Variant Rules Set 0303 These are optional rules, meant to simulate a largely-neglected fighting vehicle. They are a variant, not yet officially sanctioned. Do not incorporate in your own campaign without due consideraton to game balance. Until the middle of Earth's twentieth century, battlefields were relatively small, isolated areas of armed conflict, which sometimes became static. The trench warfare of the First Global War is an excellent example of this phenomenon. The air support which existed at the time did not coordinate well with ground troops. It was primarily used against stationary targets, such as trenches, barrage balloons, and artillery emplacements. Even with the advancements made in telecommunications and fire-direction equipment during the Second Global War, aircraft were still only used in large strategic strikes or smaller tactical attacks against stationary targets. Only occasionally were small fighter aircraft used in close-support roles, to make tactical strikes against battlefield targets.The German Stuka 87G was one example. Armed with a pair of 37 mm guns, it was used to attack enemy armor on the battlefield. With the advent of jet aircraft and newer, more mobile armor, it became apparent to those who fought the brush-fire wars which preceded the Third Global War that a new type of aircraft was required to deal with the rapidly shifting battle lines: an aircraft that could strike against the new heavy tanks and infantry units with equal effectiveness; one which could be deployed on a company level, if necessary, and still remain effective. This aircraft was the helicopter gunship. During the Korean Conflict, helicopters were used to evacuate wounded soldiers, transport troops, and direct artillery fire. They soon realized that arming a helicopter with as little as a single heavy machine gun made it an effective ground support aircraft. By the time of the war in Vietnam, helicopter gunships were quite common. Armed with anti-tank missiles, autocannons, and machine guns, these aircraft were a welcome addition to the fighting forces of every nation in the late twentieth century. In the 1970's, the first directed-thrust VTOL fighter aircraft came into existence. The British aerospace firm of Hawker-Siddley produce a combat aircraft which they named the Harrier. Much like present-day VTOLs, the Harrier could take off and land vertically, like a helicopter, by means of its unique system of rotating heat exhaust nozzles. When pointed down, these nozzles provided the lifting force which permitted the Harrier to take off vertically, or if a decreasing amount of thrust was used, to land in the same manner. For horizontal flight, these jets were rotated until they were pointed aft. Their thrust provided forward motion and the Harrier's fixed wings provided lift. This rotating-nozzle or directed-thrust system permitted the Harrier to take off and land vertically while retaining the speed of a jet aircraft, yet was somewhat inefficient. To generate enough power to lift the aircraft straight up off of the ground required a large amount of fuel, thus limiting the effective flight time of the Harrier. Even so, the Harrier was the first effective vertical take off and landing aircraft. It saw action in most of the conflicts of the late 1900's. Other types of VTOL aircraft were developed by other companies as time went by. In the late 1980's, a revolutionary type of VTOL was introduced by Rotor Systems Research Company. Using an X-shaped stoppable rotor/wing combination permitted the aircraft to take off and land vertically, to hover like a helicopter, and to fly normally like a jet. Lift for the aircraft was provided by forcing air under pressure out through slots in either the leading or trailing edge of the wing. As the wing is being converted for normal flight, air is alternately blown from the leading edge and then from both edges. When conversion is complete, air is once again forced from the trailing edge. A pair of jet engines provided forward thrust. This type of aircraft, in theory at least, is able to fly much faster than a normal helicopter, but also requires much more power to maintain its 400 kph speed. In spite of these, and other advances,such as tilt-wings and tilt-rotors, helicopter/VTOL gunships died out. Fighter aircraft, improved anti-aircraft weapons (particularly those which were man-portable), and tactical battlefield missiles combined to eliminate the role played by gunships. High-mobility armored vehicles, with wire-, radar-, and infrared-guided missiles or autocannons, could now travel with ground troops and provide close support. Fighters armed with "smart" ordinance could deliver precise strikes against remote targets without exposing themselves to infantry ground fire. Troop transport, medical evacuation, and reconaissance helicopters were still in common use by most armies. Some were even armed with machine guns mounted on their skids or in their passenger bays, for self-defense or fire suppression while they landed or took off. Of course, the M-Evac helicopters were unarmed. However, in time even these roles for helicopters were filled by DropShips and electronic reconaissance equipment. Eventually, the few helicopters that remained in military service were relegated to ferrying officers from one place to another in rear areas, or searching for rebels on worlds with relatively low levels of technology (which kept them from using anti-aircraft missiles). But now the need has arisen for an aircraft which can make localized attacks against specific targets and still be mobile enough to travel with a unit, a regiment, or a company. The present- day need is for something to bridge the gap between Aerospace