Grenades and Flamethrowers?
- Thread starter Yevetha
- Start date
I seem to remember at some point during Enterprise, the MACO's use a sort of disorienting flash grenade.
I'm sure there was a TNG episode that spoke about stun grenades. I would see Starfleet opting for non-lethal options like that.
As for flame throwers, I'm not sure what use they would be by the 24th century.
As for flame throwers, I'm not sure what use they would be by the 24th century.
Stun grenades were used fairly regularly by the MACOs in ENT. In the TNG episode Legacy, it is suggested that low yield photon grenades would act to stun a group of hostage takers. Presumably higher settings would be lethal.
Photon grenades were among the weapons stockpiled by Admiral Leyton.
Photon grenades were among the weapons stockpiled by Admiral Leyton.
TOS "Arena" had photon mortars, so I suppose photon grenades might be around.
Grenades were used in Enterprise, by the MACOs. As for flamethrowers, why use them when you can put a phaser on wide beam setting? (of course, it would help if Trek characters REMEMBERED the wide beam setting existed!)
Psychological effect? Intellectually you know that the pretty beam of light (or a bullet) will kill or hurt you, but a stream of fire is different, it scares you at the primative level.
And how is a weapon that disintergrates you more "humane," than a weapon that burns you? Terrell in TWOK certaining died painfully.
Despite repeated examples of personal forcefields, they never caught on for Starfleet personnel in any era, at least through the 24th century. Landing parties and away teams are generally always vulnerable to 20th century weaponry of every kind.
We never saw a personal forcefield that would have demonstrated the ability to resist 20th century weapons, though, let alone 23rd century ones. The TAS "life support belt" shield bubbles were perfectly transparent to stun phasers and punches, while the thing Worf jury-rigged in "A Fistful of Datas" could barely block a low-velocity 19th century bullet before fritzing out.
Apparently, the Borg forcefields are an example of highly advanced technology our heroes won't master for centuries yet.
Grenades are a splendid idea, certainly. And if these photon grenades can be keyed to different yields just before throwing, from the "flash-bang" level implied in "Legacy" to the "platoon-pacifying" level seen in "Arena", they should be carried if not by all away teams, then at least by all away teams expecting combat.
Timo Saloniemi
Apparently, the Borg forcefields are an example of highly advanced technology our heroes won't master for centuries yet.
Grenades are a splendid idea, certainly. And if these photon grenades can be keyed to different yields just before throwing, from the "flash-bang" level implied in "Legacy" to the "platoon-pacifying" level seen in "Arena", they should be carried if not by all away teams, then at least by all away teams expecting combat.
Timo Saloniemi
Why launchers? We have seen rather small drones and seeker bombs that are capable of flying through air in zigzag patterns without the benefit of a launcher. A hand grenade ought to have that functionality as well, at least as an option. I mean, if it's only line-of-sight, it's no better than a phaser beam. And even a ballistic curve over an obstacle only adds a little to the tactical value; a more complex trajectory would be preferable.
One wonders why phasers aren't being thrown more often. They appear to have autotargeting and delayed triggering functions, so it ought to be possible to throw one around the corner or over a wall and wait for it to eliminate all the targets it sees, then waltz in with a second phaser drawn.
Timo Saloniemi
One wonders why phasers aren't being thrown more often. They appear to have autotargeting and delayed triggering functions, so it ought to be possible to throw one around the corner or over a wall and wait for it to eliminate all the targets it sees, then waltz in with a second phaser drawn.
Timo Saloniemi
Drones and bombs could be hackable - the enemy could try to interfere with their flight pattern somehow. A weapon that is launched can't be hacked into.
Sounds like the effectors of Andromeda's force lances. But where have they shown auto-targeting functions of phasers?
As for grenades way back in The Cage there was the phaser on overload to be used as a IED trick. I think it was in Diane Carey's Dreadnought novels that Piper grabbed a bunch of hand phasers and used them as grenades.
From TNG on. The phaser would be pointed very obviously in one direction, but the beam it fired wasn't "bore sighted." It's beam would fire off at a angle to strike it's target. Which suggests that the phasers have to ability to correct somewhat, and have target seeking programming.
Colonel West in Star Trek VI, I see now it was only in the expanded TV edits
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