Avatar Deployment options and urban combat concerns

To: Irregulars@Imaginos.gov
From: Foster@Imaginos.gov
CC: Major Vesper Benjamin, Captain Rikhard Tietavainen, Grand Marshal Eliisse Stingray
Subject: Avatar Deployment and urban combat.

To all Irregulars:
As per the recent briefing from Captain Tietavainen, there is a fairly good chance this evening that the AVATARs with ground and urban customization are going to be deployed in concert with a reconnaissance mission in Hellas this evening. I'd like to quickly discuss a few options we have for entering Hellas, and see which the AVATAR-mobile portion of the team would like to use.

Option 1: We could most likely deploy from the docking ring, and work out way into hellas from the Hellas sector docking ring by going out on "manuevers" prior to the actual general engagement. This option leaves us least likely to lose surprise, as we wouldn't need to actually file a correct flight plan with local ISF or peacekeeper forces, as they may be compromised by the Knights of Ares.

Option 2: We could find some way of camouflaging/disguising the avatars and move them into Hellas through the surrounding residential sectors on large trucks or mass conveyances. This may be more difficult and time-consuming but offers probably the best chance to get tactical suprise on the Knights of Ares Forces.

Option 3: A deployment through the ISF security ring directly to the trouble area without any camouflage. This option cedes tactical surprise for the best deployment time, most likely. The problem was that ISF and peacekeeper forces are going to know where the Irregulars are moving. However the deployment system and platforms will enable us to get right to the trouble area immediately.


These are the 3 major options I see at present, if anyone else has an alternative they'd like to offer please feel free to contact me, or one of the commanding officers, I am simply trying to make sure lines of communication are open and we make the choice most likely to complete our mission of apprehending Sedgewick, as well as suppressing the Knights of Ares rebellious activities with minimum expenditure of blood on both sides.

Urban combat deployment: A quick primer.

Urban combat for armored vehicles is one of the most dangerous environments for them to be deployed. Their mobility is reduces, as is the efficacy of their sensor systems due to the sheer amount of data likely to be encountered in such an area. So you are fighting while unable to see as well as normal, and with some restrictions on movement. Not optimal, but this can be dealt with by good coordination with local infantry assets, and proper outfitting of weaponry and gear for the environment.

Pursuant to this, we've up-armored the avatars with reactive chobham armor, which while it will slow down their reactions and movement, will provide an extra layer of protection against infantry-borne or robot-borne anti vehicular weapons. Once the armor has been breached and is useless, it can be jettisoned and you will be back to normal Avatar levels of mobility.

The avatars also have a 100 milimeter slug cannon which will do less damage to hellas structures like houses and the like, sacrificing the piercing potential of beam weapons for a safer round for urban combat, as it does not overpenetrate, thus destroying structures beyond the one which was initially hit.

There are likely to be Knights of Ares-aligned Avatars deploying if it comes to a general engagement, given that we've already seen the Knights carrying and using ISF weaponry and gear such as the LACCRAs and the ARES B assault rifles. Close combat will be our best method of dealing with them, due to the added armor our units will be wearing, and the fact we want to minimize casualties for the residents of this district. Close, use your beam saber and mono-plane shielding to your best advantage, and finish the joke at close range. A beam saber is unlikely to cause as many secondary explosions or stray round problems as our beam or slug weaponry.

A few rules of thumb for urban combat:

Check your targets, and double-check. Don't blindly fire at anything without a positive ID, as you might end up killing civilians or other non-aligned personnel and cause major problems on a moral, ethical, and public relations level for the Irregulars as a whole.

Always cover your flanks and rear. (preferably with infantry). Because of the nature of built up urban areas, it's very easy for a force to infiltrate, or counter-infiltrate and end up surrounded or outflanked. If you coordinate with the ground-pounders you're much less likely to be surprised, and that may save your life.

When in doubt, use non-lethal methods. If you can't engage a target in a crowd of civilians yourself, pull back, use your shields, and try to get infantry to sort him out with concussion grenades or some sort of knockout or tear gas.

Bypass static fighting. If you're under fire from a group of troops holed up in a building, use the superior manuverability of even an up-armored avatar and just go around or over it, don't get bogged down by small arms blazing away and chipping your paint, they're probably trying to distract you from a more real threat somewhere else.

Situational awareness. Keep an eye on every sensor you have as much as possible, and sweep constantly. You don't want to miss any subtle cues which might result later on in a nasty surprise for you or your team.

That's about all I have to offer for the moment, aside from my best wishes, and hope for good luck.

Cadet James Foster, Flight instructor, Irregulars.

I've also requested a three-shot concussion grenade tube be mounted on the hips of the Avatars, as well as railguns for at least some long-range cover fire on one or two of the squadded units, but I don't know if these will be available. If they are, adjust your tactics with these additional weapons in mind.

To: Irregulars@Imaginos.gov
From: Edward.Minerva@Imaginos.gov
CC: Major Vesper Benjamin, Captain Rikhard Tietavainen, Grand Marshal Eliisse Stingray
Subject: RE: Avatar Deployment and urban combat.

I have the following suggestions and reminders regarding our deployment;

1. All ground troops should familiarize themselves with the ISF-103 Oculus. It comes with IFF, and target designation functionality. These features need to be second nature even in the chaos of a gunfight.

2. Check your chemical warfare gear. Tear gas, stun gas, and other chemicals may become critical fixtures on the field due to the need for less-lethal mass suppression weaponry.

3. We should mobilize all of our E-Warfare resources in order to jam or eavesdrop enemy communications. If we find ourselves outnumbered, this will prevent the engagement from becoming a complete rout. Isolating enemy armor or heavy weapon units takes priority.