If there are the following:
1000 is 480 Side Kicks, 106 reload teams, 100-300 other power armors/combat borgs/special troops (I will go with 300 for argument's sake). This leaves 114 troops for mechanics, medics, communications and logistics. Now lets make those 300 random PA's/Cyborgs: 50 Power Troopers, 25 Pale Death SAMAS, 25 V-SAM, 150 SAMAS, 20 Imprimer Borgs, 20 Slasher Borgs, 15 Standard Heavy Combat Borgs (RUE version).
As for the Glitter Boys themselves, if you have half of them that require ammo fire while the others are held in reserve until the first half needs to reload and also have the ones using energy based weapons (unlimited ammo) keep up constant covering fire you can make the ammo stretch out a bit longer. With 50% of the Glitter Boys being the original type (with Rimouski Weapon Package and vibro-sword) they can all fire 128,000 rounds before reloading. The Taurus GB can fire 1536 mortars (assuming they are all using the mortars cannons instead of heavy laser cannons). The 384 Glitter Girls can reload their own weapons (two actions) and still fire energy blasts, putting out 38,400 explosive shells before reloading.
First of all, 1,000 support personnel is waaay too low. On the average, according to military doctrine I remember (from strategy and tactics courses) there should be at least 4 support personnel per person. This accounts for: Ammunition handlers, medics, paperwork, military intelligence, mechanics, cooks, supply, and everything else.
With that in mind, some changes need to be made.
Let's say this is a REAL military operation by Free Quebec, with the support of Chi-Town and the rest of the Coalition States.
First of all, you'll want to send up an advance party to scout the area and find a suitable location for the following:
Firebases, support bases, logistics bases.
Once a location is discovered, construction crews and security teams should be sent to set the bases up. The security teams will need to destroy any Xiticix scouts to prevent the full scope of what is being built to be discovered. This is vitally important. Unless there is an overwhelming reason that it should be built in Xiticix "territory" then for best effort it should be built 2-10 miles outside of the "territory". Construction, with Rifts Earth techniques, should take hours or days at the most. Both before construction begins and once construction is complete, high velocity aircraft should be used to "map" the surrounding territory in at least 30 miles in all directions, including high resolution photographs, laser ground contour imaging, and multiple "wavelength" imaging should be made. Leading up to the site selection, mapping should be done over a period of 30 days, allowing analysts to examine the images for any changes of any type during the time.
The CS should be providing anti-air vehicles. These will out out a LOT of flak. Our strike force (Serpent Seven Actual) will place 4 different AA sections. Two behind our pirmary strike force, one to the left, one to the right. These should consist of enough vehicles to put out enough flak, by themselves, to handle large "swarms". Those will be firebases Alpha, Bravo, Sigma, Epsilon.
At these firebases should also be: Artillery vehicles, ammunition reloads, communication hubs, and air defense systems, including "air defense artillery" stations. There will be three types of air defense systems: Long range (Probably SAM based) as well as medium range (Probably rocket-assisted air defense clusters), as well as "point defense" systems, more than likely the classic pintle mount with 2 sets of 4 railguns. You'd want a LOT of lead in the air as fast as possible for the point defense systems.
We'll dig in and station our artillery here. Not air defense artillery, but honest to god eight inch artillery systems (preferably self-propelled) as well as the CS/FQ version of the MRLS wagon. Since we have 4 firebases, we'll divide up the 100 piece brigade into 4 sections. The two side ones will have 20 arty pieces and 20 arty wagons each. The two in the rear will have 30 of each per wagon. The arty pieces and MRLS systems should have literally thousands of artillery rounds and MRLS reloads available. Additionally we'll add 4.2" ERLIX mortar systems (laser guided munitions capable of in-flight trajectory adjustments) loaded up with variable fuzing. The two most common types will be elevation set (for airbursts) as well as proximity (to use on the "clouds" or any marching formation). The mortars should be the new systems, like the modern mobile systems in use by the US Army and USMC. These have internal and external magazines, capable of loading systems, and be able to be adjusted via computers with a high rate of fire.
(During Desert Shield, before the Ground War, Logbase Echo shipped out approximately 25,000 or more 8" artillery rounds PER DAY, which were all used by the next day)
Communications should be multiple systems: Hardline fiber-optic buried cable, laser whisker systems, frequency agile radio systems, micro-wave systems. Trained operators will handle not only spotter communications, but keep in constant contact with each other for target priority and selection, as well as helping out glitterboys out. Professional communications are the backbone of any modern military. These won't be random privates grabbed from anywhere, but long term professional commo troops that are veterans of the Tolkeen War and skilled in fast and frantic battlefield communications. There will be a seperate section to handle "in-base" communication between weapon crews, power armors, and the rest of the base functions and personnel. There should be three shifts of communications and designation systems soldiers. And speaking of designation systems...
