Cluster Combat Task Force
A Mapepire Cluster combat formation equipped to TL–12 standards.
The infantry carry a mixture of laser rifles, laser carbines with integral 4.2cm RAM GL, and Gauss rifles. They wear IR chameleon Combat Armour with head set radios.
They use 200 Grav APCs with remote weapon turrets. These 4 dton vehicles typically have three crew and eight dismounts in a sealed environment with life support. They are armed with stabilized, 3.7cm triple barreled, electric action hyper velocity auto cannons with point defense fire control. They have target acquisition LADAR and triple TAC missile launchers with a variety of guidance packages available. They can deploy 2,200 troopers and crew. The dismounts usually bring PGMP-12s, small remote auto-loading mortars with package TAC missiles as required for missions at hand. Their vehicles have laser sensors and 100 bottles of prismatic aerosols.
Five APCs and 55 troopers form a platoon/patrol, Twenty five APCs with 275 troopers form a company/troop, and one hundred APCs and 1,100 troopers form a battalion/squadron.
They have 189 crew in 63 Grav tanks with stabilized fusion gun turrets with TAC missiles and coaxial VRF Gauss guns. They carry three crew each, in a sealed environment with life support for NBC and vacuum conditions. Platoons of seven tanks form companies of twenty-one tanks. Three companies form the armored battalion. Armored platoons travel with APC units and are very seldom found alone. Artillery sections are attached to these infantry and armor task forces. Thus the typical ratio is 25 APCs, 7 tanks and 3 SPGs per unit. Support units are dispatched to meet up with or travel with these fighting units as needed, depending on the time away from the rest of the regiment and the number of troopers needing food, resupply or requiring medical evacuation.
There are 179 medical personnel. 111 are field medics with 10kg medical kits. 45 nurses man company clearing stations and crew ambulances. 23 doctor/surgeons man surgical sleds equipped with battalion aid stations. Excess or unallocated troopers are pooled here to act as litter bearers and orderlies to assist wounded. Trainees start here helping medical crews drive and defend wounded.
There are 34 field kitchens with 68 crew, in grav carriers and each has two cooks, one who drives.
There are 23 cargo carriers with 46 crew who can each move 4 tons of cargo, ammo and supplies.
There are 51 grav propelled mass driver 22cm howitzers with 153 crew. These use variable ballistics to cut the effectiveness of enemy point defense and laser target designated HEAP rounds to hunt armored vehicles. Seventeen firing sections, of three guns each, form the artillery battalion.
There are 12 grav mobile workshops with 240 mechanics.
There are 12 command and control sleds with electronic warfare equipment for 10 passengers which include some officers and their staff.
They have 131 scouts. 100 have grav belts and 31 have grav cycles. Scouts carry a few light AP flechette mines and a couple of proximity AT mines.
The 129 officers include 91 lieutenants, 22 captains, 11 majors, 4 lieutenant colonels and 1 colonel.
There are 3,179 enlisted and NCOs in the task force (regiment).
Each officer gathers a set of resources from the pool of available troops and vehicles to create a task force for a given mission at hand. Twelve task forces can be operating. Some tend to be more support oriented, others focus more on offense. Higher ranking officers pull more resources, including lesser officers under their command. Some units set up the division of equipment and stick with that pattern. Other unit leaders are constantly adjusting ad hoc as battle conditions dictate. Confusing to outsiders, commanders need to be flexible and able to adapt on the fly. Cluster forces have high initiative and every trooper is expected to understand the operational parameters. Each trooper is expected to carry out the unit's collective mission, or die trying. They are expected to fight to the last man once the necessary course of action is decided if need be. The creativity and tactical flexibility of cluster forces throws many opponents off balance. They tend to expect more rigid organizational patterns. They are not suicidal, just dedicated once set toward their purpose.