Predators
Predators - Kesteven and Kendrew special force
Short history of the unit
The Predators born during the third battle of Raven, the fourth battle of Killer as general of the Kesteven's army. For help the 5ò Line Regiment of Infantry that had been surrounded by enemy forces of the Edwards's army on the hill of Raven and that was being forced to retreat towards the lake of the dam there, Killer had selected the best five men of each other unit at his disposal on the battlefield and guided them in a bold charge against the enemy line, breaking the siege and opening a way of retreat for the 5ò Regiment. Later after that battle, the general Wyvern confirmed into the ranks of the army a new unit called "Predators" and begun the work for make of it a special division. During this time, happened the fifth battle of Raven, better known as "the battle of the recruits". The 1° Parachute Division of Edwards had in fact attacked of surprise the mountain near Raven, where the first Predators were facing the training. The test for the recruits was find and capture the general Killer Huxley and the lance corporal Riaku Wales. But the general Andrew, of the kingdom of Edwards, known that Wyvern was alone on the mountain had immediately launched a full scale attack with his parachute division, trying to capture or kill his worst rival. The battle is famous because of the answer that Killer gave to the request of surrender of Andrew. "I'm a soldier. We don't do surrenders. We don't pull up white flags." Was the message that Riaku transmitted as answer when the division surrounded them. This event is also famous because in this occasion Killer destroyed the first of the three regiments of the parachute division and forced the other two to retreat, gaining time for some team of recruits to come to the battle zone. During a furious fight some hours later, the parachute division of Edwards was destroyed, leaving the first Predators and their general victorious on the bloody mountain.
Rapidly, the arranged but already glorious unit become a specially trained, small division with a formidable mobility on the battle field, designed and equipped for reach the zone of the crisis faster than everyone else and with a minimal use of vehicles and cargos and then fight for at least 72 hours without receive reinforces or supplies. The unit is also able to perform every type of mission from stealth assassination to front-line service, from intelligence to underwater demolition to parachutist service. During the second year of existence of the division was also founded the Special Reconnaissance Squadron, integrative part of the unit, formed by twenty men still more trained than the others, specialized in the use of parachute or stealth gliders or other ways of stealth infiltration for overcome the enemy lines and work behind them for hit high-value targets like command posts and for gather information of intelligence. They rapidly become the heroes of Kesteven and the same symbol of the courage and superiority of the Kesteven army, but they become also famous as "The Wyvern's guard" or, as much of them still like to be called, "The Killer's boys".
The Kendrew army was completely restructured after the crowning of Killer as new sovereign, but the Predators didn't appeared in the new project as sign of respect for his old unit. The formation of the Kendrew Predators happened only during the fifth year of reign of Wyvern, after a request of the queen Alexis in that direction. They are organized and equipped in the same way of the Kesteven ones, but it's different the color of the uniform; black against white.
Organization of the unit
Kesteven and Kendrew have each a single division of Predators, each with an organic of 320 soldiers. The Kesteven division is called also "The Black One", because its numeric symbol is the black one of "1° Predators Division". In the same way, the Kendrew Predators are "The Red One" because their number one is red.
1 Division = 3 Companies + Special Reconnaissance Squadron (2 Sections)
1 Company = 10 Sections + 1 Heavy Weapons Platoon
1 Section = 2 Teams
1 Team = 5 men
Heavy Weapons Platoon: it is the unit with the task of give heavy fire of support to the company and destroy the hardest targets with the heavy weapons. This is the part of the division with the greatest fire-power, but not always it is lined on the battlefield because is also the more difficult and problematic to use in battle. Each company has a Platoon of support, equipped with five jeeps Weapon Mounted Kit Reconnaissance Vehicle WMKRV and five Mortar Carriers Vehicle MCV. The WMKRV is a powerful 4x4 equipped with four triple smoke-canisters on the corners and with multipurpose mounts than can take most of the weapons of the arsenal of Kesteven, transport 6 soldiers fully equipped, run at a speed of up to 150 kilometers for hour on the road, float and show excellent mobility even on the rougher terrains. The MCV is a derivative of the WMKRV and shares the same possibilities, but the rear part of the jeep is redesigned, deprived of the three seats and the weapon-mounts and with a large, protected place that puts up a L12 mortar 120 millimeters of caliber with ammo and two servants. The mortar can be used from the car, or dismounted in a few seconds into two pieces (platform and tube) and carried by the servants to a new point of fire. Both these two vehicles, besides, are designed for be transportable by every aircraft and helicopter of Kesteven. They can be loaded into the CM400 planes or hanged at the belly of a Kite helicopter and they can even be parachuted into enemy territory with a purposefully designed platform of steel with several large parachutes and a system of guidance GPS for reach the forecasted landing zone with a maximum circular probable error of ten meters. Each company will so have the help, anywhere and in any moment, of five heavy mortars, a variable number of heavy XM20 machine guns in 20 mm caliber, 60 mm Grenade Machine Guns and five heavy sniper rifles X12, able to pierce even the armor of numerous light-armored vehicles or destroy devices of any sort from kilometers of distance.
WMKRV: the all-doing stallion of the Predators
High mobility 4x4 vehicle, fully amphibious and slightly armored, which features protections against mines in the form of anti-blast seats and V-shaped hull. The Predators WMKRV, however, have also the task of mobile anti-tank platoon and air defense unit, so the central mount is occupied by a Javelin multipurpose missile launcher system, while a Grenade Machine Gun, capable to fire up to 350 60 mm grenades for minute is on the frontal mount, with two XM20 heavy machine guns 20 mm of caliber on the rear ones. The vehicle is equipped also with a powerful electric winch, triple smoke canisters on each corner, a bullet-proof cockpit for the driver and they have six seats: two anterior, three in the rear and the central for the main gunner. The central seat in the rear is for the sniper of the crew. The engine is in the middle of the vehicle and it's an hybrid Diesel-Electric of high power: the diesel engine generates electricity for the batteries and for five independent electric motors, four linked to each wheel and one to a small propeller for water propulsion. The consumes are so very low and the power very high.
Top speed: 150 km for hours on the road
Floating: yes
Weapons: 12 pneumatic grenade launchers with 3 smoke and/or frag grenades stacked and ready to launch, 4 mounts for XM20 machine guns or GMGs or Javelin missile launchers.
