What follows is a brief dissertation as to the differing rationale for the decisions leading to the

development o Southern Cross and REF mecha, as well as a discussion of a scenario involing a conflict
between the REF and ASC.

Development advantages

 Abundance of Protoculture (relative to the REF)

 Abundance of time for development and deployment (relative to the REF

Development considerations:

 The relative abundance or protoculture enables the more widespread use of energy
weapons such as lasers giving a higher per hit critical capacity than kinetic/explosive
weapons.
 The relative abundance of development time allows for an for a degree of miniaturization
exceeding that of the REF. Base to hit numbers of Southern Cross Mecha is 12 vice 9
seen in the REF

Deployment considerations:

 Known enemy likely to engage – Zentraedi in low numbers

 Possible enemy to engage – Robotech Masters (the Invid are largely an unknown factor at
this point with little data on weapons or mecha.
o Based on these assumptions it was ascertained the newly developed mecha would
most likely be engaging lower numbers of lightly armoured (Zentraedi) to
medium armoured (Robotech Masters) mecha. To this end it was deemed
prudent to develop weapon systems capable of delivering higher damage yields.
The sacrificing of high rates of fire or volleys was deemed acceptable given that
the numbers of enemy mecha were predicted to be much lower than the first
Robotech war. Although this proved to be a sound strategy against the Robotech
Mastes, the arrival was not anticipated and this policy would prove to place
Southern Cross mecha at a disadvantage when engaging the hordes of Invid
mecha that were to come.
 Robotech masters were known to rely (at least somewhat) on laser weaponry. This
prompts the development on laser resistant armour. (Ironically the Robotech Masters
secondary gunpods using HEAP ammunition were still very effective as well as their
employment of ion weaponry in their support craft largely negating the hoped for
advantage of laser resistant materials.
 Envisioned that the robust servicing and re-arming structure present on Earth would
preclude the need for flexible re-arm/re-fuel systems.

Advantages/Disadvantages of developed mecha:

 Logan – Blindingly fast, powerful laser armament/ lightly armoured
 AJACS – Excellent space maneuverability, moderately powerful laser armament with
excellent provision of medium range missles/lacks flexibility (designed for space)
 Veritech Hover Tank – Heavy armour, powerful and flexible armament/weapons suite
designed to engage relatively heavily armoured targets in low numbers. (the majority of
the VHT’s engagement during both the second and third robotech war were against large
numbers of lightly armoured foes.)
Robotech Expeditionary Force

Development Disadvantages

 Relative lack of protoculture. It was decided that only that protoculture needed to fuel
the SDF-3’s reflex furnaces and refurbish RDF mecha assigned to the mission would be
allocated to the REF. The remainder would be left for the defence of Earth.
 Relative lack of time. The Pioneer mission was given 7 years 2015-2022 to complete its
preparations, compared with 16 years (2014-2030) of the Southern Cross. Due to this
constraint further miniaturization and the coating of new mecha with laser resistant
armour was not pursued.

Development considerations

 The relative lack of available protoculture necessitated the development of reduced

capacity fuelling systems (fuel cells) and the employment of weapons suites designed
around the delivery of kinetic and explosive ordinance.
 It must be remembered that only two new mecha designs were developed during this time
frame, the Alpha and Beta Fighters. Ground based fighting was to be the responsibility
of the limited number of RDF destroids deployed with the Pioneer mission. Only after
the initial campaign and subsequent capturing of various manufacturing facilities did the
REF develop powerful replacements to their destroid fleet.