Now, with the Air Defense should be radar stations. We're not talking WW-II radar, we're talking phased millimetric radar arrays sensitive enough to pick up a basketball. Additionally they should be programmed and ready for "target rich" environments, with heavy computer support to assist in radar tracking and target selection. We'll also include laser targeting systems to assist in range, elevation, and speed. Based off the old Force XXI program "wish-list" we should be able to provide our radar system operators to help the surface to air systems in picking out individual targets out of groups of thousands. (This was designed based off of Soviet/NATO worst case air defense scenarios, so we'll extrapolate better systems than old late 1980's systems) These systems will have dedicated fire control computers, and a LOT of them, complete with heuristic adaptive capability, more capable and better difference engine programming than the Skelebots.
As for the base itself, it will probably be quick-set ferrocrete, including bunkers (3 meter thick should suffice) with additional "tunnel rods" to prevent ease of tunneling in. (6" thick tungsten steel rods driving into the ground for a length of 40 feet, think oil drilling pipe) The ferrocrete "floor" should be a minimum thickness of 10 feet, 10 meters if possible. The artillery pieces should not only be fully loaded, but have 5X basic load in a 'ready area' only a few meters away. This will be constantly resupplied via forklift or borg-run pallet jack. (During Wintex me and a crew of 9 other could move 1 pallet of 8 rounds every three minutes from the ATP to the ready area. That's 80 rounds in 3 minutes, or 1,600 rounds an hour. We'll assume that Rifts has better than 10 hung over guys with crappy 15 year old rough terrain forklifts) If it's been setup, there should be an automated resupply line, robotic assist, that can shove about 100 rounds a minute into the ready area, with the robotic assisted conveyer line funnelling rounds into the artillery piece's load storage. There should be barracks, mess hall, vehicle repair and maintenance area, as well as a small recreation area. NO buildings should be built below ground, due to tunneling threat, so all of them will have to have thicker walls and ceilings than normal. NO WINDOWS, instead the use of camera and remote observation systems, with backups, multiple interlocking visibility fields, and all that fun stuff.
Directional tremor sensors will help, along with siesmic sensors. As well as using "explosive mapping" to keep a constant update on the ground around it. (Think Jurassic Park) With the constant artillery fire, as well as the impact, the mapping should be able to be almost realtime. That should show any tunnels being bored in. For those, we handle with 8" "penetrator" rounds, able to penetrate up to 50 feet of soil. We'll assume Rifts Earth has better penetrator rounds than we currently do, but that penetrator round is going to hammer the tunnels. Since modern artillery rounds can drop a LOT of rounds in a 10 foot area, we'll figure Rifts Earth can do better. According to the grid coordinate system, a properly trained crew with a spotter can drop the round within 10 feet of the point target. We'll assume that Free Quebec and the CS are as competant as modern artillery soldiers.
Vehicles should be ready for "Bug out" just in case it looks like an overrun. Add in charges to destroy in place any equipment that can't be moved quickly out, as well as charges to destroy the ammunition to prevent the bugs from getting it. Crew should have been drilled for months in mock training areas to pull out within minutes. The old reliable workhorse standard CS ACP should work good for a lot of this. With chaff and HC smoke loaded into the grenade/mortar systems to assist with the retreat.
In the center of our Firebases with the glitterboys and supporting glitterboy elements.
Once again, the base will be built with a thick layer of ferrocrete, with pre-set areas for Glitterboys to "punch in" so that they can be readied for firing. These two bases will not only contain more sophisticated and powerful communication, imaging, and targeting arrays like the Firebases. Each base will be able to coordinate targeting and radar array by themselves, and will rotate jobs, providing redundancy both during training and during the operation. Modern radar and laser systems have amazing range, so they'll be able to spot and identify the swarms at an extended ranges.
The glitterboy forces will be using fireplans, with backup from the surface to air systems, as well as the point defense. There will be dedicated loader teams. Initial firing will be probably 30-50 rounds per "force" so that while one group is being loaded the other three to five groups will still be firing. This will guarantee the lowest 'downtime' of the firing systems. They should be supplied for an "extended engagement" of several hours. Stimulants should be authorized, and the pilots should be well rested, so that they can fight for up to 48 hours. (That's a LONG time to be engaged in combat, but during Desert Storm and the initial invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan some units fought for up to 72-90 hours straight without rest or stopping, under fire for up to 3/4 of the time) If possible, there should be additional "operator teams" capable of taking over for fatigued pilots and crew-members, and a properly trained crew can replace the fatigued team in less than five minutes.
Finally, aircraft should be tasked for bombing runs, with staggered launches to provide constant attacks. This won't be one bombing run every hour or so, this will be a constant bombing attack, with constant fire missions set by the main Operations Base tactical planners. The aircraft should be using three types of munitions: Ground impact thermobaric systems, proximity detonation thermobaric fuel air systems, and of course, good old elevation set MOAB systems, since we don't want to go nuclear.
Initially the aircraft will drop bombs in hive territory, slowly drawing back toward the target environment, "luring" out the Xiticix forces toward the set up base.
