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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DarkKestral" data-source="post: 3097525" data-attributes="member: 40100">Reasonable speed is defined by the situation. And yeah, I think it could, as the military doesn't armor helis very much. They're protected against most rifle fire, but any anti-materiel rounds will hole them pretty easily. Properly engineered mecha without a need to stay airborne can actually have a fair amount of armor built onto the frame, because their weight maximum for a given motor/frame combination is generally going to be FAR higher. Part of the reason helis don't have much armor is so they can strike fast and carry large quantities of weaponry. Mecha would probably move more slowly, with max speeds around 50-70 MPH. Helis are designed to move upwards of 100-150 MPH maximum. Attack helis are designed as rapid attack and scout vessels, while mecha, as viewed by the military, would be designed as ground control and defense systems for difficult terrain.To explain, the military's mecha research is oriented around 10-15 foot tall mecha, which could offer tank-sized weaponry on a frame that is suitable for urban combat. They would focus on having 1 or 2 main weapons, and not be built on a precisely human-style frame, but one more like a Mechwarrior quadripedal (or even a sexipedal or octapedal) frame with specialized armatures designed for a specific weapon to minimize recoil effects on the main body. They would not be designed to fly, or be capable of easily interchanging weapons, nor would they be designed for anything but providing armor support in difficult terrain. In fact, the main difficulties today are actually the control elements, as hydraulics and armor is being developed that could make mecha a reality. If 8-legged mecha are built, the control systems wouldn't need to be amazingly complex generally, as they could simply be designed to register deadly damage to legs and change motion schemas to compensate. Tanks flying like helis would probably require some form of jet propulsion, which is dangerous AND costly at the current moment. Thus, the more anime-style mecha aren't those being researched. In fact, the reality is likely to be closer to Mechwarrior mechs or a GitS Tachikoma than to Evangelion. Dirty, mechanical looking, but not particularly human-like in appearance or function.Furthermore, there's currently no reason to make tanks fly like helis, since the future of combat appears to be primarily urban combat and/or mountain combat, where large vehicles are generally at a disadvantage anyway.</blockquote>

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