Victor really wanted to be closer to the front...
...but Kowloon was, at least, above the truce line, and becoming a more tempting target by the minute.
"Walk me through this again, General Mosovich." he said, "I still don't get it."
"Alright...you recognize the Rommels and Pattons?"
"Yeah, those aren't the approved update for either one."
"Gauss rifles are expensive and ultra autocannons are unreliable." Evelynn explained, "So, Her Grace got Defiance to let her buy rights to produce Defiance Devastators in 105 milimeter bore, big shotguns, like your friend Kai likes to use-the key is, they're reliable. We used some of the weight savings from losing the energy armament for an antimissile system and CASE, but we kept the LRMs so we can deploy smoke."
"Okay...but that's two."
"Right, well, tanks need things. They need artillery support, so we took a look at one of the rejected concepts from the Desert Knights project, and slid 105mm Thumpers into tank turrets. Same movement curve, indirect fire capable, yanked the LRM pacs from those for additional fire director and communications gear, which ties to the third change. One of the guys Brewer loaned Her Grace had an idea, swapping the location of the power-pack, then opening the rear up with a box-section and a reduced turret assembly, one just big enough for a PPC and some targeting gear with a power amp. Secondary weapons there are machine guns, because we can pass it to the heavy support Machineguns in the infantry."
"That's the overweight APC."
"Bingo, but it's also, with five tons of electronics gear, a mobile command post or fire direction center-same chassis, same components, same engine and automotive drives as the tanks. We then converted another one to a bulldozer and found tonnage for a backhoe, mine plow, and so on. an entire family series of vehicles using the same engine, transmission, suspension, armor plate, filtration systems, you name it. She calls it 'Economy of Scale', sir-less tech data to keep track of for the mechanics and the techs, and every cubic centimeter and kilogram of transport and storage is more efficiently used, since the spare parts interchange without customizing, which streamlines tech training for our vehicle techs."
"WHat about the armored cars?"
"armored cars, prime movers, field ambulance vehicles, scout cars, and Marine light armor are using the same engines as the tanks, with slight mods to the transmissions to use as many of the same components as we can get away with and still be mechanically sound. The Fennecs end up being pretty durable for forty tonner wheeled vehicles, and decently quick-and mostly for our 'secondary' force-the ones who garrison on the ships and don't have their own ground bases. Her grace spent a LOT on life support gear for those, because they're expected to be used in hostile environments."
"It's going to be hard to transport, your tanks and all their similar gear need Heavy bays, not light or medium."
"So they do." Evelynn shrugged. "we're working up the contracts for dropships now-they'll be ready on time, sir."
"Now, about your 'mechs..."
"Her grace wanted Griffins, we can't get Irian to buy off on the license. We're going with an LBX version of the Enfield instead. It'll support the conventional forces but it's not a duelling machine."
"Exactly! you've got no variation."
"Tactics." Evelynn stated, "We're working on innovative ways to use what we have instead of expensive technical solutions that strain the supply chain, unless or until AFFC quartermaster steps in with a bottomless budget, we're looking at this as 'we have to fund it ourselves so how do we do that?' as the basis for what we're building or buying." the maimed woman paused, then added, "AFFC budgets aren't bottomless of course, and they come with strings."
"It almost looks like you took the history section at the Nagelring seriously." he observed, "Common sources of equipment, with interchangeable components, simplified logistics and uniform procurement."
"We're modeling on an SLDF armored Division, sir, the only serious bottlenecks are going to be manpower and funding."
"You don't have a heavy 'mech regiment."
"Her Grace assumes that if it's decided we need one, one will be assigned from Tharkad or New Avalon. we DO have three flavors of combat engineers, a separate signals section, intelligence and recon organizations, and the main-line combat formations. Since ours are using GDI standard instead of trying to match Clanner toad suits, we can keep the training and preparation for those infantry units focused...which should save some time instead of trying to train the guys to suit up with whatever new thing drops out of NAIS or Defiance or whomever."
"I see a lot of flaws in this." he noted.
"That's why we train, sir." Evelynn told him, "because at least we know most of those flaws already ahead of time."