Artillery will be used initially to drop FASCAM rounds (FAmily of SCAtterable Mines) on all approaches. This will drop mines, including "Arial Deployment" rounds (currently used for "top down" attacks on armored vehicles) to pop up and strike at low-flying bugs. Modern AD mines are capable of in-air position shifting in order to properly "attack" targets, so there won't be any problem with properly orientating and deploying the explosively forged penetrator at any low-flying bugs. (We'll assume they've been desinged properly and can be "launched" up to 100m in the air. Now, with the current generation of "self-healing" minefields and mine deployment systems, the mines would be able to rapidly shift position to cover any expended areas to ensure proper coverage. Modern "self-healing" fields also deploy up to 200% of the active mines for "reserve" in case of "mass movement" in the area. Now, the minefields should be REALLY thickly emplaced. These mines are smart enough to pop up and hit one walking on the ground in the top of the head. (Pop up several feet, rotate, and fire the EFP straight down through the top of the bug's head) Several artillery pieces per base will be tasked with "reloading" the minefields, to make sure they cannot just "rush" through field.
As 8" shells (Rocket Assisted High Explosive for example) currently have a reach over over 20 miles, we'll assume advances in propellant systems and barrel tensile strength have enabled "rocket assisted" rounds to reach much father than modern day systems. This means that the artillery will probably be used to draw in the bugs by performing Fire For Effect missions in Xiticix territory. Combined with direct bombing runs on the Hive or the close in hive territory, the Xiticix should react by following the bombing runs toward the "source" which is the bases above. Additionally, proper prepardness should have dropped (via artillery) "decoy" units into Xiticix territory, which will look, smell, and have light energy sources like Glitterboys. (Think of inflatable rafts being dropped via parachute slowed canisters when the "shell" bursts about 50 feet off the ground)
Pilots should be trained to have confidence in the target selection systems, and have the system choose the targets, which will allow the glitterboys target enemies at a much further distance than normal, since the targeting telemetry will be determined by the radar and sensor arrays, and refined by the large dedicated targeting computers housed in the bases. Pilot control will mainly be for targeting failure, specific fire missions, or situations outside the parameters of the mission.
With any luck Free Quebec should have Skelebots available. The Skelebots will be charged with driving vehicles forward to act as short range air defense systems. These vehicles should have a 360 degree rotating pintle mount. Mounted should be two sets of 4-6 heavy railguns, one on each side, loaded with plenty of ammunition. Additionally there should be 1-2 "reload vehicles" containing canisters that the skelebot teams can rapidly reload. While these systems are "disposable" they'll be pulled back before they are in danger of being overrun, to get the most use out of them for as long as possible.
Additionally there should be skelebot manned "foxholes" with hunter-seeker teams of skelebots armed with SAM packs. These troops ARE disposable, and lures more than anything. They'll be used for forward observation and spotting, and once they are overrun or engaged with danger-close, the artillery will fire on the per-designated targets.
By the time the Xiticix even get close enough for the Glitterboys to engage, they should be reeling from the pounding. The Hive queen might very well have puleld them back, realizing that they are getting chewed up really bad, and mindless aggression is going to lose the day. In that case the aerial bombing of the Hive should commence immediately, with the Glitterboys advancing to per-determined positions, under cover of the artillery crews and the air support. Once the queen or her advisers "ID" the "real" threat as the Glitterboys advancing, they *should* send out another force to take care of the Glitterboys. At that time the Glitterboy crews should fall back at top speed back to the bases in a maneuver that should have been practiced for weeks before deployments.
With practiced, professional movement, prepared battle plans, fallback and secondary plans, the HIve will be in serious trouble within hours at the most.
Dong a few "practice" runs on smaller hives and hive outposts should provide experience for the operation personnel, as well as show any problems with equipment or doctrine. You NEVER mount the full operation without a LOT of practice runs, a LOT of training, and making sure that everyone is skilled, competant, and confident in not only the doctrine, the tactical/strategic planning, and the equipment. Before even the high-speed aircraft recons start there should be weeks of strategy planning, equipment examination and (if necessary) retooling, and planning.
Training, training, training. The soldiers should be selected, not only from experienced veterans, but from crews who have been trained on the most recent equipment. Each unit, when put together, should be trained together in small units (company and platoon sized) for weeks, then in larger units, then larger units, until you have entire force training. Training should go from "everything is perfect" to "It all went to hell from the get-go" to "they have a hundred times what we thought, we don't have enough ammunition, and we've lost contact with everyone else and the fire control systems are down!"
All together, it would take about a year to set up the scenario, including training and equipment retooling. This would be an operation that would take up thousands of troops, billions of credits of equipment, and millions of credits in ammunition. But it would also set the stage to slowly push back and eventually destroy the Xiticix presence on North America.
Of course, from what I've seen of the "genius military planning" out of the CS, they'll probably just send the Glitterboys running in without ammunition, firing flares widely, playing Flight of the Bumblebee on their speakers and crewed by lobotomized skelebots running on a single unpatched copy of Windows ME.
Then wonder why they lost.
I will admit, I went a bit overboard from the parameters, but the scenario put forward as it was in the first post is exactly what almost lost the CS the Tolkeen War.
"The Tolkeen War was a disaster. Yes, we achieved victory, but we exposed grievous errors in our training doctrine and unit METL's. We must seek to address these issues, we must rethink what we know or this nation will perish from the Earth. Should we not learn from the hard lessons of the Tolkeen War, our bones shall be ground to dust."-Ross Underhill