Autonomy: 850 km
Armor: against light weapons fire and basic mine resistant capability
The modified mortar version hasn't the three seats in the rear, but an open space for the mortar, containers of ammo and its team. Other characteristics are unchanged.
Section: a section is the basic unit of the Predators division. Ten fully equipped men is the load of an Armored Personal Carrier, while a standard Kite Transport Helicopter can transport four complete sections. Evidently, the Section has as objective the maximum flexibility and mobility on the battlefield. Each section is virtually compounded by two teams, each with a officer in command, a sniper, a gunner of support, a rifleman and a specialist in assault and demolition. Each men of the Predators has a basic medical training and usually each section or even team has a man with the ability and task of work as medic specialist of the unit in addition to his normal fighting tasks. The equipment of a Section can vary largely as per the different missions and needs, but the ordnance sword, the normal Type 91 Automatic Magnum Pistol and the Helmet Mounted Visor are fixed for everyone, in each situation.
Team organization: The officer in command on the first team of a section is also the same Section Commander, normally a captain, armed with an assault rifle MASR8, .50 caliber with 60 mm Underslung Grenade Launcher (UGL) fixed under the barrel and a single-use light rocket launcher useful against tanks, armored vehicles and bunkers thanks to its multi-purpose warhead. It can be used also against helicopters, but the lack of a guidance system makes hard hit targets in too fast movement. The officer has also the task of the long range communication with the headquarter, so its equipment is completed by a full Radio-SATCOM suite in addition to the Helmet Mounted Visor and Communication System (HMVCS) that is used for short-range communications, electronic and network centric warfare that's standard equipment of every soldier of the division. The commander of the second team of a section, equipped in the same way, is the second in command of the same Section.
The sniper has a Standard Sniper Rifle SSR8, .50 caliber in addition to a SubMachine Gun 9 SMG9 always of the same caliber for short range warfare. He's also equipped with a single use rocket launcher and has obviously the Type 91 and the sword.
The gunner is equipped with a .50 Modular Support Fire Weapon MSFW8 machine gun as main weapon over the standard equipment.
The assault specialist has the more variable equipment. In urban warfare configuration, he's loaded with a modular system X20CS corner shot, a SMG9 and a modified Underslung Grenade Launcher 53, a modified version of the system that can be mounted under the barrel of the MASR8 rifle that works as a pistol but fires smoke or frag grenades of 60 mm of caliber from a four-rounds clip. Both these two weapons can be if necessary fit into the X20CS and be used for fire safely from behind a corner or a wall. The assault specialist has always the section's Javelin multi-purpose missile launcher, a weapon that can fire guided missiles against tanks, fortress or aircrafts. But the rest of the equipment can vary largely. For example, when in open field, the X20CS, the SMG9 and the MUGL53 are replaced with a standard MASR8.
The rifleman has a real standard equipment, with MASR8, sword, Type 91 and single use rocket launcher.
Every man of the section so is equipped with a single type of bullet, the Standard SX50 12,70X99 mm, with evident advantages for the logistic system of the army and for the single soldiers, that can share their ammo. Again, each soldier has at least an Anti-Tank and an Anti-Air missile for the Javelin of the team and at least a belt-box with 180 bullets for the MFSW8 of the unit. This weapon is also able to fire with standard 30-rounds clips from SMG9 and MASR8, so the Section rarely has troubles with its munitions and rarely remains without a proper support of fire. Another standard part of the equipment are grenades, in variable number for situations and strength of the single soldier. The L1 is the standard HE for attack purpose. Ten seconds timer, it kills with the sheer force of the explosion and produces very a few little slivers, because it's meant to be used during assaults and slivers could hit the same man who launched it. The L2 is the HE-Frag for defense purpose, and it kills with both the explosion and the great amounts of pre-shaped slivers that the wrapping makes. The L3 is the incendiary one, loaded with white phosphorous while the LS is the hiding-smoke one. Different colors of smoke are available for enable the use also as system of communication, especially with the air force, for mark targets for attack-aircrafts. Mines are also a variable part of equipment.
The Predators uses usually Claymores devices for ambush and as "silent sentinel" for protect their positions, miniaturized ELSIE anti-personal mines and eventually "Jumping Jim" Type-S mines, that, after the removing of the foot over them, jumps into the air with a small charge of explosive propellant and explodes there, sending all around, on 360°, metallic spheres like bullets. Explosives can be much different for type and quantity from mission to mission, and include also Heavy Magnetic Charges for pierce across the hull of warships, but usually each man has at least one or two charges of plastic explosive PE4, a more stable and inert version of the famous C4. Predators are trained and thought for fight on the battlefield with minimal use of logistic, vehicles of transport and for be independent for at least 72 full hours of high-rate fighting, so there's also a great use of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE). There are several types of MREs:
• General Purpose - 7 menus - standard ration pack
• Patrol - 4 menus - lightweight dehydrated ration, more calories, rehydrated with water/snow/ice
• Hot Climate/Cold Climate - Designed for consumption in hot or cold climates. In cold climate (CC) menus, an instant rolled oats mix is added. For Hot Climates (including tropical areas), an additional fruit drink mix is added, instead of the rolled oats mix.
Features of the 24-Hour Operational Ration Pack (ORP) are:
• An individual ration for normal use in the field.
• Ration is designed to feed one person for one day.
• It has been designed to provide a balanced nutritional diet.
• Can be eaten hot or cold.
• ORP provides an average of 3800-4200 Kcal per ration.
• Ration is 10% protein, no more than 35% fat, 55% carbohydrate.
• Continuous consumption up to 15 days, ideally no longer than 30 days due to nutritional qualities.
• 7 Menus consisting of Breakfast, Snack, Main Meal, Beverages, Sundries (matches, tissues etc)
• Hot meals in flexible foil pouches.
• Rations packed in waterproof outer cardboard boxes.
• All ORPs have a shelf life of at least 3 years.
4-Man Ration Pack
There is also a 4-man ration pack and a 10-man ration pack. The 4-man pack is for use in vehicles and is designed for crew feeding with four rations in one box.
10-man Ration Pack
Self contained ration to feed 10 people for 24 hours, standard equipment for the section, even if every single man has his own supply of individual 24 hours MREs. Can be supplemented with bread, fresh fruit and vegetables where supply allows. Contains Breakfast, Main Meal and Snack Meal, plus normal stuff like water purification tablets and other useful accessories.
