Weapons: TS-era Hydra Rockets.

            The TS-era enjoys considerable advances in computing and miniaturization. Homing projectiles as small as 4mm are relatively common. New compositions of explosives make smaller weapons more powerful. It is inevitable that such technologies be used to upgrade some older, well established weapon systems.

2.75”/70mm rockets such as the current Hydra-70 still see wide-scale use in the TS-era, gaining new capabilities from technological advances. They are generically known as “Hydras”, “2.75s”, “Seventies”, “FFARs”, “seventeen-pounders” etc even though they are now produced by a number of different companies under different brand names.

             Originally developed as air-to-air weapons the 2.75” Folding Fin Aerial Rockets (FFAR) have mainly been used in a air-to-ground role. Initially very little use of them in a surface-to-surface role was made, most attempts being field improvisations or prototypes. The efforts that were made usually used the rockets in an artillery role as a MBRL system. Eventually it was recognized that these weapons could provide useful additional firepower for light ground vehicles such as APCs. A faster burning motor better suited to shorter range direct fire applications became available. This gave rockets a higher initial velocity and flatter trajectory.

            In the early 21^st century attempts were made to create cost-effective guided/homing versions of the FFARs, usually using semi-active laser homing (SAHL). By the TS-era low cost, effective homing systems become common so by 2100 nearly all FFAR encountered are likely to have seeker heads. The FFAR remains a useful weapon system for targets that do not require heavy weapons like the Jaguar missile but are more than a light cannon, mini-missiles or machine-gun can handle.

            FFARs are relatively simple weapons so cannot be used in vertical launch systems. They need to be aimed in the direction of the target before launch. For a ground vehicle this usually means some form of turret mount that can be aimed and elevated. Pods of FFARs mounted on the sides of AFV turrets are a commonplace. A number of other weapons are designed to utilize the same launcher systems. Aircraft may use fixed pods and turn towards the target before launch. TS-era FFARs can be considered to have Homing (Infravision) and can also be used in conjunction with a laser designator for the usual bonuses. Warheads weigh 10-17lbs. All Hydra rockets have backblast (HT4e p.147).

            FFARs need a launcher pod. This is usually either seven-shot or nineteen-shot. Lightweight pods are used on aircraft and UCAVs while armoured pods are used on fighting vehicles.  A single-shot tube and a four-shot pod is available for applications where weight is critical such as  light UCAVs. These smaller systems can be mounted on a tripod and fired remotely. Indirect fire artillery systems each carry the equivalent of several pods and are commonly mounted on light trailers or vehicles.

GUNNER (ROCKETS) (DX-4 or other Gunner at -4)                                                                                                                                                                 

Weapon	Damage	Acc	Velocity	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Notes
2.75” FFAR HEMP	6d x 12(10) cr ex + 5d x 4[3d+2] cr ex linked	12	550	70-10,500	30/21	7	7(10i)	22M	-9	1	[1]
	6d x 12(10) cr ex + 5d x 4[3d+2] cr ex linked	12			80/21	10	19(10i)	22M	-10	1	[1]
Beehive	2d+2 cut					7 x 2,400				1	[1]
Marker rocket	Special (6d x 3 pi++)										[1,2]

 
[1] Weight is for empty launcher/one rocket.

[2] Creates 19-yard radius cloud lasting 1 minute. TS-era marker/smoke rockets are designed to be non-lethal. Damage given is for being hit by a rocket that has not detonated.

FFARs used for surface-to-surface indirect fire have a minimum range of 765 yards and a maximum range of 16,000.

            For the fast-burn rocket motor used for direct fire from ground vehicles change velocity to 760yds/sec, minimum range to 30 yards and maximum to 5,000yds.

            A variety of warheads are available for FFARs. Pods mounted for direct fire on vehicles usually use HEMP along with a few flechette/beehive rounds for use against personnel and flying targets.

Firos-6 51mm.

            The Italian-made Firos-6 51mm air to ground rocket is a contemporary of the 2.75” but was less widely used. The use of smaller and lighter UCAVs and concerns about collateral damage were to give the 51mm a new lease of life. A 51mm rocket is half the weight of a 2.75”. New explosive formulations made the small rockets more powerful and low-cost seeker heads made them more deadly. All Firos rockets have backblast (HT4e p.147).

            TS-era 51mm rockets weigh 11lb with a 6lb warhead and are 1.05m long. Velocity is 560yd/sec and maximum range is 7,200yds. RoF is 10/sec. TS-era Firos-6 can be considered to have Homing (Infravision) and can also be used in conjunction with a laser designator for the usual bonuses. 

            Note: 51mm rockets would be very well suited to a GURPS Car Wars game.

