BattleMech Weapons

Crisis of Range and Accuracy

by Precentor Janos Abu Hassan

If there is one thing BattleMech combat is notedfor, itis the tendency of MechWarriors to get in close. Nearly all 'Mech combat takes place at ranges of less than half a kilometer... and more than half at ranges of 200 meters or less.

Close Range: Nearly all BattleMech combat takes place at ranges considerably less than the maximum ranges possible for the various 'Mech weapons.

Several popular misconceptions have attached themselves to these figures. One of these is that the range of BattleMech weapons is sharply limited to a half kilometer or less. Another, related popular BattleMech myth is that 31st Century technology has collapsed to such an extent due to centuries of unremitting war that lasers, particle cannons, and the like manufactured with today's technology are incapable of hitting targets at ranges of more than a very few hundred meters.

Both notions are demonstrably and patently false. In this article, Battle Technology takes a closer look at the major BattleMech weapons systems and how they work.

The question of BattleTech weapons range has plagued MechWarriors and simulations specialists alike for centuries. It can be demonstrated that the commonly published ranges for most of the modern battlefield weapons systems are strikingly less than weapons systems in common use a thousand years ago or more. In the 20th Century, for instance, standard combat assault rifles carried by infantrymen had effective ranges of 400 to 500 meters, and atrained marksman could hit and kill targets at ranges of a kilometer or more. Lasers and particle cannons were not in common use as weapons systems until the 21s' century, but mid- to late-20th century rockets and antitank missiles had ranges of anywhere from 500 meters for small, simple, shoulder-fired launchers to 2 to 4 kilometers or more for vehicle- or aircraft-mounted rocket pods, wire-guided missiles, and rocket artillery. Compare these figures with the oft-published range for today's 'Mech-launched, long-range missile of 630 meters!

The reasons for these discrepancies are varied. The most important is that the commonly-stated ranges should be accepted as "Effective Range," which is defined as that range at which a trained weapons operator can expect a roughly even chance of hitting his target. Certainly, there is no physical reason why laser beams, for instance, should vanish magically into thin air after travelling for a few tens or hundreds of meters! Consider: at one time during the late 20th century, lasers were considered as ideal theoretical candidates for communications across interstellar distances, and as propulsion systems for light sail-driven starships light years away!

This article lists common battlefield weapons systems with their effective ranges.

BattleMech Weapons Crisis of Range and Accuracy

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