Grenade launcher

The grenade launcher is one of the emblematic weapons of video games, from the first 2D shooters like Metal Slug, to the most recent FPS or TPS. But a bit like shotguns, shotguns, it has been made, for game design reasons, an “imprecise” weapon when, in reality, it requires great precision.

 

A little bit of history…

If the grenade launcher can be used in indirect fire (i.e. while remaining under cover), it is however in direct fire that it finds its optimal efficiency, when it is a question, in tense fire, of clearing a target which is, normally, too hardened to be neutralized by the small arms.

Designed to improve the launch (range and accuracy) of a grenade thrown by arm strength, the grenade launcher appeared during the Renaissance, and the name “grenadier” was initially used for this type of assault unit. Their efficiency is not of a decisive contribution to infantry combat, but things evolve in the 19th century with the appearance of rifle grenades, and especially after the Second World War, where the feedback from the Bazooka or Panzerfaust confirms the interest of individual grenade launchers.

From then on, the grenade launcher family will diversify, from the individual weapon to the mounted accessory, with single shot or repetition, up to the heavy model mounted on tripod or vehicle. We will present here three iconic models, it being understood that dozens of others exist…

The classic : M79

Intended to replace the not very accurate “rifle grenades” of the World Wars, which were moreover difficult to use in combat because they required handling of the weapon, the M79 was associated with the GI of the Vietnam War, whose firepower it significantly increased, often replacing the light mortar during jungle fighting. Moreover, the weapon imposes the 40 mm caliber, which will become the standard for this type of weapon.

The icon : the M203

The M203, which is part of the “mounted” grenade launcher family, is probably the most famous grenade launcher, so much so that it is attached to the image of the Marine equipped with the M16/203 couple and that it can be found in many games and movies of the 80s and 90s.

The M203, unlike the M79, was designed as a fusion of the LG with the assault rifle, in an effort to avoid the need for the combatant to carry an additional weapon. However, in reality, the concept turns out to be not very ergonomic and, in the end, little used, even if the model was sold in millions of copies throughout the world.

Modernity : the Milkor MGL

Designed by MILKOR, a South African gunmaker, the MGL (for Multiple Grenade Launcher) is a tremendous commercial success. A product of the 1980’s, it is equipped with a cylinder of 6 ammunitions that can be discharged in 3 seconds, which greatly increases the firepower if compared to its single shot predecessors.

Several times modernized, the MGL offers today an ergonomics adapted to the needs of the modern infantryman, with in particular the contribution of a folding stock and a Picatinny rail (link) to mount sighting systems.

A particularly effective and versatile weapon, the LG perhaps deserves better than the place it is given today in video games, which confines it to “tank” or “destroyer” characters. All the more so as new and particularly interesting models are arriving on the market today, and as the ammunition itself is in full evolution…

Hovercrafts

Monstres d’acier conçus pour l’assaut amphibie, les aéroglisseurs, ou Hovercrafts, sont des icones de la pop-culture, et en particulier du jeu vidéo. On les voit par exemple, en 2011, foncer sur Hambourg dans Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, ou être au cœur des affrontements de Battlefield 2042 (même si leur utilisation dans ce dernier est totalement irréaliste).

 

Des hovercrafts pour quoi faire?

Les aéroglisseurs militaires sont des engins massifs déployables qui fonctionnent sur un principe simple de la portance aérostatique sur coussin d’air sous faible pression, associée à la propulsion aérienne.

D’abord développé pour le civil, les aéroglisseurs ont pour mission d’établir des liaisons rapides entre des côtes peu éloignées, ou de pouvoir se déplacer rapidement sur des terrains marécageux ou glacés. Ils sont pourtant mis en retrait à partir des années 70 en raison de la multiplication des liaisons aériennes, et de l’augmentation du cout du carburant dont ils sont très consommateurs.

Les aéroglisseurs militaires répondent, globalement, aux mêmes besoins : projeter rapidement des forces importantes sur une plage, mais avec des doctrines différentes selon les pays… Et même s’ils n’ont jamais participé à la moindre opération amphibie d’envergure, ils restent en service dans quelques unes des principales forces armées du monde.