GUNNER (ROCKETS) (DX-4 or other Gunner at -4)

Weapon	Damage	Acc	Velocity	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Notes
51mm Firos HEMP	6d x 8(10) cr ex + 9d[3d] cr ex linked	12	560	70-7,200	30/11	10	14(7i)	15M	-9	1	[1]

[1] Weight is for empty launcher/one rocket.

            Other warheads included HEI, fragmentation, chaff, smoke, marker, illumination and practice. The rocket is large enough to carry several hexes of cyberswarm.

            Launcher pods ranged from 12 to 48 rounds. Empty/Loaded weights for some 20th century examples were:

14 rockets:     33/167

18 rockets:    60/211

28 rockets:    88/320
 

            Use of TS-era materials may decrease the empty weight.
            A 48 round launcher suited to mounting on light vehicles was offered as a surface-to-surface MBRL system and purchased by the Mexican marines for mounting on French-built ACMAT (4 × 4) cross-country truck chassis. Range is 7,200yds, Rof=10 and reload time 5 mins. Launcher weight is probably about 150lb.

Weapons: Jaguar Missile

            "The Jaguars are a lot smarter than most of the people we fire them against!"       

Maj. "Panzer" Hanser, 21st Armoured Battalion.    

            

The Jaguar Missile is an air to surface and surface to surface missile. It can be rail or tube launched, dropped from an aircraft or fired from a vertical launch system (VLS). It is therefore capable of being launched from fixed and rotary wing aircraft, UAVs and ground vehicles. It is also used as a submunition for various large battlefield missiles. VLS pods of Jaguars may be carried on trucks or positioned in a combat area and fired remotely by any allied units within the area. Jaguar can engage a variety of targets including slow-moving aircraft.

The Jaguar  is an evolution of the 20^th/21^st century Hellfire and Brimstone missiles and closely resembles these weapons in basic appearance. The main difference is the Jaguar has a tri-mode seeker and the gimballed motor and thrust vectoring control technology developed for the Ifrit SRAAM (below). The thrust vectoring system gives greatly enhanced manoeuvrability and makes the weapon compatible with vertical launch systems. This allows for a reduction in the size of the stabilizing fins and an increase in body diameter. The larger diameter improves the efficiency of the warhead and increases fuel capacity.

The Jaguar has a 200mm body diameter, is 1.7m long and weighs 49kg (108lb). Velocity is around 500 yd/s or Mach 1.3+. The Jaguar missile is compatible with the 320mm launch tubes designed for the Ifrit. The standard 20lb warhead is a HEMP shaped charge with considerable blast-fragmentation effects. The design is modular so a SEFOP or thermobaric charge can be fitted instead. Modular construction also allows the easy installation of alternate or improved guidance or propulsion elements. A variant for suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) homes in on radar sources. A variant containing a number of anti-armour/anti-personnel submunitions lacks the seeker element and is directed by GPS/INS. Launch tubes can also be used to hold the Ifrit missile in a surface to air or air to air capability.

            The tri-mode seeker uses mmW radar, passive IIR CCD and optional semi-active laser-homing (SALH). A semi-active laser-homing mode allows the launch vehicle or a friendly unit to designate a target. The seeker will lock on to a target so will continue to home in on a designated target even if the laser illumination is removed for some reason. It can also be used without laser designation. The Jaguar is also capable of various behaviour programs that are selected before launch. For example, the missile can be told to fly to a certain location, taking a particular route and then only search for targets within a certain area or of a certain type. This programming allows the missile to change course after being launched so an aircraft does not have to fly towards a target to engage it. It may use terrain features for cover and to approach the target from an unexpected or poorly protected direction. This feature also allows ground vehicles and helicopters to fire from behind cover. If a target is in close proximity the vertically launching Jaguar will make a 270 degree loop in another direction to then approach the target horizontally. The missile’s millimetric radar allows terrain-avoidance and-terrain following flight options, allowing for a nap of the earth course or avoidance of obstacles such as trees. The guidance system of Jaguar has been constantly updated during its lifespan so the system is both smart and versatile. Like many TS-era anti-armour weapons the Jaguar will target the relatively weaker top armour of an armoured vehicle. It will also select for the weaker areas of this such as the hatches or engine covers. If targeting a vehicle such as an SUV “technical” the primary target will be the driver’s side window or windshield. If no driver is visible and the vehicle being driven by AI it would target the engine. If, however, the rear of the vehicle is transporting troops or cybershells it would give these priority.

Range depends on altitude and speed. For helicopters it can in excess of ten miles. For fixed wing aircraft it can be over twice this depending launch platform on altitude and speed.