Deployment considerations:

 Probable enemy forces to be encountered – Zentraedi (probably in low numbers),

Robotech Masters in moderate numbers. It was not anticipated that the Pioneer mission
would engage the Invid. Although their existence was known, nothing with regards to
tactics, weapons, intentions were understood at that point. (Ironically the employment of
high fire rate/volley weapons on both the Alpha and Beta fighter was uniquely suited to
fighting the Invid, it was coincidental however and not until after the initial campaign
that it was consciously decided that these weapons were desirable in the contemporary
battlespace.
 Low potential for re-arm/refurbishment during the Pioneer mission meant that all fuel
systems and ammunition needed to be of common types, hence the selection of
autocannon and short range missile ordinance. (Again, in a twist of fate, the selection of
both the fuel cell option and of the common ordnances greatly aided future freedom
fighters battling the Invid on Earth. Indeed, it was protoculture that was extremely scarce
and not conventional ammunition. Given the rarity of fuel neither the SC or RDF mecha
could undergo the complex procedure of protoculture refurbishment rendering their
powerful energy weapons impotent.)
 Due to the restraints listed above the military strategy wrt mecha deployment was
complex for the Pioneer mission and broke down thusly:
o A total of approx. 750 Alpha and Beta fighters existed for space/atmospheric
combat. These would be supported by 96 VF-1 veritechs and 24 Zentraedi
fighters.
o Ground combat missions would see the avail ability of approx. 108 RDF
destroids and 170 Zentraedi mecha with a rapid reaction force of 36 veritech
hover tanks As you can see the majority of combat was predicted to be in space,
there was little presumed need for a ground campaign on Tirol. However the
 appearance of the Invid served to adjust the balance of priorities between space
superiority and ground based operations.

Advantages/Disavantages of REF mecha

 Alpha and Beta Fighters – Powerful autocannon and high volley rate missile systems able
to more rapidly acquire and engage multiple targets, heavily armoured / totally dependent
on consumable ammunition stowage with limited fuel capacity

Conclusions:
Both the ASC and the REF saw their assumptions regarding the type of enemy and enemy capabilities
challenged by what evolved in the battlespace of the second and third robotech wars as well as the
campaigns on Tirol. The ASC would spend considerable time and wealth on the development and
employment of laser resistant armour only to see its potential advantage mitigated by the Robotech
Masters rapid deployment of highly effective kinetic gunpods and the Invid’s exclusive use of plasma
weapons. Additionally the relatively low rate of fire of the majority of ASC weaponry coupled by the
need for a robust basing infrastructure to maintain combat effectiveness; was particularly problematic
during the third robotech war. None of these eventualities could have been foreseen. At the time of
development the choices made were entirely logical. The development of the Alpha and Beta fighters
were largely shaped by the limitations in resources, both time and material, and the desperate need for
rapid numbers. Luckily, and it can only be called luck, the designs created proved to be uniquely suited
to battling the Invid in a guerrilla engagement such as the third robotech war. It must be remembered that
that the REF developed their new family of destroids only after benefiting from their experience on Tiol.
Cocktail discussions weighing the relative worth of penetration vs fire rate were no longer merely
theoretical whimsies. They had fought the Invid. They knew their enemy and had seen firsthand the
weapon designs best suited to their defeat. The development of the new destroid family represented a
degree of flexibility as yet unattained in earth mecha. Each model could deliver credible penetrative
power while also employing the ability to engage multiple targets through the use of conventional and
mini-missile systems. Given these parameters the REF destroid family represents the most efficient
mecha ever produced.

Although history unfolded differently, there was at one point a distinct possibility that the REF would
need to liberate the Earth from T.R. Edwards and the Southern Cross apparat. The following is a
dissertation on the possible outcomes of such a conflict.

Assumptions:

 The battle would be fought post Robotech Masters

 The REF would likely have space superiority much as the Masters did with the vessels of
the TASC committing to offensives in a strategy of attrition.

