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Historical Note:
The Changing Face of Battle
Press Release
For Immediate Release 2088/03/23 16:30 TST
Joseon War College: Press Office
Introduction
The Joseon War College is one of the Known Sphere's premier military schools. As part of its ongoing program of postgraduate education for officers of all levels, the War College's Research Institute for the Military Sciences hosts the acclaimed Von Clausewitz series of lectures by invited individuals from both Joseoni and allied militaries. While attendance at the lectures, or access to the transcript, requires a security clearance, where possible, an edited version is made available for public release.
The Spring 2088 Von Clausewitz lecture, entitled "The Changing Face of Battle," was given by Brigadier General Robert Emerson (ret.), currently a partner with the investment banking firm Hung, Donnelly, and Supnik. General Emerson has perhaps more operational experience with mobile armored infantry on almost every level than any other individual, from serving as a test pilot with the Republic of Akasha's Mobile Armor Development Project to commanding both the Crimson Team of the Shadow Knights and the elite Light Horse Brigade.
Lecture - The Changing Face of Battle
In the last decade, from Akasha's fight for independence to its recently concluded civil war, we have witnessed a radical change in the prevailing favored strategy for terrestrial warfare from one based largely upon air and missile power to a combined arms approach dominated by mobile armored infantry, also referred to as "mobile armors" or "MAs" for short. Many militaries were slow to recognize the changing battlefield environment, most notably Terra's Federal Forces, which cost Terrans dearly.
The mobile armor is only the most visible herald of this latest stage in the evolution of warfare, as sweeping as the introduction of gunpowder in medieval Europe, and the development of nuclear weapons in the 20th century. Although originally designed for a much more modest role revolving around infantry close-fire support, combat engineering, and urban pacification, the discovery of the Li Wave changed everything. Suddenly, use of MAs as frontline combat units became feasible.
Mobile armor use and related doctrine have yet to reach maturity and their role on the battlefield continues to expand with each new conflict, such as their recent use in amphibious operations. Nevertheless, certain generally accepted strands of thought have begun to emerge.
Since the Akashan War of Independence, we have also seen the relative decline of the mobile armor's stiffest competitor as the dominant land weapon platform and backbone of modern ground forces, the Main Battle Tank. An analysis of the MA's relative capabilities is perhaps best done in side-by-side comparison with the MBT.
Mobile armors suffer from the inherent limitations of bipedal structure. For any given weight class, they will always have lower levels of firepower, speed, and armor protection than an MBT. When standing, they also present a much taller target silouette. The leaders of the Mobile Armor Development Project realized that it would be preposterous to attempt to challenge the Main Battle Tank on its own ground, and, instead, designed the MA around its own inherent strengths.
In essence, the mobile armor is the ultimate evolution of the infantryman, combining adaptability, flexibility, and the ability hold ground with substantial mobility, firepower, and survivability. Additionally, its unique combination of attributes gives the MA the ability to withstand and repulse a cavalry charge, whether armored or airborne. Although versatile performers, mobile armors are vulnerable in level, wide open spaces and have proven ill-suited to desert campaigns. However, they excel in broken and mixed-ground settings, especially on non-terraformed worlds.
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