Author: Tom

Personal Defense Weapons

Neither assault rifles nor submachine guns, “PDWs” are regularly misunderstood as to their true nature. And this is especially the case for the Pop-Culture, which uses them excessively because of their compact and futuristic look. So let’s try today to break some clichés about these very particular weapons…

Illustration above: an H&K MP7 equipped with a Navy Seals operator.

Origins of the concept

Since the appearance of firearms, certain categories of soldiers, such as sailors or horsemen, wanted to have weapons with sufficient stopping power and range, while being compact enough to adapt to confined spaces. At the end of the 19th century, the first “rifles” appeared with this in mind, lighter and shorter versions of the regulation weapons in the infantry.

During the First World War, trench warfare also showed that semi-automatic pistols, as well as the first Submachines Guns were largely insufficient in close combat, because their calibers were not powerful enough.

During the inter-war period, several countries worked on compact but powerful personal defense weapons (or PDW) for their gunners, tankers, motorcyclists or radios. The first successful model is considered to be American: the rustic and reliable American M1 Carbine, released in 1938, will be withdrawn from service after the Vietnam war…

Towards a renaissance of the concept: the APDW project

At the end of the 1990s, aware of the shortcomings of its 9mm parabellum, NATO launched a call for tender called APDW (for Advanced Personal Defense Weapon). It concerns a new caliber, which must be able to pierce ballistic protections and helmets at a distance of 200 m, but also the weapons capable of firing it, which must have a compact design close to the SMG.

Only two manufacturers will take up the challenge:

The Belgian FN Herstal who presented in 1991 the 5.7 x 28 mm ammunition, whose penetration force is particularly astonishing considering its size, and which is intended to be fired by two emblematic weapons: the P90, with its futuristic shapes and unique engineering (since it is loaded from above with a plastic magazine where the ammunition is stored vertically) and the no less famous “Five Seven”, the pistol of the Secret Service, but above all of Sam Fischer !

The P90 of the Belgian arms manufacturer FN Hertal.

The German Heckler & Koch which reveals in 2001 the 4,6 x 30 mm caliber, intended to be fired by the very compact MP7, which makes a massive use of polymers and technologies widely tested in the previous models of the brand.

In both cases, they are complex ammunition to manufacture (they are in fact miniature replicas of assault rifle calibers). They are therefore rare and expensive !

A specific concept ignored by video games

Curiously enough, modern PDWs have “missed the mark” and have never been used extensively by Western armies. On the other hand, they are widely used by special forces, intervention units and close protection actors.

In pop culture, the FN P90 is the iconic weapon of Stargate SG-1 !

For the others, SMGs and pistol calibers have become the standard, despite their shortcomings. Several versions of extremely compact assault rifles have also been added in recent years, and all of them use and abuse the name “PDW” as a marketing argument.

This is also the case in video games. If the P90 is a Must-have of most modern Shooters and FPS, it is most often put in the SMG category, which it is not. One could for example imagine that its use could be made more authentic by simple balancing, including :

Superior penetration capability on enemies equipped with ballistic protection ;
Recharging time made longer by the specificity of the charger and a particular gesture ;
A limited number of ammunition and difficult to find (you can’t find 5.7 on the battlefields).

In any case, it is regrettable that pop-culture in general, and video games in particular, don’t bother to learn more about the specificity of certain categories of weapons such as PDWs or shotguns, despite their stated objectives of realism and authenticity. This would result in games that are just as much fun, but that also integrate the notions of specialized weapons to fulfill specific missions.

Is the Cold War neglected in video games?

Deux hyperpuissances qui se livrent à une compétition permanente dans tous les domaines et sur tous les continents, une course aux armements délirante, des conflits majeurs évités de justesse, et d’autres, plus périphériques, qui deviennent des points de fixation… la Guerre Froide regorge de scénarios qui ont été largement exploités par le cinéma et la littérature. Dans le jeu vidéo en revanche, le constat est bien maigre.

“Theatre Europe”, wargame développé Personal Software Services en 1985 !

Quelques périodes historiques et la solution de facilité

On ne prend pas trop de risques en affirmant que le jeu vidéo de guerre se concentre essentiellement sur trois périodes historiques :

La Seconde guerre mondiale (dans une vision qui reste, d’ailleurs, très cinématographique et largement inspiré par les films classiques des années 60) ;
La guerre « moderne» qui, dans un monde marqué par le terrorisme, fait la part belle aux forces spéciales et aux décors moyen-orientaux ;
Les guerres futuristes où tout est possible, mais où on retrouve assez étrangement des gameplay et des armes très actuels.