Selection and Trainings
Acceptation
The road for become Predator is open only for the soldiers of the units of infantry that have at least two years of active service with normal army. The applicants are so already trained and experienced and usually with a curriculum of all respect for services on the battlefield. Despite this, every applicant has to overcome severe physical tests. Predators are thought for be deadly in every situation of close, melee and hand to hand combat and to be the greatest fencings of the army and every applicant has to demonstrate his capabilities on these sectors and his resistance to stress and fatigue. The last part of the acceptation phase is a series of attitude-tests in oral exams with a commission of officers of the Predator Division that will value if the applicant can continue on the long road. If accepted, the applicant is sent to the Predators Training Course that will last 30 weeks.
Predators Training Courses
The physic tests are a constant of all the training, that happens in a base on the mountains of the southern Kesteven, near the village and the dam of Raven, where mountains offers tall and hostile peaks, a climate terrible at the higher altitudes and huge wild forests at the lower ones. The very first trainings have the double aim to improve the shape, resistance and strength of the applicants and to verify if really they are ready to give everything for the mission and for become Predators. In this order, the applicants are leaved at around thirty kilometers from the base and they have to march towards it with definite times for reach control-posts placed along all the route.
Phase one
First Day: The welcome from the officers is rude and concise and the applicants are sent immediately to an additional route of six kilometers, full of obstacles of various type, that will become very familiar to them, because they'll run it every day for two weeks, together with other forced marches, physical trainings, fencing and close-fight trainings.
Second Day: During the second day of training, they will face a still harder obstacle-route, a circuit of four kilometers disseminated of obstacles and apparatuses. Each obstacle includes a jump or the overcoming of a water pool and sometimes two both. The route has to be covered two times in fourteen minutes for aim to the best mark. After this, the applicants have two hours for prepare themselves for the "run with the beam", a test where sections of ten men have to carry a beam of 250 kilos for a route of four more kilometers, showing a great spirit of team and collaboration. Who leaves the beam is automatically eliminated from the course and sent back to his old unit. That same afternoon they'll have to face again, and for five full times, a war-route of 500 meters, disseminated with obstacles, walls, channels and barbed wire to overcome, all in a maximum time of five minutes.
Third Day: The new test is a forced march of 30 kilometers on rough terrain with the full equipment of mission of a rifleman. The proof is to be made in one hour and forty-five minutes. This is very important and a failure usually is definitive, because the Predators are thought for fight on the battlefields with very little support of vehicles and have to be able of face long and demanding marches with their full equipment. In the same day, they'll have to face the Trainasium for the first time. Similar to the child-toy of the parks, is made up by an obviously much bigger and taller structure of steely beams that the applicants have to climb several times. A time on top, they'll have to run on the beams at command. The afternoon is for the boxing: matches without rules of five or more minutes between the applicants under the eyes of officers and doctors. Before they are made between soldiers of equal size and mass, later they'll involve soldiers also with noticeable differences and then involve also the use of bayonets and knife.
Fourth Day: will be the time of a new test, where applicants will be sent, again with full equipment, to climb a mountain in the Raven zone, in a maximum time of 50 minutes. On top they'll receive the prize: a flask of water, before have to descend, go across the valley, climb another mountain and then descend on the other side, reaching the main road for Kesteven, where the test ends. But after have rapidly eat something, they have to reach their base whit another forced march that sees the men stagger along the route exhaust. Is another prove for verify the spirit of the soldier. They have to be supremely determinate to continue and by now the applicant is used to live together with stress, pain and fatigue; with the feeling of bones on pieces.
Fifth Day: After a night of rest, the applicants are brought over a new zone of the mountains around Raven, and introduced to the new device of torture they'll have to deal with: a stretcher of tubes of steel, of a weight much superior to the one of a wounded with full equipment. Separated into teams of twelve soldiers each, they'll have to transport this weight in turn on a route of twelve kilometers. Only a formidable spirit of collaboration and determination will bring the teams to the field-hospital where their torture will end.
The phase one of the training will be executed, with breaks of rest, for two full weeks, which means that each test will be faced two times.
Phase two
The real training of the very few applicants that survive the long Phase one, will last for six months. The first of those is spent with advanced trainings over tactics, strategy, camouflages and specialized courses for the different roles. In this phase the soldiers are also trained to the use of all the weapons present into the Kesteven's arsenal and introduced to most of the more common weapons of the rest of the world. A strong point is that all the training of shooting, with every weapon, is done with mobile targets into realistic firing ranges that reproduces different environments, up to little towns. A part of this training is also done with the use of advanced holographic 3D simulators and it comprises lessons over the use of every type of vehicle, from Swimmer Delivery Systems to main battle tanks.
A month will be spent into the jungle in a far centre of training in the Southern Ire, where the new soldiers will face the experience of the fight into the jungle, with the terrible climate and environment, with the reduced visibility and the huge amount of possible traps that can easily be hidden everywhere and derived even by simple bamboo changed into spears and hidden into covered holes or in spurt-devices. A week is also spent for trainings specialized for desert environment.
The successive month will be spent in a training centre in Kesteven, and officially is a course for Arctic Warfare. But since everyone there is used from birth to the cold, dirt climate of the north, this is mostly a "glorified" additional month of preparation to the combat techniques and tactics of team, section and company, that ends in a huge exercitation in reality-like conditions.
Another month is spent for the parachutist course, that comprises an advanced course for the sense of direction and topography and that will end with eight launches from planes. The last two weeks of this month will see the applicants learn the difficult technique of HALO and HAHO (High Altitude, Low Opening and High Altitude, Hugh Opening), advanced modes of infiltration from the air particularly useful for avoid radar detection and overcome powerful systems of air defense. HALO is the more common way of infiltration for the members of the Special Reconnaissance Squadron, and sees the men jump from the plane at about 10.000 meters, descending rapidly in free fall breathing oxygen from a closed system with gas cylinders and then the overture of the parachute under the 100 meters, under the radar detection. The overture is like a lash at that speed and requires a certain resistance and preparation.
The new month will be one of the more difficult. The Underwater Demolition Course will see the Predators learn to swim like Olympic champions on distances of several kilometers; use Fast Raiding Boots along the shore and into the fight and use respiration systems and Swimmer Delivery Systems for reach, from a submarine, a zone of operation where the mission will likely be them place magnetic mines on the hull of enemy ships or invade enemy docks from the depths. In this phase, the soldiers will still face also physic training, with marches and runs on the shore and directly into the low water, with "break" where they'll have to jump into the icy water of the lake of Kesteven and swim for up to two kilometers, reach a dingy loaded with weapons and explosives and drag it ashore and back.