Weapon	Damage	Acc	Velocity	Range	RoF	Notes
Jaguar Missile (HEMP)	6d x 40(10) cr inc + linked 8d x 3 cr ex [5d]	14	500	17,500+	1	[1,2]

[1] Homing (Hyperspectral Vision) attack (see p. B413), at missile's skill of 12. Firer rolls against Artillery (Guided Missile) to aim. On a success, the missile gets its Acc Bonus. Velocity is speed (yards/second).

[2] Jaguar  can be set for “passive” homing, making a Homing (Hyperspectral Vision) attack or for “active” homing, making a Homing (Imaging Radar) attack. The defence suppression variant can be set for “anti-radiation” to track any radio or radar signals the target emits, making a Homing (Detect Radar and Radio) attack.

Windtiger is a free-fall variant of Jaguar that replaces the rocket motor with aerodynamic control surfaces and fold-out glide wings. This is used as a submunition and from high-altitude aircraft.

Oncilla is a effectively a smaller version of Jaguar designed to be compatible with launching systems for the 2.75" Hydra FFAR rocket. Its 7lb warhead makes it suitable for targets where Jaguar would be too powerful. It uses semi-active laser-homing but can make pre-programmed course changes before acquiring its target, allowing for off-boresight launch. This capability has been exploited to create a vertical launch system for Oncilla that can be mounted on small naval craft.

Windcat is an rocket-boosted free-fall glide-bomb that uses many of the components of Oncilla and is used as a sub-munition or for dropping from high-flying platforms including relatively small UAVs. Intended as a low-collateral damage weapon it uses warheads derived from 60mm mortar bombs or the ILCAS-60 weapon system. Windcat weighs 14lb and has a warhead of around 3.75lb. An inert, “kinetic-kill” variant is also used. In stowed configuration it is 70mm x 520mm. Range is dependent on launch altitude and speed but can be in excess of 15 miles.

Sonojector

Uplifted dolphins have resulted in great advances in sonar technology. One product of this is the Sonojector

The Sonojector is a device used by medical orderlies, prison guards and some police. It is used to subdue violent patients or suspects.

The Sonojector resembles a small flashlight in shape. When the muzzle end of the Sonojector is pressed against a body it emits a sonar pulse. The resonance of the pulse through the volume of tissue is used by the device to estimate the size of the target. This data is used to regulate the dose of tranquilizer that is then injected into the target by a needleless jet injector system.

Weapons: Police Armgun.

           We are told very little about the police armgun in the original book (TS3e p.155) or “Changing Times” (p.62). We are told it holds four 15mm micro-missiles and an electolaser. The electrolaser is described as a pistol but its profile suggests something between an electrolaser pistol and rifle. The “Assault Pod” containing a 4mm PDW and four micro-missiles may or may not be a similar device. My impression was that this latter system was more commonly mounted on RATS and battlesuits.

           It could be that the police armgun is also intended for battlesuits and cybershells. I am going to make the assumption that in most neighbourhoods the police do not need to wear battlesuits and that the armgun is a weapon system worn strapped to the forearm.

           The police armgun has a number of advantages. One of these is that the weapon cannot be dropped and would be very difficult to wrest-off an officer. Unlike a pistol in a holster the gun does not need to be drawn to be used. The armgun would also provide some protection for the forearm, acting as a vambrace when parrying or blocking club or knife attacks.

           The electrolaser might include a lower-powered “sting” setting for situations where the officer needs to discourage an aggressor rather than disable them. The four 15mm launchers might be loaded with different forms of micromissile. A typical loadout might be two non-lethal tangler rounds, a homing anti-personnel round and a HEMP. The HEMP is the officer’s last resort and can be used against vehicles, cybershells and heavily armoured targets.

           It is very likely that a police armgun would incorporate some means of illumination, equivalent to a standard/ “heavy” flashlight (HT4e p.52 or UT4e p.74). The flashlight includes an extra bright setting that can be used for signalling in daytime or dazzling a suspect at close range. The flashlight also includes infra-red and ultraviolet LEDS. Ultraviolet light can be used to detect blood and bodily fluids. Some drug residues are visible under UV light and it is also used to detect some forms of counterfeit money or marked stolen property. Infrared light sources can be used to detect blood splatter, fibres and gunshot residue. This will be a useful capability for cops on the beat. Forensic specialists have more sophisticated multi-spectral light systems, of course. TS-era cops will probably have some form of helmet camera and it is likely this will have a near-infra-red capability that can be used to give the officers night vision via their HUD visors. IR output from the armgun flashlight will be useful in places where there is very little light of any kind.