fighters and Battlemechs. For a while, Land-Air 'Mechs filled this role by having the speed of a fighter, while being able to hover over the battlefield for an extended period to time. Unfortunately, LAMs are becoming increasingly rare. They are fragile, expensive to build, and expensive to maintain. Also, relatively minor damage can easily cripple a multi-million-C-bill machine. The logical alternative is the helicopter gunship. In the early summer of 3019, Hanse Davion asked the research and development section of the New Avalon Institute of Science to come up with an inexpensive, effective alternative to the now-scarce LAM. Their answer took very little time. Drawing on ancient designs such as the American Apache and the Soviet Hind-D of Earth's war-torn twentieth century, they delivered the specifications for a 25-ton armored VTOL gunship which they named the Goshawk. Since then, all five of the Successor States have begun development of their own VTOL gunships. The first combat usage of VTOL gunships (or VGs, as they came to be known) was during the battle for McCoomb. The elite Second Ceti Hussars employed two lance of Goshawk VGs against elements of House Kurita's Night Stalkers. In October of 3019, the Draconis Combine sent an invasion force across the border into Davion space, with the famed Night Stalkers spearheading the operation. They were met by elements of the Second Hussars, and thebattlewason. In spite of a stiff defense by the Federation troops, the Kuritas managed to obtain a planet-head and began to land reinforcements and support troops. In the early hours of the morning of October 15, four low-flying, dragonfly-shaped aircraft attacked the field HQ of the Night Stalkers, causing considerable damage. They then faded back into the rocky hills surrounding the Combine encampment, before the confused enemy soldiers could mount a defense. There were several more attacks of this type over the following two weeks, which resulted in the destruction of two of the Night Stalker's light battlemechs, four armored fighting vehicles, and quite a few soft-skinned vehicles. Twenty-five Combine soldiers were killed, and over a hundred were wounded. One of the four Davion VTOLs was badly damaged. Its pilot was injured by ground fire. In spite of the relatively low number of casualties inflicted on the Kurita forces by the airstrikes, Prince Davion deemed the VTOL gunship program a huge success. The Federated Suns now had a fast-moving, hard-hitting aircraft which could remain over the battlefield much longer than an aerospace fighter, and which could be produced and maintained for a fraction of the cost of a fighter, battlemech, or LAM. Presently, Davion military policy is to assign two lances, each consisting of two VTOL gunships, to each regiment of its regular army. These gunships act as regimental close-support aircraft. Davion policy also recognizes the fact that VTOL gunships are by no stretch of the imagination a match for battlemechs. There is a standing order that VGs should not be used to engage 'Mechs frontally unless there is no other choice. Instead, most VGs are used like cavalry vehicles, to attack infantry, armor, and artillery positions, or to support their own ground units or 'Mechs when they are engaged with enemy 'Mechs. Colonel Morgan Graeme of the Sixth Armored Cavalry Regiment has incorporated two VTOL gunship lances into his mercenary company. These new air cavalry units have yet to receive theirtrial by fire, but Col Graeme has high expectations for the unit. Of the five Successor States, only the Federated Suns, the Lyran Commonwealth, and the Draconis Combine are using VTOL gunships to any great degree in their regular armies. Only a few of the larger or more well-known mercenary units, such as the Eridani Light Horse, the Twenty-First Centauri Lancers, and Wolf's Dragoons are have included VGs in their tables of organization and equipment. All five of the Successor States and most mercenary companies have been using VTOLs for some time for transportation, Med-Evac, Recon, and the like. House Steiner has organized its VGs into company-level units, which they call flights, each being made up of six aircraft, their air and ground crews, and various support personnel. Two of these units are attached to each division of a task force or garrison. Each flight retains its own Independent command structure and is responsible only to the task force or garrison commander. The Draconis Combine assigns one lance of VTOL gunships to every company of 'Mechs. This practice is something of a two-edged sword. On the plus side, the VGs are more clearly integrated with the troops they are to support, the response time between the request for an airstrike and the arrival of the aircraft is small, and a certain rapport is established between the ground troops and the air crews. The drawbacks to this arrangement are the huge number of gunships required to cover all assignments and the often inept use of VGs by the company leaders. Once, a Combine major ordered his VG lance to attack a strong point held by a medium lance of Steiner 'Mechs. The Kurita 'Mechs had made three attempts to take the strong point, but were repulsed every time. Finally, the company commander ordered his gunships to strafe the entrenched Steiner 'Mechs. When the VGs made their first pass, unsupported by the attached ground forces, every Lyran gun opened fire on the aircraft. Both VGs were destroyed by Steiner anti-aircraft fire. (Miraculously, one of the pilots survived with no more injury than a broken nose.) The episode left the Lyran forces with tactical air superiority in the entire sector. Attaching a few lances of VGs to a division of battlemechs enables a unit