Japan has Mobile Suit Gundams according to Chinese news!

[RescueRanger]

I would not mock the Japanese... We as humans have a tendency to mock or laugh at things that are beyond our comprehension. The Japanese have already made a fully functioning, drivable mecha toy complete with jet launcher, target lock, voice and face recognition and Gatling BB cannons. Obviously its a toy for millionaires called the Kuratas:#

If they can make this, I don't think they are that far off from making a military variant.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Walkers are plausible. Combine the firepower of a combat vehicle with the mobility of infantry (in complex terrains). The question is if we leave the control of such machine to human pilot or AI, as they should be the first target to be taken out in an infantry squad (and easier than an BTR or Bradley or even a Humvee, for sure).

Or could it be once walkers become popular in the army and combat, gundam is born as a countermeasure againts them, like there used to be tank destroyers in WW2?

@Cossack25A1

Walkers are only useful if they weigh less than a tank and are small enough to hide in buildings. The point of walkers is to be super heavy infantry that is essentially invincible against enemy infantry, but small and mobile enough to hide in buildings away from aircraft and tanks which can fire armor piercing shells. Otherwise, if you have a heavy vehicle, there's no need to go to legs; wheels and tracks are better for transporting heavy loads and since you can't hide anyways, you can have way more armor on wheels and way more ammunition.

Since its hard to hide in buildings when you have to have a cockpit and life support with independent legs and arms, I think the most practical walkers would be armored exoskeletal suits for existing infantry that can carry a few heavy weapons by themselves, like a 30 mm cannon or multiple grenade/mortar launcher, while remaining mobile. They can never carry as much armor or weaponry as a tank, so the advantage should be the ability to have some heavy weaponry on a light, mobile platform. Their level of armor is likely going to be similar to infantry fighting vehicles at best and still won't stand a chance against a tank round or mortar.

 

[xesy]

@Cossack25A1

Walkers are only useful if they weigh less than a tank and are small enough to hide in buildings. The point of walkers is to be super heavy infantry that is essentially invincible against enemy infantry, but small and mobile enough to hide in buildings away from aircraft and tanks which can fire armor piercing shells. Otherwise, if you have a heavy vehicle, there's no need to go to legs; wheels and tracks are better for transporting heavy loads and since you can't hide anyways, you can have way more armor on wheels and way more ammunition.

Since its hard to hide in buildings when you have to have a cockpit and life support with independent legs and arms, I think the most practical walkers would be armored exoskeletal suits for existing infantry that can carry a few heavy weapons by themselves, like a 30 mm cannon or multiple grenade/mortar launcher, while remaining mobile. They can never carry as much armor or weaponry as a tank, so the advantage should be the ability to have some heavy weaponry on a light, mobile platform. Their level of armor is likely going to be similar to infantry fighting vehicles at best and still won't stand a chance against a tank round or mortar.

The main problem that limits armored suit right now is power source. It takes a lot of juices to move those metal around, and the way the move is not really efficient in term of power (legs compare to wheels or tracks).

Also it's not like walkers are invincible against infantry. A squad equipped with high-explosive or anti-vehicle can still take it out, or even an old-fashion molotov cocktail can still get the job done. All those plastic chips gonna burn.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

The main problem that limits armored suit right now is power source. It takes a lot of juices to move those metal around, and the way the move is not really efficient in term of power (legs compare to wheels or tracks).

Also it's not like walkers are invincible against infantry. A squad equipped with high-explosive or anti-vehicle can still take it out, or even an old-fashion molotov cocktail can still get the job done. All those plastic chips gonna burn.

I'd say that a walker that's basically an exoskeletal suit is almost as mobile as a regular infantry soldier, assuming advancements in batteries are enough to keep them moving for at least 12 hours in powered mode, and that the suit is light enough to allow the soldier to at least be able to walk in unpowered mode. That's why I think a big walker is completely unpractical and the only practical walker, if they exist at all, would be basically a powered suit.

I mean, yes, an infantry squad can take them out with anti-armor weapons, but they can also take a regular infantry soldier out with the same weapons. What they won't be vulnerable to (hopefully) would be small arms fire since they can be covered with more armor than usual. Even if they weren't significantly more armored, there's advantages to having a powered suit, such as environmental protection, built in communications and the ability to carry more supplies. A squad with maybe 1 out of 10 ppl in suits can do things that regular infantry can't without taking risks, like be the first through the door in urban combat.

