]I've been watching the CNN feed from the Soviet Army assault on the
]Parliament building in Moscow, and the CNN correspondant keeps tagging
]these small, tracked vehicles as APCs...There are also larger wheeled
]vehicles which look an awful lot like ye olde standard TL 8 APC, so
]I was wondering if the commentator is justing flubbing or is the
]Soviet method of identifying armored vehicles that different from the
]US's? Or is that small thing really a standard APC that I just don't
]know about?
An APC is a small, lightly armored vehicle designed to transport troops across
a battlefield. It can be tracked or wheeled, turreted or non-turreted, and
have armament ranging from a machinegun to 25mm autocannon and anti-tank
missile.
Examples:
M113 Box with treads. Many variants.
carries (I believe) 11-13 soldiers.
M2 Bradley sloped armor, turret, 25mm gun, TOW missile
launcher, carries (I believe) 7 soldiers.
Tracked, amphibious.
BTR series (-60, -70) Soviet wheeled APC.
BMP series Soviet tracked APC. Central Dorsal turret with
30mm gun and anti-tank launcher.
Common factors:
Armor: compared to tanks these things are eggshells. They'll resist
most small-calibre shots and fragments, but direct hits from HE or, worse yet,
HEAT rounds will kill them. AT missiles are overkill, whereas they are required
for killing the heavier tanks.
Mission: They carry people, usually about a squad or so, in addition
to their crew. Many have variants that use this extra space for ammunition,
additional weapons systems, and other toys.
*****
]So that's the solution then. All of us on the TML band up together to write our
]own Traveller New New Era. Then when we've got a stonking new Traveller that
]has no glitches, typos, inconsistencies, or complete cockups, we send our
]agents into the net evangelising it. When the entire Traveller world adopts our
]system, GDW will be forced to do the same.
I hardly think anyone here wants to proselytize the New Way across Internet
and beyond. Except maybe Pope Strephon :)
J Roberson
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"Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of Man. If mountains and
the sea can be overcome, anything built by Man can be overcome."
-- General George S. Patton
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