commander to provide his troops with local tactical air-support, with a much lower response time than that of an aerospace fighter strike. As VTOL gunships became more common, new tactics were developed. One of these new, or rather rediscovered, tactics is the "pop-up". A pilot hides his VTOL behind a line of hills or a similar terrain feature. Usually the VTOL will sit on the ground with its engine running, using its sensors or a spotter to detect the approach of the enemy. As the enemy comes into range, the gunship pilot quickly raises his machine above the level of the hill, fires, and drops back down into cover. Then, using the terrain as a screen, the VG withdraws to the next suitable place of concealment, and begins the whole process over again. In the hands of an experienced pilot, VTOLs have the ability to fly in a manner referred to as "nape-of-the-earth". This means that a VTOL pilot may fly his ship very low to the ground, under enemy radar, hugging trees, hills, and other terrain features for cover. Flying "nape-of-the-earth" is something of a hazardous proposal. A slight miscalculation on the part of the pilot can lead to disaster, leading the VTOL to crash into the terrain feature it was skimming across. Combining "nape-of-the-earth" flying with the "pop-up" attack gives a VTOL gunship an excellent chance of surviving while retaining the ability to make fast, effective strikes. One of the most successful and noteworthy VTOL gunship pilots is Captain Alan I Cameron of the Federated Sun's Second New Syrtis Fusiliers. During a deep penetration raid on the Liao-held planet of Wei, the Second Fusiliers were detailed to cover the withdrawal of the raiding forces. Cameron's VG lance, consisting of two 30-ton Wyvern VG's, flew "nap-of-the-earth" through a deep, narrow valley, and popped up at its end, right in the middle of the HQ lance of the defending Liao 'Mech units. Cameron and his wingman, Lt Scott Davis, flew low through the enemy'Mechs, wreaking havoc and causing total chaos among the shattered Cappellans. The Liao 'Mech pilots dared not fire at the marauding VGs for fear of hitting each other, while Cameron and Davis were free to shoot at everything in sight. Just before the Davion gunships withdrew, Cameron spotted a red and yellow VTR-9B Victor hanging back from the battle. Skimming along the ground, Cameron closed with the 'Mech, avoiding its fire with short zigzags until he was at point-blank range. At under 60 meters, Cameron pulled his Wyvern up and fired. After-action reports and a review of the film from Cameron's gun cameras revealed that both lasers and all four round from his SRM launchers struck the Victor's head, blowing it off and killing the pilot, Commandant Albert Fong of the Third Battalion of the Second Kearny Highlanders. In the confusion that followed, Cameron and Davis escaped down the same valley they had used to approach. Cameron was promoted to Major. He and Davis were decorated for their part in the raid. Cameron was also credited with a solo kill on the Liao Victor - the first time a VTOL gunship had singlehandedly destroyed an assault' Mech. As mentioned earlier, VTOLs can be used for many other battlefield tasks. Troop and cargo transportation, evacuating wounded soldiers, and reconaissance are only a few non-combat roles played by VTOLs. By eliminating the heavy weapons systems and installing provisions for carrying passengers, the average VTOL can transport as much as a platoon and its equipment. In situations where rapid deployment of infantry is necessary, and DropShips are unavailable or not feasible, VTOL transports are the ideal substitute. The Iroquois, for example, has a cruising speed of 90 sph and can ferry up to seven tons; the weight of a fulll infantry platoon plus equipment. However, most transport VTOLs are not large enough to carry a platoon. Usually the maximum capacity for atroop transport VTOL is two seven-man squads and their equipment. A lance of aircraft possessing air-moblie infantry generally consists of two ten-ton transport VTOLS, their air and ground crews, and one twenty-eight -man infantry platoon. There are a few larger transport VTOLs, like the thirty-ton Skyhook, which are capable of transporting infantry, cargo, or even light vehicles. An air-mobile infantry assault usually goes like this: aerospace fighters or VTOL gunships stage an air-strike against the porposed landing zone, while the transports are still approaching. Once enemy activity in and around the landing zone has been suppressed, the transports move in and begin to land their troops. As a general rule, only one or two VTOLs are on the ground at one time. The other VTOLs involved in the landing circle the landing zone in case their armament is required to further suppress enemy activity. As the VTOLs on the ground disembark their passengers and take off, the ones next in line move in to take their place. In theory, at least, this technique of landing air-mobile troops will permit the most rapid deployment of infantrymen, while exposing the VTOLs to as little danger of being caught on the ground as possible. The same basic process is used for extracting air-mobile troops already on the ground. Special Forces teams like the Federated Suns' Broadsword teams or House Kurita's DEST have been known to use VTOLs extensively in their operations. These elite units are even trained to abseil from a hovering VTOL if the terrain below does not provide a safe landing area. Most field hospitals and MASH units include med-evac VTOLs in their tables of organization and equipment. The critical seconds saved by shipping a wounded soldier by air rather than by ground vehicle often mean the difference between life and death to