The last month will be used for very sophisticated things. Double-agents training, escape, resistance to torture and psychological war. They'll be trained to talk different languages, infiltrate even the more suspicious terroristic organization, to questioning and resist to questioning, to torture and resist to torture. Shadowing and stealth kills are a favorite subject, but also the silent intelligence, techniques of force open and covert inspections into supervised bases have great importance. The members of the SRS, especially, will face later a specialized, longer course on these tasks.
Phase three
The last phase of the training. A series of exercitations will see the new Predators set against the veterans of the unit and against units of the regular army, in different situations and environments that will end with a simulation of full scale war with situation of contamination Nuclear, Bacteriologic and Chemical, with the use operative of all the measures of protection NBC needed.
Then, the new Predators will be dressed with old uniforms and boots, without water or food, and leaved alone into the woods around Raven with the task of survive and remain hidden for a week. Difficult because teams of veteran Predators with soon chase after them over the woods with helicopters.
The last phase will see the parts inverted, somehow. The new task, always on the time of a week, sees the new Predators chase after a really dangerous fugitive. Usually, this part was assumed by the same general Wyvern, master into both remain hidden to pretty much everything and in escape to the efforts of entire teams into close combat. But this is fortunately the last test for the Predators for be finally accepted and ranked.
Specialized Trainings
The applicants are by now Predators at all the effects, but now they have to face specialized courses for their specific role into the unit. The Sniper Formation Course is particularly demanding and advanced, but it forms the probably best snipers of all the world, with impressive ability into camouflage and silent espionage apart from the shooting capability. Become a gunner, instead, requires a still better physical shape, because the weight of ammo and weapon is the higher in all the unit, rivaled only by the Assault Specialist that has to bring with himself also the Javelin portable missile launcher. There are also trainings for who want to learn how to pilot helicopters and aircrafts, and these are really recommended by the officers, that want a unit as much as possible autonomous and flexible. Besides, the new Predators can now choose if join the Heavy Weapons Platoons, that'll mean an additional training on the use of heavy machine gun XM20, of the Grenade Machine Gun, of the missile Javelin, mortars L12 120 mm, X12 Anti-Material Heavy Sniper rifle and will include new lessons on the tactical use of the jeeps WMKRV.
Predators: uniform and tactical combat vest
The uniform of the Predators is completely made of Gore Tex, impermeable and that transpire thanks to its molecular structure, with micro holes smaller than a molecule of water but larger than one of vapor. Externally, the Gore Tex is treated with a flame resistant and to a basic NBC protection processes that increase the resistance to fire and toxic agents. Every extremity is elastic and made for seal itself against the body, leaving no parts of the soldier uncovered and unprotected. The traditional color of Kesteven is white, with side and backpacks green, when the Kendrew one is the full black, but the needs of the war have forced both country to realize also camouflaged uniforms with the classic tiger-stripe patterns in various colors for the different environments. The jacket shows the coat of arms of the Predators division on the left shoulder and ranks and data of the soldier on the right, with indications of the rank also on the shoulders. The company is indicated by a small square of colored fabric placed under the coat of arms. Red for the first company, Blue for the second, Green for the third and Yellow for the SRS, while a white number on it indicates the section of provenience. The jacket has also the traditional neck of wolf's fur in memory of the victory of Wycherley. The boots are made of hardened leather with reinforces of steel and composite materials and they include an armored tip of steel with three metallic spikes particularly appreciated by the soldiers into the hand-to-hand combat. High-mobility-and-resistance Gloves are also part of the uniform, that's completed by the traditional red beret with the small coat of arms of silver.
In war time, the uniform is worn under the Tactical Combat Vest Osprey, which is made of a bullet-proof interceptor body armor "Aegis", complete of additional parts for the protection of neck, shoulders, elbows, forearms, groin, upper legs and knees. The armor is made of synthetic fibers like Kevlar and Twaron, crossed several times each on the other, in different senses, for make an extremely resistant and flexible protection for the vital zones. Other materials include the high performance polyethylene known as Dyneema or Spectra. The jacket is plain white or black when finished, but it can be rapidly wrapped into a camouflaged impermeable curtain with the pattern wanted, just as the other parts. The jacket has also a system of rapid release, whit two fast-opening ties on the shoulders that can be opened for give an immediate access to the body to a doctor, for example. The jacket has also several pockets designed to contain additional plates of ballistic steel and ceramics for additional protection.
Camouflage standard
The protection over the knees is traditionally completed with three spikes of steel, useful in hand-to-hand combat and adopted for honour the general Wyvern and its natural, deadly famous spikes. The gloves of the war-time uniform have metallic plates over knuckles and along the cut of the hand, for enhance mortally the effectiveness of each blow, especially of the standard "No weapons kill" of the Predators: a blow with the cut of the hand on the nose, from low to high, sending the cracked bone into the brain and killing on the moment. Obviously, side and backpacks of adequate colors are included for the transport of clips, radio, ammo, bayonet-knife, MREs and anything else the soldier needs on the battlefield. The tactical combat vest is obviously completed by the helmet, the standard MK1A1. Known for its high rate of protection and resistance, it too can be wrapped into camouflaged fabric and it includes the entire HMVCS system, with visor, camera and radio-data link protected. It is completely impermeable and it don't have a infra-red signature that can be picked up by surveillance systems. Same equipment, basically, has every Predators, even into the Special Reconnaissance Squadron, but we have to had if needed the respiration system, the main parachute and the one of reserve and the bigger backpack with all the needed for a long, stealth mission behind enemy lines with a HALO or HAHO infiltration.
Predator's best friends: weapons
Ordnance Sword - Type 0
Type: ordnance sword
Lenght: 4 foot blade, 0,8 foot handle
Weight: 6 kilos
Description: a double edged, simple and traditional sword that cuts on every side and has a nasty, deadly tip. Predators are greatly trained on the use of the Type 0 and they use it with fast sinks with the tip, because sabre-cuts are considered less effective and they opens for more time holes in the defense of the soldier. Often the Predator tie the sword with a small chain to his tactical combat vest to be sure to never really lose it, neither in the worst situation or fight.
