My answer to Brandon went AWOL because of a wrong reply-to. Brandon replied
to me:

> >>  I often refer to the M2 Bradley as an oversized light tank carrying an 
> >>  under-strength infantry squad, too big fr one job and too small for the
> >>  other. The BMP carries more men but is more of a deathtrap.
> > 
> > What is the alternative? Walking light infantry? A MBT-sized vehicle 
> > without guns?
> 
> I see two approaches: a 'battlefield taxi' (basically a highly updated M113) 
> that carries troops are close to the enemy as it's commander dares, armed 
> with anti-personnel weapons, and a MBT 'stretched' to carry an 8 man rifle 
> squad (sort of a giant Merkava)

AFAIK the Merkava can only carry a few troops if it ditches the 
main gun ammo. And it is heavy, how heavy would that stretched 
variant become?
 
> >>  > The suits will have a hard time following a tank assault.
> >> 
> >>  I'd put the infantry ahead of the tanks, not the other way around.
> > 
> > Depends on the situation. Tanks carry all that armor for a reason.
> 
> Infantry ahead of the tanks are more likely to find anti-tank defenses than 
> the tanks.

Walking infantry? Tank platoons have battle drills for action on 
contact, and assault is one option. 
 
> And, of course, the infantry can always ride on the tanks ...

A battlesuit can lock the hands onto grips on the tank.
 
> >>  > An IFV can have a driver, a gunner and a commander. All suit troopers 
> > are 
> >>  > multitasked.
> >> 
> >>  Not more than any other infantryman with a lot of sensor input directed
> >>  to their helmet HUD. Or a fighter pilot.
> > 
> > What percentage of the air/space force applicants make it into a 
> > fighter cockpit? And what percentage of the army recruits will end 
> > up in a battlesuit?
> 
> One could argue that the soldiers grew up as kids playing console games that
> familiarized them having to deal with so much input. TL 12 marines won't be
> mostly farmboys.

Console games train quick action to threat icons. Not the same as 
out-thinking an enemy.
 
> >>  > Is a stealth capsule more stealthy than a stealth dropship? The 
> > dropship
> >>  > has a higher size modifier, both are likely to top out at radical 
> > stealth
> >>  > and emission cloaking with (TL-4)*2, but the dropship can afford a big 
> > 
> >>  > deceptive jammer, the capsules can't.
> >> 
> >>  The difference in SM might make up for the loss of a deceptive jammer. A 
> > suit
> >>  is SM +1 or +2, while a dropship is at least +6 and probably more.
> > 
> > The TL12 jammer is -12 to -16 and it covers many sensors.
> 
> 
> I don't have VE2 handy. What's the largest deceptive jammer a battlesuit can 
> reasonably carry?
> 
> Brandon

I would say -5 or -6. On the scale of a suit even half a cf is a lot of 
volume. 

Regards,
Onno
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