a badly injured man. The most commonly used med-evac VTOL is the ten-ton Life-Saver. Lightly armored, with a cruising speed of 100 kph, the Lifesaver carries a 3.5-ton medical bay with enough space to carry a doctor, two nurses, and eight patients, as well as medical supplies and equipment. If necessary, the Lifesaver medical crew can even perform emergency surgery in the VTOL's medical bay. (This is seldom done, because the aircraft must be on the ground. The shuddering of a VTOL in flight would make the simplest surgical procedure impossible.) In a rare example of selfless heroism, the crew of a Free Worlds League med-evac VTOL risked their lives to give aid to two wounded soldiers of the Lyran Commonwealth. During a lull in the fighting at the Battle of Fairchance, on the Marik-held world of Galeisto, a Marik Lifesaver VTOL was called in to pick up the wounded members of a Northwind Highlanders infantry platoon. While the VTOL was on the ground, a Lyran corporal approached under a truce flag. The Lyran soldier explained that he had two seriously injured men at an aid station about half a kilometer away who would die without immediate medical attention. The Marik surgeon, a Captain Wilma Daranovich, detailed one of her nurses and one of the League corpsmen to go with the Steiner NCO to the aid station. The medical team reached the aid station and broughtthe wounded soldiers back to the VTOL. Dr Daranovich, after examining the Lyran casualties, decided that they probably wouldn't survive the flight to the Marik field hospital 25 kilo- meters away. Leaving a corpsman to treat the less critically wounded patients, Dr Daranovich set up the Likesaver's emergency operating room. Working as quickly as possible, the Free Worlds medical team struggled to stabilize the wounded men's condition. The VTOL was grounded for almost three hours, while long range missiles and artillery rounds from both sides screamed overhead. Finally the casualties were stabilized and the Lifesaver took off. Overloaded and low on fuel, the craft would never reach its own MASH unit. Switching to the Lyran Communications band, the pilot put in a call asking for the location of the nearest Steiner field hospital. By chance, a Lyran MASH truck had just established a field hopital five kilometers away. The Free Worlds Lifesaver landed at this hospital. They were helped to treat their own wounded in the Lyran operating room. Once all of the casualties had been treated, including a number of new Steiner wounded, the Marik VTOL was permitted to refuel and leave unmolested. Janos Marik himself issued a unit citation for bravery to Dr Daranovich and her crew. Lt-Col N James Oliver, commander of the Lyran field hospital, sent a letter of commendation to Dr. Daranovich via ComStar. VTOLs are also used for short range reconaissance missions. Replacing weapons with sophisticated detection and recon equipment enables the VTOL to direct artillery, spot for counter-battery fire, and perform surveillance work. Recon VTOLs are usually small and fast, and carry only lightweight armor and defensive weapons. Many recon VTOLs are of the tilt wing/rotor orthe stoppable rotor/wing variety. This lets them fly at higher altitudes than standard rotary-wing aircraft, taking them out of range of many infantry launched anti-aircraft missiles. As time goes on and new innovations are made, we shall certainly see changes in the use and applications of VTOL aircraft. Shortly after VTOLs were first deployed, pilots discovered that they, like any other armed aircraft, have some ability to strafe ground targets. While their strafing runs are not as effective as those made by aerospace fighters, they do give VTOL gunships an extra weapon in their bag of tricks. One very recent development is the addition of what is referred to as a "chin-turret". Currently installed only on the experimental Kurita-built XV-227 VTOLgunship, the chin-turret provides a 300-degree field of fire to the weapons it houses. Unfortunately, the turret itself weighs a ton and can only mount a weapon weighing a half-ton or less. There have also been some problems with the power and ammunition feed systems between the body of the VTOL and the turret weapon. In the case of a machine-gun mount, the flexible ammunition feed track has developed the habit of twisting and eventually breaking under the stress of the turret's rotation. Small lasers, on the other hand, have the flaw of having their power supply cables separate and short out at the connection between the VTOL's airframe and the turret spindle. If the bugs can be worked out of this experimental program as quickly as the general staff on Luthien says, we may see chin turrets become a common component on attack VTOLs. Considering the ever-increasing amount of military activity in the Inner Sphere, the need for tactical air-support is fast becoming a pressing matter to the members of all military communities. As the availability of the already-scarce LAM continues to decrease, we can expect to see an increase in the usage of Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft by all of the Successor States' armed forces, in both combat and noncombat roles. Lieutenant Rhys Fairchild served three years with the tactical aerospace division of the Eighth Ceti Hussars. After being badly injured in an accident during a training exercise, which also destroyed his Wasp LAM, he was transferred to the research and development section of the New Avalon Institute of Science. Lt Fairchild is currently working as a design consultant on the VFOL gunship program. Back to BattleTechnology 9 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1990 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com