Ordnance Sidearm - Type 91 Taurus
Type: automatic pistol
Caliber: 12.70x99 mm
Type of round: standard piercing or magnum explosive
Rate of Fire: automatic, theorically up to 50 or more shots for minute
Weight: 5 kilos
Range: the weapon is used for short range combat and statistically is rarely seen in use on distances over the 60 meters
Clip: standard 15 round or longer 30 round clip
Description: heavy and huge, but loved by every Predator. It has the power needed to overcome most bullet proof jackets and it's deadly in every environment, especially with magnum bullets. It is very simple to use, but also very safe. Apart from the normal button-safety, the trigger has to be pulled all the way backwards for the first shot, making impossible or almost impossible a dangerous mistake. Very reliable and resistant thanks to its strong metallic body. Silenciable, it can be equipped with a visible light electroc torch or a laser projected aiming dot visible to up to 300 meters of distance and/or a tactical 1,5X large sight with luminous red dot for aim in any situation. Its major defect are size, weight and the kick-of-horse-like recoil, but this too turned into an advantage during the fights against the wolfs and most of the other races of the New World Order Army, because they denied to the enemy the possibility of use the tiger's weapons against the original owners.
Standard SubMachine Gun 9 SMG9
Type: submachine gun
Caliber: 12,70x99 mm
Type of round: standard piercing or magnum explosive
Rate of Fire: single shot and three shots bursts available, free burst up to 950 shots for minute
Weight: 9.4 kilos
Range: theorical up to 1 kilometer, but rarely tested over the 300 meters.
Clip: standard 30 bullets, long 60
Description: standard "light"multipurpose weapon of the Kesteven and Kendrew armed forces, it has a formidable power of fire, firing up to 950 rounds for minute. A few rounds can destroy a brick wall and pierce across nearly every type of bullet proof or tactical vest. Foldable stock and frontal handle makes it "small" and "easy to hide". Safety and burst selector are on the side of the weapon, just over the trigger, and both can be used easily with just the thumb. It can be adapted to left-handed with a fast operation that sees the soldier turn the shutter in the opposite side, changing the direction of espulsion of the cases. The chamber of fire is covered of chrome for increase the resistance to dirt and the fire happens with open shutter, avoiding so cases of unwanted accensions of the bullet when the temperature is too high. When not shooting, the rotative shutter is closed for keep the dirt outside and protect the weapon against natural threats like the formation of ice inside. Silenciable, it can be equipped with a visible light electroc torch and/or a tactical 1,5X large sight with luminous red dot for aim in any situation and it has a laser projected aiming dot built-in, visible to up to 300 meters of distance. The system itself is designed to allow the single user the ability to carry out all but the most major repairs by himself in the field with the necessary tools being three Allen wrenches and a screwdriver. These, plus basic maintenance and cleanness tools are contained in a drawer in the pistol grip.
Modular ASsault Rifle MASR8
Type: assault rifle
Caliber: 12,70x99 mm
Type of round: standard piercing or magnum explosive
Rate of Fire: single shot and three shots bursts available, free burst up to 800 shots for minute
Weight: 18 kilos
Range: up to 1,5 kilometers
Clip: 30 bullets
Description: the entroduction of the modular family of weapons that we are describing changed radically the way of fight in Kesteven and then, as consequence, in Kendrew. The MASR8 is the base of all the family and the more significative example of the concept of interoperabilty and flexibility of this new fighting system. The project born around its caliber, the standard 12.70 mm, a powerful bullet long 99 millimeters and with a formidable letalithy, already very common into most arsenals of all the nations of the world. The idea was realize a complete family of weapons with this caliber, from pistol to sniper rifle, for make easier the logistic, the resupplying of the unit on the fied and for reduce the number of calibers in service with the Kesteven and Kendrew forces, with obvious savings of money and time. The MASR8 has a bullpup design that contains the overall dimensions of the gun without shorten the barrel and so without decreasing the power. The shutter is rotative, with six chambers that extract and takes the bullet from the clip and bring it in fire position, allowing a formidable rhythm of fire of 800 or more bullets for minute. Safety and burst selector are on the side of the weapon, just over the trigger, and both can be used easily with just the thumb. It can be adapted to left-handed with a fast operation that sees the soldier turn the shutter in the opposite side, changing the direction of espulsion of the cases. The chamber of fire is covered of chrome for increase the resistance to dirt and the fire happens with open shutter, avoiding so cases of unwanted accensions of the bullet when the temperature is too high. When not shooting, the rotative shutter is closed for keep the dirt outside and protect the weapon against natural threats like the formation of ice inside. The weapon has a noticeable "bridge" on the upper side, that acts as aiming sight for determinate the distances and act also as carrying handle when needed. It includes also a rack that can take indifferently a metallic foldable aiming sight, a 1,5X tactical "all lights" aiming system or the Day/Night 4x tactical aiming scope SUSAT, that includes a luminous net for aim and a backup metallic aiming sight for emergence and it's standard in Kesteven and Kendrew. Under the barrel can be placed a simple piece of plastic composite materials or a frontal handle for major grip and stability or a UGL single-shot grenade launcher of 60 millimeters. Silenciable, it can be equipped with a visible light electroc torch or a laser projected aiming dot visible to up to 300 meters of distance and the standard bayonett-knife M1. The system itself is designed to allow the single user the ability to carry out all but the most major repairs by himself in the field with the necessary tools being three Allen wrenches and a screwdriver. These, plus basical maintenance and cleanness tools are contained in a drawer in the pistol grip.
Modular Support Fire Weapon MSFW8
Type: medium machine gun of support
Caliber: 12,70x99 mm
Type of round: standard piercing or magnum explosive
Rate of Fire: single shot and three shots bursts available, free burst up to 1300 shots for minute
Weight: 21 kilos
Range: up to 2 kilometers
Clip: belt fed, with boxes charged with a 180-round belt. It can be fed with normal clips from SMG9 and MASR8
Description: as its design suggest, it is narrowly related with the MASR8. The commonality of pieces reach the 85%, with obvious benefits over logistic, and the weapon can be equipped with the same devices of aim and complement of the MASR8, even if it born with a light metallic bipod included under the barrel, a frontal handle for better bear the recoil and have major accuracy even firing in movement. The major differences are the longer and heavier barrel, replaceable in four seconds for the needs of long support of fire and problems due to the high temperatures, and the different rotating shutter, that has eight chambers instead of six, allowing the rate of 1200 rounds for minute. It has the same characteristics of the MASR8 as structure and functions, but is slightly modified in the rack for the clip, that's able to take the standard box of plastic or fabric camouflaged with belt of ammo from 180 to 250 rounds apart from the normal "assault-rifle-like" banana clip. This allows a team to exchange munitions and so rarely a unit of Predators remains without fire of support. The system itself is designed to allow the single user the ability to carry out all but the most major repairs by himself in the field with the necessary tools being three Allen wrenches and a screwdriver. These, plus basical maintenance and cleanness tools are contained in a drawer in the pistol grip.
