavily equipped for long-term operations. This army doe snot come in less than regimental strength (about 5000 men) and easily up to one division may be deployed (up to 25,000 men) in the field. They have their own dedicated transport ships, supply vessels, and escorts, and must be capable of operating without resupply for six months, minimum.

[Pu-239]

I suppose they could reverse engineer the Doc's holoemitter for holosoldiers. Or you could always put a hologram AI into a battle droid or something. Then again this might be more costly than soldiers, but I suppose they could simply replicate them.

[Grand Moff Yenchin]

I suppose they could reverse engineer the Doc's holoemitter for holosoldiers. Or you could always put a hologram AI into a battle droid or something. Then again this might be more costly than soldiers, but I suppose they could simply replicate them.

IIRC the mobile emitter couldn't be replicated.

[Pu-239]

I meant droids. Besides I'm sure if some 20th century guy could reverse engineer the holoemitter, the feds could. They did repair it after who knows what happened to it when it ended up in that borg's brain (stupid episode though, like why should a holoemitter contain information to develop all this advanced tech? )

[Ted C]

I meant droids.

What about droids? The Federation doesn't have a successful droid program. They haven't even been able to duplicate Soong's work, in spite of having Data and Lore for study (they've had Lore disassembled for years now). They even had Soong's laboratory, and presumably his notes, as of TNG's "Brothers", but they still haven't been able to produce another android.

Besides I'm sure if some 20th century guy could reverse engineer the holoemitter, the feds could.

And exactly when did someone in the 20th century reverse engineer this thing?

They did repair it after who knows what happened to it when it ended up in that borg's brain (stupid episode though, like why should a holoemitter contain information to develop all this advanced tech? )

I'm totally unfamiliar with this event. If you're referring to the Voyager episode "One"; I don't think the holoemitter itself was incorporated into the futuristic drone. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understood that some of the emitter's technology was somehow duplicated and incorporated into the unique drone, but the emitter itself was not.

[Lord Pounder]

Proper training, decent weaponary and no fucking jump suits seem to be the way forward. I sae some call here for Tanks too. The only problem with that is where would they be kept on the ship? Voyager Elite Force seems to be the model of a lot of arguements here.