 

[Daneshmand]

The concept is sound. Mechanics, sensor and computational power already exists. If a proper software is written, then you can have something very close to it.

 

[Cossack25A1]

@Cossack25A1

Walkers are only useful if they weigh less than a tank and are small enough to hide in buildings. The point of walkers is to be super heavy infantry that is essentially invincible against enemy infantry, but small and mobile enough to hide in buildings away from aircraft and tanks which can fire armor piercing shells. Otherwise, if you have a heavy vehicle, there's no need to go to legs; wheels and tracks are better for transporting heavy loads and since you can't hide anyways, you can have way more armor on wheels and way more ammunition.

Since its hard to hide in buildings when you have to have a cockpit and life support with independent legs and arms, I think the most practical walkers would be armored exoskeletal suits for existing infantry that can carry a few heavy weapons by themselves, like a 30 mm cannon or multiple grenade/mortar launcher, while remaining mobile. They can never carry as much armor or weaponry as a tank, so the advantage should be the ability to have some heavy weaponry on a light, mobile platform. Their level of armor is likely going to be similar to infantry fighting vehicles at best and still won't stand a chance against a tank round or mortar.

Well, the thing that makes walkers less practical in real life is that existing vehicles could do what walkers were intended to do - attack helicopters, armored fighting vehicles and even MRAPs.

And if Iraq is an example, walkers is not cost-effective - take out one of the legs and the walker will be useless and while tanks could suffer the same thing when its tracks is destroyed, the tank can still fire its weapons whereas the walker wouldn't, unless it can balance itself with one leg.

 

[prima99]

This spider-like tractor have a long way to go. As for what is like to be applied IRL, I think power armor and exoskeleton have the higher chance than mecha. Maybe a mecha-power armor hybrid is the answer.

nope, not possible. the human inside will have weight problem carrying that armors around. even if they survived explosion using that suit, i doubt the human inside still alive and well.

infantry wise, what we need now is a hybrid of human and machine, A Cyborg. that way you don't need to worry about human limits. heck, you're free to do modifications on them. but of course there always the stupid Human Abuse things going on around, preventing to be ever realized.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Well, the thing that makes walkers less practical in real life is that existing vehicles could do what walkers were intended to do - attack helicopters, armored fighting vehicles and even MRAPs.

And if Iraq is an example, walkers is not cost-effective - take out one of the legs and the walker will be useless and while tanks could suffer the same thing when its tracks is destroyed, the tank can still fire its weapons whereas the walker wouldn't, unless it can balance itself with one leg.

depends on what the walker is. Like I said, I agree, that anything too big (bigger than maybe 2 meters tall actually) is useless. I don't think I've ever said anything else, so you're trying to argue a point that I already agree with. A suit would be OK though since theres no difference between a suit and an unarmored infantryman. if the legs are blown off, so are your legs. Exoskeletal suits are already being researched.

 

[frequency]

who needs Gundum when you got the Hulk!

 

[Cossack25A1]

depends on what the walker is. Like I said, I agree, that anything too big (bigger than maybe 2 meters tall actually) is useless. I don't think I've ever said anything else, so you're trying to argue a point that I already agree with. A suit would be OK though since theres no difference between a suit and an unarmored infantryman. if the legs are blown off, so are your legs. Exoskeletal suits are already being researched.

Sadly, those who thinks "walkers are cool" rarely look beyond the "coolness" aspect since as you said, anything that is larger is either useless or a magnet for every heavy weapon.

who needs Gundum when you got the Hulk!

More like the Hulkbuster armor.

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

I would not mock the Japanese... We as humans have a tendency to mock or laugh at things that are beyond our comprehension. The Japanese have already made a fully functioning, drivable mecha toy complete with jet launcher, target lock, voice and face recognition and Gatling BB cannons. Obviously its a toy for millionaires called the Kuratas:#

If they can make this, I don't think they are that far off from making a military variant.

I can already see numerous design flaw in the Kurata if it went into battle. Also if the japanese managed to weaponize the Kurata I can only see it acting in very limited role. Such as in urban mission where large vehicle may have a problem with it or as a military escort. You put this in actual battle field then *BOOM* no more Kurata. Because the silhouette is too big & just too underarmed. Also ditch the Pilot its the most glaring of all flaw in the Kurata.