Thermal Imaging and US Infantry

[CarbonNitride]

I've been playing with US forces, both US army and USMC, in the 2020 time frame (V9.0). I've noticed that the US Marines will generally have a line infantry option that carries thermal imaging. However, the US Army has thermal imaging mainly limited to scout infantry. I'm just wondering about the reason behind the difference.

[DRG]

Because we have a designated USMC nitipicker and we don't have a US Army one and YOU are the first person to notice? USMC 40 thermal units tend to be x3 radio code so the AI doesn't buy them and are therefore Human player only. US Army 20 imagining units tend to be common as grass and the AI has access to them

If someone "in the know" tells me there should be 40 rated vision line infantry units in the US Army I'll put them in


Don

[CarbonNitride]

I apologize if the difference was common knowledge, I did a search for "TI" and "Thermal Imaging/Imager" and the only threads I could find were about tanks. I guess the option for me now is to either do some research or more likely, just make the modification myself for my own use.

[DRG]

Like I said, if someone confirms there should be US Army line units with 40 rated vision I WILL put them in but I'm not in a position or condition for " serious" research ATM so this has got to come from someone with real direct knowledge.

[Suhiir]

I'm the USMC nitpicker.

The TI equipped infantry units are included in the OOB in case someone wants to do a SOCOM (Special Operations Command) scenario. In which case the Marines would be equipped with all the fancy toys in order to support the SEALs, Green Berets, Delta. There is a special MARSOC (USMC Forces Special Operations Command) formation that is tasked with providing any "combat muscle" that might be needed.

They ARE NOT "Special Forces", but they're the next best thing.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Suhiir

I'm the USMC nitpicker.

Yes you are and I don't consider that a bad thing but we don't have one for the US Army which was my point....... the USMC has better info because I get better info about USMC



Don

[whdonnelly]

Is the concern about night vision or actual thermal sights? This is dated 1989 but I think night vision was issued starting in the 1970s. I'll keep looking. IIRC each vehicle driver, each crew served weapon, and each infantry team had at least one night vision device. Not TI but definitely increases night range
Scroll down to the lines beginning with the letter N
http://fas.org/man/dod-101/army/unit/toe/07247F000.htm

[Mobhack]

There is no problem with night vision, most modern stuff has that. USA modern infantry tends to be 20.

Thermal vision has 40 or more hexes range and can see through smoke - and is thus expensive as its a valuable force multiplier. The game only has one range for thermal (or radar) as it was written back in the days when that sort of thing was a vehicle mounted device. So sections given TI have the abilities of an MBT, since there is no "short range thermal" with say a 500 metre max, for modern infantry portable systems. Though in reality thermal systems in the rifle battalion tend to be things like the Javelin sight unit - ie not exactly a replacement for the Image Intensifier goggles stuck on a grunt's helmet. Still requires lugging about like man portable ground surveillance radars.

Fire brigades these days use a man-portable TI unit to locate casualties through smoke - as do Naval damage control parties, but that is a fairly large 2-handed camera type of thing. Its range is only a few yards as well, not 2 kilometres.

So - me I'm not sold on any infantry with "thermal" vision other than forward observers, some surveillance (scout) teams using a "borrowed" Javelin sight unit and so on. Not your average line grunts.

cheers
Andy

[Suhiir]

Hand-held stuff is around http://www.opticsplanet.com/heat-see...l-imagers.html but WAY to expensive for anyone but special forces types to be using, and as Andy said with considerably less then a 2km range.

[Airborne Rifles]

When I was commanding my rifle company my arms room had about enough AN/PAS-13 thermal sights (split between light, medium, and heavy variants) to equip about half my company, and I know that is standard across the army. We usually only mount them on MGs for night missions, but there are plenty to go around if need be. Here's the industry link for the sight: http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/tws/

Not saying it needs to be added in. I think US Infantry are pretty well modeled already, but each US company does have the equipment (with even more at the HHC in each battalion).