Dans tous les cas, qu’il s’agisse de nazis, de terroristes ou d’aliens, l’ennemi est assez fédérateur, et permet aux éditeurs AAA de ne pas prendre aucun risque scénaristique ou commercial, même si c’est au prix d’une décrédibilisation de licences auparavant matures et authentiques, et en se coupant peu à peu des joueurs de plus de 12 ans…

La Guerre froide, la grande oubliée

C’est peut-être en effet pour cette raison que la Guerre Froide est peu présente dans le jeu vidéo, surtout depuis qu’il est mondialisé… Il faut une certaine ambition pour poser sa trame scénaristique dans un monde où rien n’est ni blanc ni noir, et où tout est jeu d’ombres.

Il y a aussi une autre raison, peut-être plus simple : la 3ème Guerre Mondiale n’a jamais eu lieu, et on ne saura jamais comment elle aurait pu se dérouler, sauf dans le mémorable Operation Flashpoint (mais c’était il y a 20 ans déjà).

Et pourtant, elle offre des perspectives fantastiques sur plusieurs points :

Le retour du techno-thriller : la Guerre Froide, c’est avant tout un affrontement idéologique où l’espionnage et la technologie ont joué un rôle majeur. Tom Clancy, John Le Carré et des dizaines d’autres auteurs en ont tiré des histoires extraordinaires, qui pourraient sans nul doute être exploitées…

Les guerres par proxy : si les deux blocs ne se sont jamais affrontés directement, ils se sont en revanche livré une guerre sans merci sur des conflits périphériques, du Vietnam à l’Angola, en passant par les jungles d’Amérique du Sud. Seul les Call of Duty Black Ops se sont timidement risqués sur ce terrain, mais sans vraiment y porter une vraie attention historique…

Les fantômes de la Guerre Froide : les projets fous de la période alimentent encore souvent le cinéma et la littérature, des anciennes bases secrètes aux projets d’armes démentielles comme la Guerre des Etoiles ou les Ekranoplanes. Là encore, le jeu vidéo est en retard, et des recherches documentaires et historiques plus poussées en amont de la production pourraient sans doute y remédier.

“83” de AntiMatter Games, est un FPS qui se catonnera aux grands affrontements multi-joueurs.

Une lueur d’espoir venue du jeu indé…

On le dit souvent sur TAISSON, mais les jeux les plus matures scénaristiquement sont aujourd’hui à chercher du côté des petits studios.

En l’espèce, nous attribuerons une mention spéciale au petit mais talentueux studio français Eugen Systems, qui lance dernier épisode de sa série à succès “Wargames”, des jeux de stratégie plutôt exigeants. Le dernier en date, intitulé Warno (pour “Warning Order” dans le langage OTAN) livre une ode aux années 1980, sur un fond musical très synthwave.

Son choix de placer le jeu à la toute fin de la Guerre Froide est, à notre sens, particulièrement judicieux. A cette époque, les deux blocs sont encore capables de mobiliser troupes et matériels en nombre considérable, et peuvent donc considérer des affrontements massifs. Mais les années 80 sont aussi celles où des armes dévastatrices comme le A-10 sont enfin associées des technologies de rupture, comme l’électronique et les missiles, qui atteignent alors leur pleine maturité.

Dans le même registre du STR, “Régiments”, édité par MicroProse, ou “Broken Arrow” chez Slitherine, tenteront aussi de réinvestir les théâtres virtuels européens en 2022.

Cette capacité à allier technologie, Real Politik et guerres clandestines est unique, et ne peut pas être calquée sur des scénarii « modernes », dans un monde où les réseaux sociaux et les systèmes automatisés nous ont fait rentrer dans une ère nouvelle. Espérons donc que notre appel soit entendu et que d’autres jeux, en particulier solo, osent se saisir de ce fabuleux objet narratif qu’est la Guerre Froide.

The ekranoplanes

Si la pop-culture regorge de “Wunderwaffen” (armes miracles nazies) ou de projets militaires secrets issus de la Guerre Froide, on peut en revanche s’étonner de ne jamais l’avoir vue s’emparer d’un engin pourtant bien réel et parfaitement opérationnel : l’Ekranoplane. Et pourtant, on ne peut pas dire que ce genre de monstre, mi avion, mi navire, soit véritablement discret, et son look badass devrait immédiatement le qualifier comme un incontournable du jeu vidéo ou du blockbuster…

L’effet de sol…

L’Ekranoplane (ou Ekranoplan) n’est, contrairement à ce que son apparence laisse penser, ni un avion, ni un navire. Il est ce qu’on désigne comme un engin à effet de sol.

