Zan replied to me: > > On desert worlds, the Planetary Defense Forces have few places to hide > > from orbital sensors. The Instellarms Model 32 ATV is one solution -- it > > can dig itself a hole until only the sensor periscope shows. > > I wonder how deep it has to go in order to hide from penetrating radar > frequencies and magnetic anomaly sensors. If the desert also contains > subsurface metallic rocks it would help.
Radar is an active sensor, i.e. an invitation to get an ARM. MAD could be a problem, but the hull is composite, not iron. > The sensor periscope is great. I just had the idea that a unit of these > should have some drone sensors with it, which would have the same sensor > periscope and network with the others via laser communicator or fiber-optic. Lasercoms require line of sight. Won't work if the main unit retracts all antennas/periscopes. Better a cable network for emplaced sensors or burrowing drones. > I am also wondering if these would leave surface tracks which could be > followed from the air to the hiding places. Is there some way in GURPS to > put a sand sweeper or something to drag along behind to cover the tracks? No explicit rules. A little range truck with a bulldozer blade. Or go into hiding just before the next sandstorm comes. > Thinking of hiding, if a planet is under siege by an orbiting spaceship, > what do the ground forces have available to destroy orbiting recon sats? The Model 32 ATV? If can fire standard starship missiles, which are surface-to-orbit capable. > They should have some surface to space missiles in order to open up some > time when they're not under observation if they need to change positions. > If they don't have enough ground missiles to take out the spaceship they > may still have enough to take out recon and communication sats which would > be useful if the enemy only has one or two ships. If you launch at all, why not at a high-value target like a ship? Regards, Onno _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