Standard Sniper Rifle SSR8
Type: bolt action sniper rifle
Caliber: 12,70x99 mm
Type of round: standard piercing or magnum explosive or He-Incendiary
Rate of Fire: single shot
Weight: 20 kilos
Range: up to 2,5 kilometers
Clip: 10-round clip or 30/60 assault rifle banana clip
Description: the sniper of the family is also the weapon with the lowest commonality of parts, seen the obvious differences between the weapons. The SSR8 features a foldable stock, adjustable cheek-piece, integrated adjustable bipod and rear monopod particularly liked by the snipers during long waiting and static iron sight mountings for different types of scopes.
The system itself is designed to allow the single user the ability to carry out all but the most major repairs by himself in the field with the necessary tools being three Allen wrenches and a screwdriver. The entire shoot-group is a piece autonomous, not deformable in any climatic environment and extremely resistant. The heavy, free-floating barrel is made for maximum accuracy and it includes a suppressor for the flash and sound of the shot. The system itself is designed to allow the single user the ability to carry out all but the most major repairs by himself in the field with the necessary tools being three Allen wrenches and a screwdriver. These, plus basical maintenance and cleanness tools are contained in a drawer in the pistol grip.
X12 - Heavy Anti-material Sniper Rifle
Type: bolt action sniper rifle
Caliber: 20x150 mm
Type of round: standard piercing or magnum explosive or He-Incendiary
Rate of Fire: single shot
Weight: 38 kilos
Range: up to 3,2 kilometers
Clip: 10-round clip
Description: the modern battlefield is full of soldiers, light armored vehicles and precious, rather vulnerable devices like radars, radios and computers. The X12 is designed for be deadly against each of these, with its heavy, powerful 20 mm rounds. It's a bolt action rifle with a heavy, free-floating barrel with an integrated suppressor, even if every sniper always add also the supplementar, optional one for reduce the signature of this powerful cannon. It fires bullets kinetic-piercing and explosive/incendiary ones, from a detachable clip for ten rounds and it has a solid, adjustable and foldable bipod and a bridge-carrying handle with the rack for the powerful computerized scope. It's the weapon of choice of Alexis and the rifle of the snipers of the Heavy Weapons Platoons, that have the task of give help and support to the Predator companies, exploiting the incredible range of this rifle. It's one of the scarier and more precious weapons on the battlefield and it can keep the enemy constantly into fear and uncertainty, even when into vehicles, playing a great part against the mood of the foe. The system itself is designed to allow the single user the ability to carry out all but the most major repairs by himself in the field with the necessary tools being three Allen wrenches and a screwdriver. These, plus basical maintenance and cleanness tools are contained in a drawer in the pistol grip.
MUGL53 - Modified Underslug Grenade Launcher 53
Type: Grenade Launcher Pistol
Caliber: 60 mm
Type of round: HE-Frag grenade 60 mm
Rate of Fire: single shot
Weight: 6,2
Range: up to 350 kilometers
Clip: 4-round clip
Description: a modified version of the UGL grenade launcher that can be assembled under the barrel of the Modular Weapons. It has been changed into a pistol that can fire HE-Frag grenades with precision into windows from 350 meters or more of distance and that has a 4-round clip. But it is used mainly only as element of fire of the X20CS system, since it's otherwise more vantageous put a normal UGL on a MASR8 and have an only weapon, relatively lighter, able to do everything.
X20CS "Corner Shot"
Description: this particular system is designed for the use in urban warfare. It isn't a weapon itself, but a light rifle-structure of composite plastic materials with a pistol-handle, conventional "Kesteven Safety" on the side with the remote system of selection of the bursts and a swiveling anterior section with an electric, visible torch, a laser aiming dot projected with range-finder and a video camera day/night at high resolution. This swiveling section can take one weapon inside (a SMG9 or a Type 91 or a grenade launcher MUGL53) and act on their safeties and trigger from the handle. The soldier can direct the swiveling part of the system in the direction needed, then stretch out it from the corner and aim with the images of the camera on a foldable LCD screen. There is also a rack for a conventional aiming sight for the use of the system as a normal rifle.
Light Single-Use Multipurpose Rocket Launcher LSUMRL "Sting"
Type: single use, unguided rocket launcher
Caliber: 120 mm
Type of round: HEAT multipurpose
Rate of Fire: single shot
Weight: 7 kilos
Range: up to 500 meters against moving targets
Clip: 1 rocket inside
Description: lacking of an official name and having what is probably the worst initials in universe, soldier call it playfully the "the sting". Extremely simple, is a really loved weapon of the Kesteven arsenal and every Predator want it always with him. A light tube of glass-fibers, closed with two caps. Remove them and extract the rear tubes to full length and a simple, metallic aiming sight appears over the muzzle and the weapon is ready. Is enough free the button and push it for activate the rocket, that's already inside, waiting for use. After the launch, the soldiers throws away the useless tube. Its multipurpose warhead is greatly used and appreciated, because put in the hands of everyone in a section a huge power of fire, enough to destroy a main battle tank or a bunker.