L’effet de sol est un phénomène aérodynamique qui survient lorsqu’un objet volant se trouve près du sol. Il génère alors, par sa portance et sa trainée, un coussin d’air qui décuple ses performances. Les oiseaux maitrisent parfaitement cette propriété, qui est aussi très utilisée par les pilotes d’hélicoptère, ainsi que dans le sport automobile.

Le concept d’Ekranoplane, inventé par l’ingénieur russe Rostislav Alekseïev, exploite au maximum cette particularité physique : l’engin, équipé de puissants réacteurs, prend de la vitesse sur une surface aquatique, jusqu’à générer suffisamment de portance pour déclencher le fameux “effet de sol”, tout en restant le plus près possible de l’eau pour en maximiser le bénéfice.

Une arme miracle pour les Soviétiques ?

Pour l’URSS, la recherche sur les Ekranoplanes répond, globalement, à la même doctrine que celle qui porte les projets sur les hydroglisseurs géants : transporter le plus vite possible (et sous les seuils radar) d’importantes quantités d’hommes et de matériels pour saisir des détroits stratégiques en Baltique, en mer du Nord, en Caspienne ou en Mer Noire…

Si l’option de l’hydroptère (navire équipé de foils, technologie aujourd’hui présente sur de nombreux bateaux de course, ainsi que sur certains semi-rigides destinés aux forces spéciales) est, un temps, étudiée, les ingénieurs soviétiques privilégient, dès les années 50, le concept d’Ekranoplane.

Ils se lancent alors, sous les ordres d’Alekseïev, dans la construction en mer Caspienne de toute une série d’appareils géants, dont le plus célèbre est le KM, surnommé le “Monstre de la Caspienne” : un ékranoplane de 100m de long, 40m d’envergure, et qui atteint la masse incroyable de 540 tonnes.

L’un de ses dérivés, le Lun, est aussi, en 1987, le seul Ekranoplane de combat à avoir passé le stade de prototype : armé de 6 missiles antinavires, il devait être capable de lancer des attaques fulgurantes sur les flottes ennemies.

La complexité et le coût exorbitant des Ekranoplanes auront raison de ce programme : au final, très peu d’exemplaires seront construits ou même mis en service avant l’effondrement de l’URSS. Aujourd’hui, la plupart de ces monstres pourrissent sur les bords de la Caspienne, mais certains sont aussi conservés dans des musées.

Le renouveau des Ekranoplanes ?

Si l’échec des projets soviétiques tient en partie à leur démesure, le concept d’Ekranoplane reste pertinent.

Aujourd’hui, plusieurs sociétés continuent donc à miser sur cette technologie, avec des projets bien plus modestes, et en y apportant les innovations modernes, notamment structurelles. L’idée est notamment de fournir des services équivalents à ceux des hydravions : ravitaillement, transport ou secours.

Projet britannique Seaglider pour des traversées de la Manche en 2028 – © Brittany Ferries / Regent

Mais alors que le combat amphibie a le vent en poupe, et que l’on parle de la zone Pacifique ou de l’Arctique comme de futures zones de conflit, les militaires voient aussi un avenir à l’ékranoplane : les Russes et les Chinois ont d’ores et déjà annoncé travailler sur de nouveaux concepts, et la DARPA américaine a aussi relancé en 2021 des études conceptuelles.

Alors, les ékranoplanes, spectaculaires appareils, vont-ils faire leur retour sur le champ de bataille du futur ? Il est encore trop tôt pour le dire, mais ils mériteraient sans doute d’être plus présents dans le jeu vidéo, ou même pourquoi pas, le cinéma, car ils s’intègrent parfaitement dans des scenarii de techno-thriller ou de films d’action…

MRAP’s vehicles

The last twenty years have seen the global and massive emergence of MRAPs (for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected), over-armored and electronically equipped vehicles. A major trend (and it’s the case to say it) that has made these badass-looking machines the darling of video games, series and blockbusters… But, in reality, are MRAPs the future of military vehicles ?

Above: the Hummer, even reinforced, now looks tiny next to the MRAP armor.