           The electrolaser component of the armgun will include a visible aiming laser. Putting a laser spot on someone can intimidate or deter a potential aggressor and reduce the likelihood of actual violence.

           Another device that an armgun assembly may include is a pen-sized pepperspray projector.

           It occurs to me that firing an armgun would be somewhat different to using a pistol, SMG or rifle. If you point at something with your finger or a toy gun you will notice that the line of your forearm tends to point inward of this. TS-era police doubtless use their HUDs or aiming lasers so this is seldom an issue for them. If these aiming systems fail, or the user is more used to more conventional weapons this may have an effect. A case can be made for making the use of an armgun a new speciality, either Beam Weapons (Armgun) for a police armgun or Guns (Armgun) for an assault pod.

Weapons: Supersonic Tactical Missiles.

A military commander or political leader in 2100 has hitherto unheard of levels of surveillance at his disposal. Surveillance dust and fluff, spybirds, satellites, bumblebots, high-altitude UAVs and many other systems. High level AIs rapidly process vast amounts of raw data into usable information. Accordingly, the strategies of enemies have adapted to deal with such capabilities. Movement is often made in short bursts, travelling just a few kilometres from one camouflaged or protected position to another. Such furtive moves are most commonly made when beyond the range of standard military weapons. The target has gone before artillery or aircraft can be moved into strike range.

To meet such eventualities supersonic tactical ballistic missiles (TBM) see a greater level of deployment and use. In the past such systems were Corps or Army-level assets. They are now often encountered as artillery brigade or even battalion-level weapons. TBMs can be countered by systems such as laser defences but they remain a useful weapon against less well-protected but fleeting targets. The latest TBMs include ablative coatings and other measures to lessen the effectiveness of lasers.
 

 

A variety of systems are in wide use. The smallest are about 6 yards long and designed to fit in the vertical launch system silos that are a standard fitting of many warships and submarines. These silos can launch a variety of missiles including the Cruise-UCAVs described in a previous post. Small TBMs such as these are often based on the airframe of surface-to-air and anti-satellite missiles and the same basic design is also used as an antishipping missile. Typically such missiles have a warhead of around 250lbs and some can achieve speeds of Mach 10+.

Larger missiles offer the potential of greater warhead capacity. Many designs carry a number of smart or dumb submunitions, each capable of taking out a military vehicle. Missiles such as this come with a number of attack options. A missile fired at a staging area or camp would release all of its submunitions at one, while one attacking a convoy would follow the course of a road, releasing munitions at intervals.
 

 

The considerable firepower that some forces can bring to bear can often be countered by tunnelling, constructing bunkers and other military entrenchments. Digging deep has become a little easier for TS combatants. Even relatively simple robots such as the TNs make effective miners that will dig tirelessly and are not bothered by underground conditions. If a tunnel caves-in the robots can simply be dug out again and put back to work! Specialist cyberswarms can be used to break down soil and rock to make them easier for larger systems to move and shape. Deep underground structures have little to fear if fired upon by conventional field artillery. Many designs of TBM have a deep-penetration variant with a reinforced nose and intended to dive into a target at supersonic speeds and detonate a few seconds later.  

Other variants of TBM can use thermobaric, tactical nuclear, EMP, cyberswarm and chemical warheads. At least one model does not impact a target but uses its altitude advantage to fire down on ground and airborne targets with its own laser.
 

 

Like many other TS-era weapon systems many TBM systems are designed to resemble and be handled as 20ft and 40ft ISO shipping containers. This makes the deployment of such systems more discrete and provides a number of additional launch options. The following video will give some idea on the potential of this, although the Club-K is actually a cruise missile rather than a TBM. The Israeli LORA gives us an example of a quad TBM launcher resembling a 20ft ISO.

            The RIM-161 Standard-3 missile can be used as a model for a small, VLS-compatible TBM. This is a surface to air missile with anti-ballistic missile and anti-satellite capability. The earlier RIM-67 Standard-2 could be used as an anti-shipping missile so it is no great stretch of the imagination to see the Standard-3 being the basis of a family of weapons that includes land attack variants. The main differences would be in the warheads and guidance systems. Note that the current and near future SAM versions are listed as having a range of up to 1,350 miles, ceiling of 933 miles and speed of Mach 10-15.
 

 

            For a larger missile system the 9K720 Russian Iskander is a good choice, having a 700kg warhead, range of 310 miles and travelling at Mach 6-7. Despite being called a ballistic missile I can make in-flight manoeuvres and corrections, which is likely to be a common capability of TS-era TBMs. The Israeli LORA and MGM-140 ATACMS can be uses as models for a more modestly-ranged TBM intermediate between the Standard-3 and Iskander.