 The REF Forces available would most likely be the Mars division fleet
o 3x Ikazuchi Class Battlecruisers (1950 mecha)
o 25x Garfish Class Cruisers (425 mecha)
o 12x Horizon Class Dropships (168 mecha)
 Total mecha 2543
 The ASC forces available would most likely be those secured on the moon bases (detailed in the
return of the masters sourcebook plus 21 small capital vessels) The equipment available to the
 ASC coming from REF origin would have been from General Edwards fleet had he returned to
Earth, approx 1250 mecha.
It is hard to judge the outcome of such a conflict. The ASC would be likely outnumbered 2 to 1 in
engagements, however the pilots of the ASC were combat veterans (most being 3rd or 4th level) while the
pilots of Mars division were untried (1st level) This would undoubably play a roll both in initiative and
combat survivability. The capital vessels of the ASC are also superior in both deliverable firepower and
survivability when compared with the Garfish of the REF; and would at the very least be suppressed if
not routed in a space borne engagement. However the inclusion of three Ikazuchi carriers makes this most
unlikely. The destructive potential of the ASC fleet in thousands is 68.4 as compared to 93 of the REF.
the ASC fleet survivability is 113.6 compared to the REF fleet at 142.5. Given these values and those of
the respective mecha quantities the REF would enjoy a 1.35 to 1 firepower advantage, a 1.25 to 1
survivability advantage and a 2 to 1 mecha advantage. The most likely conclusion to be drawn is that
without a more divergent force superiority between the REF and ASC, the battle would end in a stalemate
leaving a severely mauled ASC in control of the Earth. The REF would likely be victorious during the
conflict but would suffer attrition to the extent that they would be unable to consolidate gains thus leaving
the Earth in the hands of an impotent ASC. Without a credible security force, the Earth would slide
further into feudalism. A more likely scenario would involve the negotiation of a power sharing
agreement between the ASC/UEG and the REF similar to the arrangement 15 years earlier between the
RDF and the ASC. This agreement would no doubt be unsatisfactory for both sides, however given the
reality of probable future aggression from the Invid both TR Edwards and the REF commander would
likely accept its wisdom to not further reduce Earth’s only defence and security forces for little gain. In
this scenario the ASC would likely form a regional hegemony centred on the North and South American
sectors with the REF establishing itself in the Eastern and Far Eastern sectors. The North Euro and
African sectors would continue to be governed by the E.B.S.I.S. The animosity would remain. The three
powers would no doubt continue to compete with one another but would also have cooperated in the areas
of the mutual defence of local space. None of the possible scenario alters the events described in the
Invid Invasion. The potential reinforcing of ASC forces by troops from the REF Mars division would
have been completely irrelevant in the initial assault. Such was the overwhelming power of the Invid.

Discussion of RDF mecha development:

Unlike the development of ASC and REF mecha which used the experience of the first robotech war as
well as the changed reality on Earth. The RDF relied primarily on it’s experiences during the global civil
war. Mecha were developed to fill a role rather that defeat a specific type of enemy mecha. The
Tomahawk and Spartan as armoured cavalry, the Raider X as air defence and the MAC II and Phalanx as
self propelled artillery and the Valkyrie as air superiority. Researchers and engineers where slow to
realize robotechnology provided an untold degree of flexibility and so they designed mecha around a
conventional strategy. This had the effect of producing a powerful mecha suite with inherent inflexibility.
With minimum ranges being 10% of effective range for direct fire weapons and 500m, 1000m and 1500m
for short, medium and long range missiles respectively, mecha such as the Raider X, MAC II and Phalanx
continually found themselves at a disadvantage engaging battle pods who closed distances at an alarming
rate. Another important factor in RDF mecha design was the shortage of energy weapons. Even the most
rudimentary energy weapon designs were beyond earth’s engineers ability to develop and so were
salvaged from the mecha found onboard the Visitor. This created a paradigm where fully half of Earth’s
mecha (Raider X, Phalanx and MAC II) where totally dependent on ammunition stowage. Each of the
three aforementioned mecha could expect to expend all ordinance in less than 4 minutes of sustained
combat (15 rounds). No doubt this weighed heavily on the ASC developers who incorporated energy
weapons almost exclusively in their designs. Ironically the lack of energy weapons and/or protoculture
would continue to plague the RDF/REF until the capture of Tirol and the development of the REF
destroids.