The end of the « Humvees »

With the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the symbols of America shows its limits. Indeed, the Humvee, indestructible symbol of the Reagan years, adulated by Arnold Schwarzenegger and a whole generation of rappers, is unable to protect the soldiers. In a few months, hundreds of these vehicles are put out of action, and the human losses accumulate…

Indeed, the Iraqi insurgents, Al Qaeda and the Taliban have been able to adapt and slide more and more towards “techno-guérilla” methods and the massive use of improvised explosive devices (the famous “IEDs”). The Humvees (as well as all the vehicles built on the same standard during the Cold War) then showed their weaknesses: insufficient armor, an inadequate chassis against mines and explosives, and the absence of protection for the machine-gun operators, overexposed to snipers and during ambushes.

The Oshkosh JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) is the official successor to the Humvee in the US Army.

The birth of monsters

After an attempt to deal with the emergency by reinforcing the Hummer’s armor (which was not very successful, as the additional plates sometimes turned into deadly projectiles for the vehicle’s occupants), the Americans first, and then all the armies and industrialists in the world, understood that this new form of warfare implied the design of a new category of vehicle, capable of protecting the men.

From the mid-2000s, the first MRAPs imposed the concept of an elevated, over-armored vehicle equipped with remote-controlled weapons and various sensors. Moreover, most of them have a resolutely aggressive look, intended to impose their presence and their firepower.

This last point is not negligible, since it also allows them to impose themselves in many police forces, where they are used to maintain order, and to become a must have of any action movie, as for example in the Fast & Furious series.

Too heavy ? Too sophisticated ? Too expensive ?

In a few years, most military vehicle manufacturers have included one or more MRAPs in their catalogs. At arms fairs today, one is struck by the multitude of wheeled vehicles, described as “light”, but which are in fact more massive than some tanks !

Most MRAPs today are larger than a battle tank.

In fact, in addition to their prohibitive cost, which does not allow them to completely replace the previous fleet, the MRAPs pose problems of fuel overconsumption, and numerous challenges with regard to their maintenance, made much more difficult by the overabundance of electronic and optronic systems.

From an operational point of view, there is also the question of vehicles that are supposed to be mobile and light, but in reality are so heavy and wide that they cannot use all the tracks, nor penetrate certain villages. Moreover, their image as a real “fortress” is now considered counter-productive and overly aggressive with regard to civilian populations, especially in law enforcement operations..

These paradoxes make that today, more and more armed forces are looking for the exact opposite of MRAPs : light and fast vehicles, even uncovered : buggies, quads, hybrid vehicles or even technicals… A large panel therefore, which can be usefully exploited by the entertainment industry, provided, however, that a semblance of authenticity is maintained…

Ready or not… for the new reference of tactical shooter?

Available in early access since December, Ready or Not (RoN) presents itself as the spiritual successor to the SWAT series. By offering an old-fashioned formula, realistic and tactical, and scenarios rooted in reality, the tactical shooter has managed to top the sales charts on the Steam platform on PC in just a few days.

The spiritual son of the SWAT series

We must admit that this game could literally have been called SWAT 5, as it pays homage to Sierra’s cult series, to Sierra’s cult series, not only in terms of gameplay, but also in terms of the general atmosphere of the game, as the developers of VOID Interactive have based themselves on the daily life of American intervention units.

This choice is rather intelligent. Indeed, contrary to many other countries, which have chosen to create elite intervention units with national competence, the Americans have allowed several hundred SWAT (for Special Weapons and Tactics) units to develop. If some of them are extremely prestigious and professional, such as those of the FBI or of the Police Departments of the big cities, others are much more “rustic”, as much for the methods as for the equipment.

This script anchoring is also felt on the side of the crisis situations: we are clearly in the United States, because it is question here of clandestine laboratories of methamphetamine, of hostage-taking in a hotel, or of raid on the villa of a drug trafficker…

Rustic and authentic gameplay

Logically enough, the mission starts with the equipment sequence. Here again, the choice of anchoring the mission in the reality of SWAT is striking: in RoN, there are no useless or crazy gadgets: we are dealing with classic equipment, which can be found in any American police station and which is perfectly tested..

The same goes for the weapons, which are realistic and all in the US police force. Their modeling is faithful, and the gunplay is demanding enough to be “easy to learn, hard to master”. Using the burst or the shotgun will require a little learning for example. Special mention to the tactical shield that will save you many games !