MAN Portable Multipurpose Missile Launcher Javelin
Type: re-usable missile launcher for anti-tank and air-defense tasks, infra-red thermo guidance
Caliber: 180 mm
Type of round: Anti-Tank or Surface-to-air missiles
Rate of Fire: single shot
Weight: 22 kilos system completed and armed; 3 kilos tube; 6 kilos aiming unit; 13 kilos missile
Range: up to 2500 meters against moving targets on ground and 20.000 meters of height and 8 kilometers against aerial targets
Clip: missiles
Description: standard system of defense of Kesteven against tanks and aircrafts. Extremely effective, its missile is able to pierce across every type of armor actually in service or in development thanks to its speed of mach 2 and to his triple warhead High Explosive Anti-Tank. The weapon is developed entirely in Kesteven and it proved itself particularly smart thanks to its protested system of launch, based on a strong spring of titanium and composite. It requires to be pulled backwards all the way until it block itself, and the operation is quite demanding in fact of strenght, and requires a certain training, thing not so well seen in other nations. But an advantage of spring-launch-before-ignition system is that the launcher itself is not stressed by the flame of a normal launch and can so be built in simple, light glass-fibers and be reusable all the same. Another is that, lacking the flash, sound and flames of the shot, the Javelin can be used everywhere and in any environment without dangers for the servant and it is extremely difficult to spot for the enemy. Again, the aiming sight is made of a laser range-finder and a thermo-camera day/night that locks its targets in the infra-red spectrum looking for thermo differences in the air and can so be used against tanks, vehicles, bunkers and aerial targets both. The aiming system can be located on both sides of the tube of launch and pointed in every direction on the vertical axes, making it easy to use even in the worst conditions. The aiming sight, besides, can be dismounted and used from a position different from the one of the launcher system, in a circular range of about 100 meters, thanks to a data link between missile and aiming unit. The missiles are of two types, of dimensions extremely similar and contained into protective metallic tubes. The SAM and the AT ones are externally different only for the longer propulsive rocket and the bigger wings of the SAM one. Another difference, but not immediately visible, is the warhead: a triple auto-shaping piercing High Explosive Anti Tank for the AT and a bigger but unitary HE-Frag one for the SAM. Besides, the SAM has a major amount of fuel for the internal pulse-jet engine that pushes it to height and distances much superior to the AT one. An adjustable tripod is available and mounts for the Javelin are on most vehicles of the armies of Kesteven and Kendrew. There is also a High Speed interceptor with laser guidance that can be used and exploits an impressive speed of 3.5 mach (3.5 times the sound's speed) and three darts in steel and tungsten to pierce across planes, tanks or heavily protected buildings, capable to hit up to three targets in one go. Each dart has a small explosive HE warhead with a timer for delayed detonation when they have pierced deep into the target, to maximize the damage against any type of target.
XM20 Heavy Machine Gun
Type: heavy machine gun
Caliber: 20x150 mm
Type of round: kinetic/piercing and explosive/incendiary
Rate of Fire: three shots bursts or free bursts up to 600 rounds for minute
Weight: 50 kilos weapon, 42 kilos tripod
Range: up to 3,5 kilometers
Clip: belt fed, with belt often keep in boxes and of length between 180 and usually 250 rounds
Description: a design simple, a body of hard steel that can bear well the stress on the battlefield and a formidable fire-power that allow the gunner to kill even behind walls. The XM20 is the standard heavy machine gun in Kesteven from tens of years and it will be still for many others. Its major defect are size and weight, proibitive for the wanted mobility of the Predators, so it is used as standard weapon over the mounts of the WMKRVs of the Heavy Weapons Platoon. Its power is enough for hit even behind walls and into slightly armored vehicles and aircrafts. The shutter is rotative and it fires with it opened for make easier the cooling of the barrel and chamber of fire. The barrel itself can be replaced in a few seconds. It has a double handle with two buttons-safeties and a double trigger, thing very appreciated because fire for error is really impossible. It is also one of the possible weapons for the remote-controlled turrets Lemur on the vehicles of the army.
Grenade Machine Gun GMG MK19
Type: grenade machine launcher
Caliber: 60 mm
Type of round: HE-Frag, piercing, incendiary and multipurpose
Rate of Fire: single shot, three shots bursts or free burst. Maximum rate of fire is 340 rounds for minute
Weight: 45 kilos weapon; 52 tripod
Range: up to 2000 meters
Clip: belt fed. Usually belt of 50/70 grenades into a plastic box on the side of the weapon
Description: another weapon heavy and hard to move rapidly on the battlefield, but absolutely loved by every Predator and incredibly deadly. Its rate of fire is similar to the one of old machine guns, but it fires 60 mm grenade-rounds and it can face effectively troops and vehicles, allowing a single man to face and likely stop a mass attack. Despite the tripod available, Predators can't take with them this bulky system and move it effectively on the battlefield during their continuous, fast marches, but is always present on the WMKRVs. It is also one of the possible weapons for the remote-controlled turrets Lemur on the vehicles of the army. As all the weapons in service with the Predators, it includes every trick available for obtain the major reliability possible, in every condition and environment. The grenades are launched thanks to a small electric discharge into their propulsive explosive charge.
L12 120 millimeters heavy mortar
Type: heavy mortar
Caliber: 120 mm
Type of round: grenades available HE-Frag, Smoke in various colors, Enlightening grenades and toxic-gas charged grenades. Available multi-purpose guided munition X12G
Rate of Fire: up to 15 shots for minute,
Weight: 20 kilos tube; 19 kilos base plate; aiming system 2 kilos
Range: at least 100 meters, maximum 13 kilometers
Clip: grenades
Description: standard mortar of the Kesteven and Kendrew forces, it is the standard weapon of fire support for the Predators, because hotwizers and guns are more difficult to move on the battlefield. The mortar is traditional, with fire for percussion or external signal, but the aiming system is a state-of-the-art computerized integrated unit, complete also of a powerful optic and laser range-finder for situations when the target is directly visible. Apart from the normal grenades, is available the munition X12G, that uses a multipurpose warheads with pre-fragmented wrapping for kill personal, a piercing HE charge for destroy vehicles and a ring of zirconium for incendiary tasks (it generates a flame of 4000 celsius degrees for 4 seconds) and has a small millimetric-waves radar on the fuse. This radar search targets and compares the images catched with the profiles of the wanted targets in its internal memory, recognizing the objectives, following pre-programmed rules of engagment (example: priority to tanks) and makes its way towards its target thanks to small foldable wings and a propulsive rocket. The L12 is very useful for generate rapidly walls of smoke for hide an attack, for give a rapid, vital support of explosives or for bomber a zone where is known the presence of the enemy. In the Predators, the mortars have mobility over modified WMKRVs jeeps, but they can always be dismounted into tube, base-plate and aiming system and munitions and moved on the battlefield by a team of three soldiers. It is the simpler and smaller weapons of the artillery.
