Menu
From Sci-Fi to the Battlefield: Could Mechs and Walkers Revolutionize Future Warfare?
By Phil/Kords | Published | No Comments
What makes something “sci-fi”? Any object we can envision as a potential invention or innovation in the distant future that does not currently exist is considered sci-fi. Sci-fi-inspired military technology is only getting started right now. From projectile weapons to rail guns and lasers, the future of war machines has come a long way.
Imagination is the key, and it has the potential to develop something so profound that when one witnesses it, one goes wild. A case in point is reading sci-fi books, their respective adaptations into movies, and movies adapted from imagination and dreams.
Some excellent examples of sci-fi literature include Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series and The Expanse series, written by James S. A. Corey and later adapted into an impressive live-action series. Among films, notable examples are Star Wars and Star Trek. Recently, warp drives have started to gain attention for their potential real-world applications. Additionally, lightsabers have been developed without Kyber crystals and the use of the Force, which is traditionally associated with their creation.
Something much more profound is the Mechs or Walkers. While they are cool, their practical applications raise questions.
Let me explore the possibilities in this blog post.
Why do mechs and walkers look cool?
The challenges to building these seem like a distant possibility. Making a towering mech or a walker would burn through R&D money like water running from a tap!
Taking a perspective from the Star Wars franchise, the closest that comes to mind is the AT-AT (All Terrain Armoured Transport) referred to as Imperial Walkers in the movies and the AT-ST (All Terrain Scout Transport). When I look at them, the one thing that comes to mind is the power source. The one where we can generate enormous power (currently) is a miniaturised nuclear reactor. The closest it can currently power are attack submarines and aircraft carriers. So, power sources are a problem in the present age.
The reason why Star Wars walkers look cool is that they do not consider practicality, or do they? In contrast, Star Trek ships and tech are far more practical. However, their universe depends more on practicality and less on looking cool. What would think looks cooler? An imperial wedge-shaped Imperial Star Destroyer or the saucer-shaped USS Enterprise?
Despite being a dedicated Star Wars fan since childhood, Star Trek tech still seems plausible. But Star Trek does not have Walkers, Robots, or mechs. They have starships, teleportation, and replicators!
“One to beam up!”
Analysing the tactics:
The distant cousins that closely resemble the sci-fi mechs and walkers are the Main Battle Tanks. These beasts form the core of the Armoured Corps of any country. The key to winning any battle is using them with enough support to thrust deep into enemy territory.
Tanks need support columns like infantry and heavy combat helicopters. In Star Wars, during the battle of Hoth, The AT-ATs did not have enough support. They were left vulnerable to an infantry attack. A case in point is when Luke’s Snow Speeder is shot down he manages to “infiltrate” an AT-AT and plant a bomb to destroy it. AT-ATs are also left vulnerable to cable attacks. After the rebel’s defences are breached we see the entry of AT-STs. I have noticed a flaw in the tactics of the empire. Perhaps, Commander Jerjerrod could have improved with minimal losses. How?
If I attacked Hoth, I would not leave AT-ATs unprotected. I would have the AT-STs on escort duty to prevent any breach in the attack proximity. This would instantly guard the valuable AT-AT which already has an advantage of height and a higher line of attack. Snow-troopers could be armed with anti-aircraft weapons to protect against any air attack.
The Empire’s failure in the battle of Hoth is perhaps due to a lack of intelligence. They underestimated the rebels’ capabilities and overestimated their (Empire’s) power. If the rebel stronghold was strong enough to deflect any bombardment, wouldn’t an orbital or aerial bombardment of the unprotected power generator bring down the shields? I wonder what was the problem!
Coming to the mechs, they are one huge battle platform. The closest coming to my mind is the Mechwarriors – a game franchise bearing the same name. I have played this game before and know what it was like to man these huge walkers. Now, the game has the light, medium and heavy classes of mechs that serve different purposes which I will not get into.
These mechs have a variety of weapons embedded in them. They have lasers, projectiles and missiles. The latter two are limited as we have in the current scenario and I assume they must be used judiciously. Lasers, however, are different ball game! They cannot be replenished. However, they need a constant power source and if the power distribution of the reactor is breached or affected in any way – kiss the lasers goodbye! Further compounding the problems of constantly firing laser is the heating problem. I remember hearing a warning if the systems overheated and if they did overheat – the mech would shut down. Why didn’t these mechs have better coolants to prevent that in the first place?
I haven’t played the latest iterations of the game, but would love to pilot them! The most effective tactic I see is to disable these babies rather than destroy them. Salvage claim anyone?
The cockpit is likely to be heavily armoured, and anything that affects the life support system will make it difficult to continue the fight.
The future scenario:
Wars are not like they were in previous centuries. Conflicts are far lesser. If a conflict does occur, it is short. Exceptions exist when the military objectives demand a prolonged conflict! A case in point is the Ukraine conflict and the 13-year Syrian civil war.
As wars come down, military technology is bound to get more advanced. Automation and AI are steadily being introduced. Humans won’t be removed from strategic decision-making processes. Wars are bound to get condensed into battle platforms. Ulterior motives won’t cease to exist as someone will always want to bend someone else’s will.
Large battles will remain confined to smaller sections. Mechs are bound to be super-powerful tanks with varieties of weapons tailored for mission-specific roles. They won’t go alone into battle but will need support in some form.
The problem of building such massive machines:
Besides the power source problem highlighted before, conceiving the engines of such machines poses another challenge. How would such an engine work? How similar or different will it be from its ancestor – the tank? What will the engine be like?
Speaking of engines, the tank’s engine has to do two things
1) Speed, and 2) power the tank’s systems.
At the moment, the only practical use of such mechanisms has been witnessed come in smaller sizes.
Let’s imagine we have successfully overcome the challenges related to power supply and engine functionality. What’s next? We need to focus on the armour and weapon systems. Specifically, what types of weapons will the mech carry? It will be equipped with both projectile-based and missile weapons. However, the use of these weapons is limited by their physical presence. Once the ammunition runs out, the mech becomes ineffective on the battlefield. Miniaturisation may be the trick here, small size can introduce a larger space or mechs could be designed based on the weapons they carry.
Light-armoured mechs could have fewer weapons and better speed and were specifically built for recon or scouting missions. Medium mechs would have moderate armour and powerful weapons to support heavier mechs. Heavy mechs, on the other hand, would serve as massive battle platforms, easily capable of defeating large armies. Due to their complexity, not every country could afford to build them, much like the limited nations that can develop advanced aircraft or carriers.
Despite the longer than traditional weapon system’s range, the mech’s range could be more – covering a much larger area. Conventional weapons may not be of much use, that’s when lasers or concentrated energy beams may dominate the battlefield.
Latest posts
Leave a Reply