Then the mission begins and, as with its distant predecessors SWAT and RAINBOW 6, it’s all about slow and silent progress, with a strong emphasis on reconnaissance and inspection. In the spirit of a police intervention, it is therefore necessary to neutralize, secure, challenge and, like its predecessors, the use of lethal force is considered a failure in RoN.

In fact, the tension is present at all times and mistakes are never forgiven. And this is where cooperation comes into its own: if a team member deviates from his role by forgetting to watch an exit or cover an angle, it’s a guaranteed game over, and all the more penalizing because, from one game to the next, the entire mission configuration varies and the objectives and traps have changed location !

A real success that should question the AAA

A difficult, slow and authentic game? This is exactly the opposite of what the big publishers are proposing nowadays, which multiply competitive multiplayer games with poor scenarios and non-existent authenticity.

But are players afraid of this demanding game? It would seem not, as it is currently rated “very positive” on the Steam platform, and is at the top of the sales charts. A success that is quite surprising when, at the same time, the behemoth BATTLEFIELD 2042 has had an absolutely catastrophic launch, and the future of the RAINBOW 6 license is far, very far, from exciting the crowds and continues to trample from Tom Clancy’s legacy.

We can also see that even if the game is not graphically perfect (it is still in beta), it is generous and authentic. The dark environments also force you to use all the light tools at your disposal (light intensifier, sticks, relevant use of the tactical lamp). And above all, its intransigence is a real challenge, which pushes the players to excellence as could do, for example, the episodes Rogue Spear or Raven Shield of the RAINBOW 6 series.

We can only hope that RoN will be a success, and mark the revival of the authentic and punishing tactical shooter. There is a real market to be had here: that of players looking for realistic games anchored in reality, who are still waiting for a successor to the canonical RAINBOW 6 and GHOST RECON, which transported them to the heart of perfectly plausible international crises.

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.

The techno-guerrilla

In November 2021, the Iraqi Prime Minister was attacked by a swarm of three home-made kamikaze drones. Even if he escapes unharmed, he can, today, be considered as the first head of state directly targeted by a “techno-guerrilla” action.

Far from the fantasized use of killer and autonomous drones developed by the cinema and video games, the misuse of civilian technological means by armed groups may be one of the future faces of war. Something to feed the successors of games like The Saboteur, Red Faction or the first Far Cry…

Guerrilla warfare, an ancient concept

Historically, the notion of guerrilla warfare (or “small war”, from the name given to the Spanish resistance movement to the occupation of Napoleonic troops in 1808) is as old as war itself: it consists, for an enemy inferior in numbers and means, in confronting a regular army by using reduced military means to carry out ambushes and coups de main. Creativity, mobility and the surprise effect are the determining factors..

Resistance movements were so decisive during the Second World War, particularly in Western Europe, that they were subsequently integrated into NATO doctrine, which notably imagined the Stay Behind, small clandestine units intended to harass Warsaw Pact troops after their invasion of Europe, as well as special forces units specialized in this type of operation.

Today, guerrilla warfare, in its modern version, is regaining its credentials by being fully integrated into the concept of “hydrid warfare”, developed in particular by Russia.

*“Little Green Man” in Battlefield 2042: now a symbol of the Hybrid War.*

A guerrilla war 2.0

A simple definition of techno-guerrilla might be the moment when an armed group acquires technical means normally reserved for a conventional army, and this by devious means..

And if it is a relatively recent notion in strategy, it is because it is concomitant with the democratization of technologies long reserved for the military, and today available to everyone, including in a few clicks on the Internet…

In fact, it is during the last 20 years that the concept has been developed, in particular on the Iraqi and Afghan battlefields. After the use of GSM networks and cell phones to set off explosive charges, we also quickly saw the use of motion sensors, car remotes and other basic electronic devices diverted. Then come GPS, thermal cameras and night vision binoculars for the general public for animal observation, and finally drones…

*Call of Duty players have already innovated by sticking C4 on drones, a feature not originally planned by the game.*

With the development of these devices intended for the general public and on sale over the counter, the increase in their payload, their precision and their ergonomics, the “engineers” of the Islamic State in particular are going to imagine rustic and “low-cost” death devices, but nonetheless lethal, which make it possible to target and harass their opponents.

In the 21st century, with the development of techno-guerrilla warfare, confrontations between military and armed groups are likely to be increasingly balanced. This notion of “leveling” is particularly interesting for the implementation of evolving gameplay where operational crafting would have its place…