United States Armed Forces installations

This page lists all United States Armed Forces materiel and installations.

Background
By the time of the Great War, the United States military was the most powerful military in the world, thanks to its overwhelming technological superiority.

Materiel overview
Power armor units were usually issued to mechanized cavalry formations operating on critical fronts, although significant numbers were issued to special purpose units assigned to domestic security, such as at the Mariposa Military Base. Low-frequency signals, which can travel far-reaching distances through many geographic obstacles, were used during the Sino-American War to transmit messages to submarines.

Energy weapons were another example of the United States enjoying technological superiority over any potential foe. While Germany has developed infantry fielded railguns in the form of the M72 Gauss rifle and the PPK-12 Gauss pistol (which the United States fielded as well ), the United States Armed Forces were entering a stage where laser and plasma weapons were entering limited deployment.

Outside power armor and energy weapons, the Armed Forces deployed advanced, reliable technologies. The standard combat uniform of the military was combat armor, manufactured from advanced defensive polymers, providing excellent protection. Even the first generation, where the armor was manufactured as individual plates affixed to a uniform, was a great combat uniform and was used by light infantry formation well into 2077, with more advanced second and third-generation suits reserved for use in China or sensitive areas on the domestic front. Weapons tended to be more reliable than advanced, with the rugged, reliable M199, and R91 assault rifles, the humble service rifle and/or the MP9 10mm submachine gun being the perfect examples of the philosophy. Although advanced conventional designs (such as bullpup designs and caseless ammunition) were certainly deployed and in number.

Robotics played an important role in Armed Forces operations. Apart from sentry bots, used to carry heavy weapons into combat on a semi-autonomous unit, the Army also employed a variety of other robotic materiel. Among the materiel were Protectrons, the more advanced Mister Gutsy robots (militarized versions of the popular Mister Handy utility robot), which entered service in 2077, and the assaultron. This RobCo design was built as a frontline wartime combatant. Fast and deadly at close range, and employs a devastating laser at a distance. Some units can even employ stealth technology.

With the advancement of cyber-robotics came the development of the Robobrain. Developed shortly before the war by GAI, the Robobrain was uniquely designed to accept brains as its central processor. They were intended to be a multipurpose platform, with such duties as to command units of robots, interrogation, and to fill tactically proficient combat roles. While the resource crisis had grounded many vehicles, aircraft remained operational in at least a limited capacity. Fighter jets of the United States Navy were patrolling the coastline, while the new Vertibird Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft was undergoing development and entered limited service by 2077, in the Anchorage Reclamation, Appalachia, and Massachusetts with full-scale adoption planned for 2083. Though they can hardly be considered aircraft, hundreds of orbital micronuclear platforms, satellites, and space stations were also placed in orbit around Earth, to provide tactical fire support for military forces or defend the home front if need be.

Combat drug use was sanctioned by commanders. In fact, to prevent addiction, many bases stockpiled endorphin blockers, allowing soldiers to use drugs freely. New ones were even invented by Constantine Chase to boost their effectiveness, though this lead to a scandal headed by one Dr. Adami and seizing of illicit materiel by the United States Coast Guard.

Other

 * MRE
 * Wattz 2043B radio communicator
 * Both dog tags and later holotags as standard identification tags
 * Clip together armor barricades/cages
 * Both heavy and light barricades
 * Military boxcar

Behind the scenes
Joshua Sawyer described design choices for military weapons, including energy weapons that were starting to replace conventional weapons, but had not yet completely eclipsed them.