Talk:BSR-127 "Thunder"

Suppression: Accuracy vs Volume

When we talk about suppression, we tend to imagine a huge volume of fire, directed in a single vector, usually to pin down enemy elements. In Luminarian military terminology, suppressive fire is fire that degrades the performance of an enemy force below the level needed to fulfill its mission. In order to achieve such an effect, suppressive fire has to threaten casualties to individuals who expose themselves to it.

In many cases, this is done via firing a large amount of rounds usually via machine gun fire. However, this is unsustainable for more then a few minutes due to logistical issues. But there are several other ways that can suppress enemy forces, in fact, a single sniper, with a single shot is also capable of suppressing enemy infantry with ease. A single artillery shell can suppress few thousand square metres around its burst.

When it comes to the current battlescape of the Zaretian theatre, we must take into account the level of protection of infantry forces, which can range from basic body armor to battlesuits. Furthermore, every single infantry is also equipped with a personal shield generator, protecting the user from a few shots. In comparison with 21st century technology, it is a lot harder to threaten casualties to individuals, especially with non-accurate, non-lethal fire.

In fact, we can also see a difference in what it takes to suppress an enemy force based on its combat experience. Inexperienced troops will take cover and be suppressed immediately from the bullet cracks, whereas experienced troops will not be suppressed if they realise the fire is inaccurate.

In the Zaretian theatre, Luminarian forces have noticed that even the greenest of zaretian infantry will not be suppressed just from the sound of gunfire or bullet impacts close to them, the only way to reliably suppress zaretian infantry is to land hits on their shields, creating a notable flash that most infantry tend to shy away from. However, it does not cause a casualty, and more experienced troops tend to ignore these shield flashes, only ducking into cover after their shield fails.

Additionally, more experienced Zaretian infantry are equipped with battlesuits, and even if their shields fail, they can rely on their battlesuit's armor to deflect any low-caliber rounds. In order to suppress Zaretian Battlesuits, Luminarian forces have to employ heavy firepower, and with enough accuracy, within a short period of time.

This has led the development of Luminarian guns to favor accuracy and stopping power over volume, especially when engaging experienced Zaretian infantry.