We have recovered a missile fire control from an Agrippa wreck... a FC41-R5 missile fire control, to be precise.
This is NOT good news.
It means that the Rascals (and potentially, other NPRs as well) do indeed build Fire Controls calibrated to shoot down Fighters (the "R5" part means that the FC is most sensitive to 250-ton targets). This also implies that they build active RADARs in the same calibration, since the MFC would be useless without them.
I'd say it is actually good news, because most NPRs have some kind of anti-fighter/FAC capability (Steve has at least ensured that the AI is not
that easy to exploit!), but the range on those is limited. Our missiles can comfortably be launched from out of this range so we are perfectly fine.
Note that this has no effect on the usefulness of beam fighters, which typically just die to AMM spam regardless unless you really optimize them to deal with such things.
We'll have to compile a "Lessons Learned" document.
I'll start:
Larger ground units are needed. Larger ships to carry and drop them. Better weapons. Better armor. Armored units (we want Mechs!). Dedicated planetary bombardment vessels, both missile and large-calibre gun. Dedicated supply units. Replacement units (intended to be cannibalized by the fighting units).
Planetary bombardment missiles can be quite slow and short-ranged. I would probably stick to using "normal" missiles to kill off STOs as their point defense ability necessitates an effective missile, but once they are eliminated a slow missile (thus low gallicite cost!) can handle the other ground pounders.
Armored units are generally a good idea as they blunt the effect of CAP/HCAP which NPRs tend to use in abundance. You do take some hits from anti-vehicle weapons in exchange, and combined arms doesn't really solve this, but I think generally CAP is more prevalent and certainly more efficient for killing things if the things are infantry. Armored infantry also work well but are expensive.
It is a confluence of numerous associated variables, but yes jungle mountains are generally the hardest terrain to assault. And also the most difficult to orbitally bomb as your accuracy will be terrible and many missiles wasted.
Otherwise this has been a textbook victory on the ground, no real surprises and some valuable experience gained for a negligible cost of human life. Job well done, folks.
