Copyright 2011 by Brandon Cope

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American airborne battlesuits

Shortly after Germany invaded the Low Countries and the first use of air-dropped battlesuits was demonstrated (up to four parachuting from a single modified Ju 52), the US began a crash course to develop their own models. Not until late 1941 were the first prototypes ready for field testing, and there was a great disappointment in their capabilities (to be fair, the German suits had the same problems, but they weren't widely known at the time). In particular, armament was too light, armor not quite good enough to sufficiently protect from rifle fire, unreliability, and the battlesuits were simply underpowered (a limitation of size and technology). These tactical faults might have been forgiven had it not been for a bigger strategic problem -- combat deployment. The American Waco glider could only carry two and the British Horsa only four. It wasn't until the British Hamilcar (p.W:MP87) entered service that a full seven suit squad and supplies could be deployed by a single glider. As a way around this, parachute deployment was tested. While this worked (after a fashion), it required six four-engined bombers (B-17's or B-24's) to deploy an airborne platoon, with the suits jumping out of the bomb bay. Alternately, the platoon could be deployed from eight C-47's. As a result, very few airborne platoons were ever air-dropped; many of the suits went to the USMC, who found them useful in the Pacific (the lower weight compared to the later infantry suits meant more could be carried on a  boat).

An airborne battlesuit platoon contains three squads, each with five airborne suits and two airborne flak suits. The HQ section contains two airborne command suits (platoon commander and senior NCO) and two airborne flak suits. Total platoon strength is 24 battlesuits. The flak suits were used more often against ground targets than aircraft.

All the suits have a hardpoint for a weapon pod on the left shoulder. Most suits have their hardpoints unloaded; usually in a squad only one suit will mount an MG pod and one will mount triple rocket tubes. To avoid such soldiers from being specifically targeted, some infantry suits mount a fake pod (an empty pod with a pipe mimicking a barrel) or a use rocket launcher. Perhaps only one or two battlesuits in a platoon will use the 20mm cannon pod.

The small cargo space in the suit is normally used to hold food and water as well, as personal effects. Extra ammo is also common. Some commanders may have standing orders about what it may or may not be used for.

The infantry suit uses 0.06 gallons of gasoline per hour at routine usage. Range is about 400 miles at 4 mph or 100 miles at 7 mph. The battlesuit punches for 1d-1 and swings for 1d+1. Body ST is 11.

Subassemblies: Sealed Large Scout suit +1.
Powertrain: 1.1-kW diesel engine with 0.8-kW legged transmission and 2.2-gallon self-sealing fuel tank; 1.1-kW electric motor, 2,000-kWs batteries
Occupancy: 1 BS body (120-150 lb pilot) Cargo: 0.7 Body, 0.1 Head.

Armor
All: 4/22

Weaponry
2xSMGs/modified M-1928 Thompson [RArm:F, LArm:F] (200 each).

Equipment
Body: Life support (6 hours), 200-lb hardpoint, smoke discharger, Head: Small radio transmitter and receiver, IFF. Arms: ST 11 waldo motors.

Statistics

HT: 7
HP: 21 Body, 9 each Arm, 9 each Leg, 7 Head.

Very Low Ground Pressure. Full Off-Road Speed.

Design Notes
Some suits are fitted with a gun camera in the head; it add $20 and 10 lbs and is activated when either arm-mounted SMG is fired.

Those deployed by parachute use a rig similar in game terms to the vehicular parachute; parachute deployed suits do not jump with hardpoint loaded.

Hardpoint Loads
There are three primary hardpoint loads. The two weapon pods use an aluminum tube frame with canvas covering (DR 2, HP 8), while the rocket launcher is simple exposed tubes.

The most common weapon pod holds one M-2 .50-cal Browning (Long Aircraft HMG) with 350 rounds. A much less common one has an M-4 20mm cannon (Long Aircraft AC) with 80 rounds. There is also a disposable triple-tube launcher for three 4.5" artillery rockets. It should be remembered that the HMG and autocannon are aircraft versions and will quickly overheat when used if the soldier not careful.

There is also a cargo container with a metal skin (still DR 2) which can hold 130 lbs and 5 cf of gear.

Variants
The command suit adds a medium radio receiver and transmitter, recon camera, a second smoke discharger and reduces cargo to 0.3 VSP. $4,900.

The flak suit adds four .30-cal M-1919A4 Brownings (Ground LMGs) to the body (with 375 rpg), removes the smoke discharger, and has cargo 0.2 VSP. $5,200 and 2.03 tons.