Welcome to the HeavyMetalPro Forums

In House Steiner is mentioned 54th Combined Arms Combat Team, that defended Tamar in 2915 (page 72). Are there other Combined Arms Combat Teams, and what are they like?

_________________
[i]You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights errant, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.[/i]

[url=http://www.mekwars.org][u]MekWars[/u][/url]

My understanding is that the Combined Arms Combat Teams were an early prototype of the current RCT's. I don't know much about them otherwise.

_________________
Be careful what you wish for. I might let you have it.

Book hints it's an infantry unit: So maybe this is more like American Stryker Brigade units today: bulk of force is infantry that is transported by heavy APCs (Goblin, Maxim) and might include few tanks and/or 'Mechs.

_________________
[i]You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights errant, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.[/i]

[url=http://www.mekwars.org][u]MekWars[/u][/url]

Found it!

_________________
[i]You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights errant, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.[/i]

[url=http://www.mekwars.org][u]MekWars[/u][/url]

The Davion Model RCT is idealy 1 Mech Regiment for which the the RCT is named. 3 Armoured Regiments, & 5 Infantry Regiments. The Armoured & Infantry Regiment idealy typed to the Mech Regiment. ie: Mech regiments made up of light & fast Medium Mechs would hopefully have Hovertank & Jump &/or airmoble or hovermotor Infantry.

(When I look at an RCT. I see a division. 9 regiments in 3 brigades of 3 regiments each.)

_________________
General Brett "Hitman" Coote S.L.M.H., P.H. w/9 Clusters, S.S.B.
S.L.A.F. (Retired)
[img]http://www.heavymetalpro.com/countries/ ... da-red.gif[/img] [img]http://www.heavymetalpro.com/countries/can-ontario.gif[/img]

So my guess about them being an early version of RCT's is right...

Hitman is also correct. An RCT is equal to a combined arms division.

_________________
Be careful what you wish for. I might let you have it.

Note: Combat Team has at least 3 conventional regiments, which means there can be more, like up to RCT's 9 regiments.

_________________
[i]You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights errant, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.[/i]

[url=http://www.mekwars.org][u]MekWars[/u][/url]

Please however be aware of a fundamental difference. In the 3025 period a FedSuns RCT is a permanent formation and that all units within are organic to that formation. This means that they train together as a team and are familiar with each others strengths and weaknesses. An RCT also tends to have organic logistical units within its organization to supply and maintain the RCT's operations in the field. This fosters a distinct Espirit de Corps that can have an effect on their overall quality.

In the same 3025 however Lyran Commonwealth regimental Combat Teams are not permanent formations but are assembled on an operational basis. They tend to be smaller in overall size and all the conventional assets are attached as needed. Logistics is not centrallized and at a Team level like that of an RCT but is handled more often than not be the seperate units in the Combat Team. It is more of an Ad-Hoc formation with the Battlemech force taking the lead in all things independently and the conventional assets participating more in a supporting role than as team players. The Draconis Combines assignment of conventional assets and aerospace forces to Battlemech regiments to build a Forward ARC composition force is not much different in concept. Better than fighting alone, in the hands of a battlemech regimental commander with vision and enough time, it can be a force to reckon with; at the worst it could be a recipe for disaster.

Well into the 3060's it is still evident that not all House Militaries use a permanent RCT system. Much of it has to do with the amount of military resources that must be devoted to a formation of that size. And one other obstacle to building RCT's is the requirement to be able to lift it for interstellar transport in a single move. With its potential extensive train this could be the most difficult of all.

Vaidom

What he said.

_________________
General Brett "Hitman" Coote S.L.M.H., P.H. w/9 Clusters, S.S.B.
S.L.A.F. (Retired)
[img]http://www.heavymetalpro.com/countries/ ... da-red.gif[/img] [img]http://www.heavymetalpro.com/countries/can-ontario.gif[/img]

I had almost forgot this topic, and I was reminded about this by other topic.
And there is the strength! Regiments can be chosen by need, while RCTs are fixed formations. RCT might have over regiment's worth of hovercrafts, which would be little use on heavily wooded planets, while tracked main battle tanks of that same RCT would be nearly useless on water rich planets. Both have their strengths and weaknesses: one has integrity, other has flexibility.

Besides much of the use of overall assets depends on decisions of commanding officers, and Lyran's new (in 3025 era) heavy tanks (Rommel, Patton, SturmFeur, Drillson...) are definitely more for combat than for support.

_________________
[i]You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights errant, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.[/i]

[url=http://www.mekwars.org][u]MekWars[/u][/url]

The RCT has it's roots in contemporary military formations and was also used by the Star League ala the Eridani Light Horse. Then there is the Davion interpretation while other major Houses like the FWL and the LC combined disparate regiments in a similar, though hodge-podge fashion as needed.

Because of its vanilla designation, it appears to me the 54th may have been an ad-hoc element formed from several independent units during the battle for Tamar.

Or the 54th Combined Arms Combat Team might have been a remanant of the 54th Lyran Guards who were destroyed 100 years earlier on Otho. Trained by the veterans of the Stealthy Tigers and advised by some members of the Stealths. The survivors could have been incorporated into the Stealthy Tigers on Tamar a century later...