 

Instrument de prédilection pour le futur de l’US Navy ?

Les Marines, pour lesquels le débarquement amphibie est inscrit dans les gènes, et l’US Navy étudient le concept d’hovercraft depuis les années 1970. L’idée est de disposer d’engins rapides capables de projeter rapidement de grandes quantités de forces sur les plages à partir de navires de débarquement (comme les porte-aéronefs de classe Wasp) ou depuis des bases côtières.

Plusieurs prototypes d’engins lourds ne verront pas le jour, mais la Navy est dotée depuis 1984 du L.C.A.C. (Landing Craft Air Cushioned), une bête de 26 mètres et 182 tonnes à pleine charge. Entre 1987 et 2001, 91 modèles sont produits et servent notamment pendant la Guerre du Golfe.

Avec l’intensification des opérations dans la zone Pacifique, les hydroglisseurs redeviennent un engin particulièrement intéressant (comme l’hydravion d’ailleurs) et 68 LCAC vont être modernisés en attendant l’arrivée d’un nouvel engin, porté par le programme Sea Base–to–Shore Connector (SSC).

 

Les monstres russes et chinois

Pour l’URSS, la conception, à partir des années 60, d’engins géants, hydroglisseurs et ékranoplanes s’explique principalement, dans la perspective d’un conflit avec l’OTAN, par la nécessité de saisir au plus vite des détroits en Mer Noire, en Caspienne ou dans la Baltique en y projetant beaucoup d’hommes et de blindés, à même d’établir de solides têtes de pont.

C’est ainsi que naissent le Murena ou l’iconique Zoubr, long de 57 mètres, le plus gros hydroglisseur au monde, équipé de lance-roquettes multiple et pouvant transporter 500 hommes ou 3 chars lourds. Aujourd’hui, portée par ses ambitions en mer de Chine, la marine chinoise est devenue l’un des principaux utilisateurs d’hydroglisseurs lourds avec 2 Zubr, ainsi que plusieurs modèles produits localement comme le Type 726 “Yuyi”. De quoi à se confronter rapidement aux LCAC et à leurs successeurs…

Au même titre que les portes hélicoptères ou autres bases flottantes , ou même les appareils convertibles « tiltrotor » ou hydravions, les hovercrafts auront probablement un rôle important à jouer dans les conflits de demain, où les opérations amphibies sont déjà appelées à être déterminantes. Une bonne raison d’en comprendre l’intérêt, et de les intégrer au plus vite (et de manière cohérente) dans les scénarios…

Military gestures

In the perpetual race of video games for more immersion and realism, the animation of the protagonists is subject to continuous improvements. Whether we’re talking about FPS or third-person shooters, gestures and military authenticity are an integral part of the arguments put forward by publishers. And yet, even with the best possible expertise, can we really say that we play realistic games today ?

 Above: a prominent scene from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) campaign.

 

Metal Gear Solid Revolution 

Nowadays, every series, blockbuster or video game has its own team of military advisors, who are supposed to guarantee a certain level of quality in terms of transcribing what is a tactical action… or not !

Indeed, in video games in particular, we have today this strange feeling that Metal Gear Solid, and especially episodes 2 and 3 which were, in their time, a real revolution, have never been equaled in terms of authenticity..

Let’s put it in context: after the huge success of the first opus in 1998, the Japanese editor Konami switched to the second one in 2002 by taking advantage of a new generation of consoles. The developers relied on the expertise of Motosada Mori, a former member of the Foreign Legion, to work on the realism of the confrontations.

On the one hand, he imbued the teams with a tactical spirit (notably by organizing confrontations in the studios), and on the other hand, he advised the animators on the gestures of the characters, whose movements are, even today, impressive in their realism.

The making of MGS2 shows us the importance of the tactical culture on the final result (at 10min):

The formula is further improved in 2004 with MGS 3. Once again, Mori is at the helm, and the Close Quarter Combat system he manages to generate remains, to this day, unequalled in video games.

 

Competitive online gaming, the enemy of authenticity ?