Technology on the battlefields
Unmanned Reconnaissance Aerial Vehicle U01 "Buzz"
The buzz is a small system that a man of a team of Predators can transport easily into a special backpack on his shoulders and use with a simple, modified laptop. It is used for reconnaisance tactical and strategical on the battlefield and particularly appreciated into urban environments. It can fly for six hours with its electric batteries that actionate a light rotor in alluminium placed into a protective circular body of plastic composite materials for reduce the radar signature. It is extremely silent and hard to see on radars and thermo-sensors and it can be guided to a height of 300 meters and 40 kilometers of distance at 70 kilometers for hour of top speed with the apposite joystick thanks to a protected data link. It can be guided even into windows and it send images HD back to the laptop from two swiveling turrets with a full day/night camera system, one on top and one at the bottom of the aerial vehicle. The last model uses also microphones and the same small system of relevation of threats that's part of a Predator's equipment; a system big as a cigarette's packet but able to find the direction precise of provenience of a shot. Batteries can be easily reloaded with a flexible solar panel that's part of the backpack for the transport.
Unmanned Reconnaissance Vehicle XU71 "Busy-Body"
The Busy-Body is the terrestial version of the Buzz, in some ways. It can be transportated and reloaded in the same way, but this is used for still more attentive reconnaissance, seen that it can even climb staircases with its rubber tracks and shadow silently a foe thanks to the electrical, silent engine. Autonomy is of 10 hours and equipment is of two spy systems with microphones and day/night cameras. Besides, the swiveling mount on top can be equipped with two silenced Type 91 pistols or a silenced SMG9. Top speed is 20 kilometers for hour.
Unmanned Transport Vehicle XU70 "Mule"
The Mule is much bigger than the XU71 and can transport crates of ammo or supplies or weapons or two stretchers with wounded or whatever is needed. It has its own solar panels for its electric engine and large, strong tracks for the rough terrains. Altrhough it is equipped with a swiveling turret with day and night camera, recon is not its work. This is the mule of the soldiers of Kesteven and Kendrew and it can be guided with a laptop or programmed for reach certain GPS coordinates, bringing there the stuff needed. Autonomy is theorically unlimited and the speed can be variable. This can be programmed for follow the march of the soldiers or reach the 40 kilometers for hour.
Surveillance and Target-Acquisition System STAS "Goldeneye"
A light, integrated system of surveillance with a multi-spectrum video camera Day/Night and a laser range-finder and tracker and with a Magellan GPS system mounted over a stabilized adjustable tripod with a console of use that can be placed even at 100 meters of distance and that's contained in a special backpack protective. Especially used by teams of the Special Reconnaissance Squadron, that use it for supervise the enemy from the distance, gain information and even track the target with the laser for the bombs of the air force. Men of the SRS often works as Forward Air Attack Control. It weights 12 kilos.
Surveillance and Target-Acquisition Radar STAR "Virgo"
A light, integrated and portable radar system used for surveillance of vulnerable sectors or for spy the enemy. It weights 42 kilos, works in I band and can see a man crawling on the ground at 3 kilometers, a walking soldier at over 23, at 30 kilometers it sees a light vehicle and a tank up to 34 kilometers, when an aircraft is visible at 40 kilometers. The operator is a single man that works with a laptop and at a distance of up to 40 meters. It has a section of searching of 360° with 12/15 rotations for second of the aerial but can be programmed for sectors of 90 degrees. It can work without problems from -33 to +56 celsius degrees and in every climatic environment, even if the range can change.
High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Recon Vector HALO-URC "Hayabusa"
Hayabusa, or rather peregrine hawk, translated from japanese. The name for this unmanned, remote controlled system of surveillance able of remain in air for 36 hours. It is nearly as big as a normal plane, and its autonomy is intercontinental, with two small jet engines and a top speed of 856 kilometers for hours. Its equipment includes radars of espionage and surveillance and HD cameras of espionage from high altitudes. It flies over the battlefield for hours consecutive at a height of 20.000 meters, far from most threats, taking images and data and sending them with a secure data link to the HMVCSs or laptops or handhelds and to the computers of its base and to the HQs. It is not controlled by Predators and it is a system of the air force, but often is used for give support of intelligence to teams of the special force.
High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Combat Vector HALO-UCC "Taranis"
Another system of the air force, but often used for help the Predators or the army. With 40 meters of wings, this winged body aircraft, stealth and with a low thermo signature is remotely directed over targets known, often already tracked by men of the Predators or SRS and it bombs them, sending back images of the attack. It flies at nearly 930 kilometers for hours at about 15.000 meters of height on intercontinental distances, with an autonomy of 24 hours. Two internal weapon bays can take each a 500 kilos bomb, laser or GPS guided.
Stealth Transport Glider STG30 "Swallow"
A system of the Parachute Regiment, but often used for infiltrate the Predators, too. It's a glider almost entirely made of composite plastic materials and so extremely hard to see on a radar. The lack of engines and the very low speed generate a very little thermo/infra-red signature, making it almost impossible to spot. Its crew is of two men and its large fuselage can take 30 soldiers and two WMKRVs or a Eight Wheeled light armored vehicle. It has doors at each extremity, so it's an easy Roll on-Roll off cargo that can be towered by other planes near to the wanted zone and then glide silently to the target without be tracked.
Advanced Swimmers Delivery System ASDS
A system of the navy developed for be transported on the back of the nuclear submarines Astute, Ambush, Artful and Ardent for infiltrate teams of up to ten soldiers into enemy docks. The ASDS has a crew of two men (pilot and sonar servant/co-pilot) and can transport a complete section of scuba-divers fully equipped. It is electrically propelled and can make 6 knots for 12 hours with its batteries. Obviously, it needs still a good few meters of water to sail into, but it can bring the soldiers much nearer to the target than the submarine itself. And it is also much more difficult to discover with sonars and idrophones thanks to the minor number of moving, noisily parts and to the much smaller size.
Swimmer Propulsor System SPS
A system of the navy, again, thought and used to make easier long tract of travel in low waters for swimmers. The soldier has only to grasp the handles and be towed at a speed of three knots. It has a signature extremely small and it includes a panel complete with basical info like GPS position, a clock and a compass. The system has also a very powerful light in the muzzle, but obviously for stealth infiltrations it isn't used. Autonomy is of six hours.