AIn the early 2000s, MoCap (for Motion Capture) was still in its infancy and the operational aspect was, in FPS games like the first Call of Duty or Medal of Honor, mainly generated by staging effects. For the more tactical games such as SWAT or Rainbow 6 (and yes, this series was, at one time, the must in terms of authenticity and realism), we start to have options for planning and giving orders, even if these are still rigid. In the end, only Sam Fisher, the hero of Splinter Cell, seems to have learned the lesson of MGS, and adopts a feline gesture…

Over the years, the refinement of the Mocap, the soundscape and the special effects make the experience more immersive, and permeate all productions. In 2019, in Call of Duty Modern Warfare, the SAS assault on a London building is tactically and visually worthy of a big Hollywood production.

And yet… If we take the example of Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the work done on the animation is remarkable, especially thanks to Alex french SAS, but the game is not authentic neither on the tactical aspect, neither on its scenario, which also guaranteed the adhesion of the fans of Tom Clancy…

In the end, we say that today, the generalization of open worlds, and especially of Fast FPS, where sprinting is the standard mode of movement, has led to the paradox of an animation that is more and more fluid, but used in less and less realistic situations to satisfy a new generation of players.

Rainbow 6 has taken a competitive turn. But is it still Rainbow 6 ?

Let’s hope that with the revival of Tactical, a style that praises the “slowness” (or rather the efficiency) of tactical gestures and military planning, we will one day be able to play again games that are visually authentic but scenarially interesting and realistic.

The militarization of civilian helicopters

Most helicopters, whether civilian or military, are designed as particularly modular platforms, true Swiss Army knives capable of adapting to different types of missions. However, militarizing a civilian helicopter (or “cracking it” to use a gamer’s term) is not as easy as one might think. Unless…

 

The Alter Ego tradition

For obvious reasons of cost control, most of the medium or heavy helicopter models have been available in civil and military versions for a long time. Often, civilian models dedicated to civil security applications (sea rescue, fire fighting) or specialized industries (personnel transfer on offshore platforms) are, due to their rusticity and reliability constraints, very close to the specifications required by the military.

However, a combat helicopter always goes further in terms of redundancy or motorization, which must notably absorb the additional weight of a reinforced structure, armor or weapon or observation systems, and allow evasive maneuvers…

Therefore, its development is extremely expensive, even if we have a proven and appreciated civilian base (which does not guarantee its equivalent in a military use).

 

From DIY to hybrid solutions

In Las Vegas, a company offers you to shoot machine guns from initially civilian helicopters.

 

If there is a trend in the military world, it is the militarization of civilian platforms, and we have already discussed this concept in the context of CAS or maritime projection for special operations.

Initially carried out in an artisanal manner by welding and assembling machine guns or rocket baskets (without necessarily respecting the specifications), the “militarization” of civilian aircraft has gradually become professionalized, with the appearance of “turnkey” solutions for close support, but also for intelligence and search or rescue missions.

In recent years, manufacturers have also been thinking about more modularity for onboard weapons. Airbus, for example, with its “H-Force” concept, is proposing a plug ‘n play system where equipment is interchangeable from one aircraft to another.

However, these are always hybrid solutions, which attempt to bring together two worlds that were never intended to meet…

 

Militarizing a civilian helicopter, a good idea ?

 

The pandemic and the crisis it caused for the aeronautical sector led most manufacturers to adopt an even more pragmatic solution: the true “militarization” of commercial variants, at the cost of a few days in the hands of a specialized team.

This major trend was observed at the latest arms fairs, and the most advanced manufacturer on the subject seems to be the American company BELL. With its “HOSS” (Huey Ordnance Store System) solution, it offers to transform any type of commercial helicopter into a military vehicle, at a reduced cost and with the guarantee of benefiting very quickly from a reliable and high-performance platform..

In fact, several Middle Eastern armies have already chosen to militarize the Bell 407 with a full range of weapons, as well as sensors and night vision systems. The only drawback is the engine power, which remains largely “civilian” and does not allow for the carriage of substantial armor, nor for increased performance in combat.

In any case, the militarization of civilian devices offers particularly interesting opportunities for video games, where crafting and customization are now an integral part of game design.